The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference.
The day is still a maze. There was a hint on the morning of 29th May 2019 that there is a possibility of going to Rashtrapati Bhavan for the swearing-in on May 30th, 2019. All I was doing the whole day was to refresh the mailbox and constantly check all the folders! Was continuing to do the same at dinner with friends and they asked me what matter of universal importance is it that I am tracking. And at around 10:30pm when we were finishing up desserts and paying the bill, I received a call to come and collect the invite at 11am the next day morning in Delhi.
The Swearing-in events of PM and CM have always fascinated me. I have no explanation as to why, but I always liked the moment when the winner says “I, xxxxx,”. And it is even more enthralling when the leaders you admire and vote for, do it! I had always wondered why this is such a closed-door event, but I was told that the swearing-in of PM and CM are elite events and involves massive security detail too.
My first memory of reading about a public swearing-in ceremony was when NTR did it in the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in 1994. And then when Prime Minister Vajpayee did it in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1998 and then again in 1999. It was gladdening to see leaders celebrate with the very people that put them up there. The elite nature of the event returned when Sonia Gandhi’s UPA came back to power in 2004 and 2009. And was gone in 2014 when Narendra Modi came to power and same thing in 2019.
After the 10:30pm call, made the flight bookings and reached Delhi to collect the invite. And that is when the second surprise lay in store. This surprise was much bigger than the phone call the previous night - They were giving out personalized printed invites! And at that precise overwhelming moment, you realise the worth of every single minute you put for that one man to be at the helm of India’s affairs. Infact, at that precise overwhelming moment, you forget all the hardship and remain in awe of the man who has made sure he will have his well-wishers be present to celebrate democracy along with him!
Walking with fellow volunteers into Rashtrapati Bhavan, soaking in the majesty of the building and occasion, meeting many social media friends (some for the first time!), the searing heat that made the water bottles so hot – while practically every minute is etched in the memory, we then encountered the third overwhelming moment – meeting the family members of the BJP karyakarthas who were killed merely because they campaigned for the party. One of the most under reported violence in the 2019 elections was the killing of BJP karyakarthas in states ruled by the Opposition. It was overwhelming to see that the party remembered the ultimate sacrifice and honoured the families by bringing them in to view the swearing-in ceremony. I strongly felt that it is gestures like these that define those at the helm of affairs.
The roar of the “Modi Modi” chant when Narendra Modi arrived had to be simply heard to be believed. And then the moment everyone was waiting for – “Mein, Narendra Damodardas Modi” – happened. It was as if the pinnacle has been achieved. It truly felt – “You are at the swearing-in of the Prime Minister of India on a personalized invite. What else is left to be done now?”! It was as if the job is now done and 2024 seemed a long way ahead!
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through his actions, told us that the job is not done. Party manifestos are often derided. We all often complain that some promises are simply made to gather votes. Many political parties still continue to do that, and break promises they make. Revoking of Article 370 has been on the Sangh’s agenda since the beginning. Narendra Modi’s single action of revoking of Article370 has honoured the fight of countless citizens of India. For me, all his other bold actions in the past year don’t matter as much as the revoking of Article 370 does.
Typically, at this time, everyone would want to analyse the performance of the government in the past year. But today, the only thing in my mind is how Modi has honoured 1000s of volunteers and karyakarthas on this day (And in 2014 as well for many). The only thing in my mind was that how fortunate I was to be one amongst those 1000s. The only thing I wanted to write was about how no reminder from “Facebook memories” is needed to relive May 30, 2019.
Modi’s overwhelming victories are because he listens to critics and well-wishers alike. And honours them at the right moment. Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, Thank you dear BJP for making May 30,2019 as special as May 16, 2014.
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