- You are keen to see India as a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council. “Let us fulfil our promise to reform the United Nations Security Council by 2015.” You said at the UN in 2014. Since such reform would require ratification by two thirds of all UN Member countries including China, when do you think India’s aspirations which are supported by the UK, will be taken to a vote at the UN? Or do you think China will veto and so a vote is never going to happen?
- Violence against women is not a particular Indian problem yet your speeches make clear it is especially un-Indian and un-Hindu. Do you agree with President Carter who says the reason why the mistreatment of women and girls continues in so many manifestations in so many parts of the world, both developed and developing is “In general, men don’t give a damn”?
- Child malnutrition has for many years been a major problem in India. It is especially troubling because of India’s population means it affects a lot of children. Do you believe a lead from the Head of Government to eliminate the problem before, say, the end of the decade, would eliminate the problem? The way President Kennedy said his Government would ‘send a man to the moon’ before the end of the decade – another seemingly impossible mission until political will from the top directed national effort? You will at Wembley mention India’s successful mission to Mars and no Indian PM has been more popular to direct such a national effort.
- Your vision of ‘Desh Bhakti’ for nation building capitalises on the ‘love of the motherland’ you have witnessed among overseas Indians in America and of course in the UK. You have asked their help in making India clean. Do you think there should be a fund purely from overseas Indians? Would billions be raised from abroad if you led the campaign?
- The small things are big things to regular people, like toilets, as you’ve observed. Will you add this toilet building initiative to the same fund, maybe also a ‘visit clean hygienic India fund’ which especially focusses on religious pilgrimage sites?
- As you noted, it was the NRI Gandhiji who coming back to India and changed her forever. Entrepreneurs are the job creators as you’ve pointed out to them in Silicon Valley. Do you think you can entice them to India from overseas without financial incentives – but rather a push to their love of the motherland? Other countries have succeeded and it is a lot cheaper than tax breaks.
- The ‘Make in India’ programme as you’ve said before in a speech in the UK has to be about India inventing and owning the rights to invention to make India wealthy and great, not just about cheap Indian labour. Do you think your point has been understood or do you think overseas companies see it as ‘use cheap Indian skill and labour and then take the profits overseas?’
- As India is a majority Hindu nation, but as you said at the UN in 2015, you represent a culture where the Earth is considered a ‘mother’ and the world one family. At a time of unique global climate and peace threats to humanity – should you do more to protect the wisdom of ancient Hindu culture by stating avowedly you are not a secularist and the constitution of India needs amending to recognise her religious roots?
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23rd Apr 2024 | Updated at 11:22pm 23rd Apr 2024
Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook: 8 Questions for PM Modi on his visit to Britain
Tuesday 03rd November 2015 10:41 EST
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