Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the joint session of the U.S. Congress was one of his finest performances (“De-link religion from terror, Modi tells U.S. Congress”, June 9). It was an inspirational speech, and Mr. Modi was at his eloquent best. It seemed as though the words came from his heart. It was most unlike his infamous election speeches. Mr. Modi is one of the greatest orators India has had.
But we must also bear in mind that though Mr. Modi is indefatigable, he is more conscious about his image than anything else. He makes promises but forgets them immediately. He speaks too much and does little. He inaugurates new ports, ships, railways, factories, and his dedicated team immediately sends WhatsApp messages claiming credit for him. I can only recall the words of Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
V.V. Damodaran,Kannur
From travelling to five nations in 140 hours and meeting various diplomats, to signing numerous deals and delivering a splendid speech in the U.S., Mr. Modi is proving that he is intent on making India strong on the international front. He has successfully tried to ensure that India enters the Missile Technology Control Regime and is now making as much of an effort to ensure that it is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Besides this, by gathering support to fight against terrorism and raising the issue of India’s membership to the UN Security Council, he is leaving no stone unturned to improve the country’s reputation. A lot of work remains to be done within the country, but efforts on the international front are worth appreciating.
Mandvi Agarwal,Agra
