Tom Vadakkan
Leonardo Da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino witnessed a historic event as PM Narendra Modi stepped out from Airforce One to meet Supreme Pontiff, His Holiness Pope Francis. This much-anticipated meet will mark a new beginning and end simultaneously as It is only after 12 years that Democratically elected representative of billion plus people will converge the spiritual beacon of Christianity. This almost covers half the strength of contemporary humanity and thus its impact can definitely permeate caste, gender, religion, or even national boundaries to reach the last man on the ladder encompassing whole humanity in the process. This meeting of minds can reinvigorate the spirit and value of mutuality, humanity, compassion which is the need of the hour as the wounds of the many crises, tragedies throughout the world are still not healed properly. We not only have to fight these tragedies but the hate in people’s hearts is influenced by factors, not in their control. As a Citizen of the Democratic Republic of India and a Christian, I feel that the same spirit of compassion is represented by our PM Narendra Modi which through this meet with His Holiness will illuminate the world with shared initiatives that concerns our present and future from the current global pandemic to climate change. This meet symbolizes a peaceful synchronization of the Indian Spirit. “The world is a family” and Christian spirit represented in 1 John 4:8- Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. The word Pontiff which is used to address His Highness itself means “the builder of bridges”, so this remarkable event has kindled a ray of hope in the hearts of too many people to count.
The current period of time was a period of chaos, tragedy as the impact of COVID-19 is felt by the whole of humanity very personally but it also highlighted the inherent cleavage or divide among people already divided by caste, race, religion, or country. Very few people dared to cross this divide and among them, I can say with pride that PM Modi not only worked day and night to combat this pandemic on a National level but he did not hesitate to help people in need across the boundaries where lies no liability for a head of state but for an affectionate human only. The value of vaccines sent through “Vaccine Maitri” can only be understood relative to the situation of those people were, just like the importance of the mountain of medicinal herbs brought by Lord Hanuman in eyes of Lord Ram. This same spirit was reciprocated by Brazilian PM Bolsonaro with a tweet of Lord Hanuman bringing vaccines to Brazil, thanking India for such a courageous and affectionate step.
Where world leaders often fail to acknowledge the dire situation of ecological imbalance and climate change, PM Modi tackles them head-on as the initiative to revive the river Ganga is one of the kind in the whole world. The inclusionary spirit of PM Modi’s mode of working represented through “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, has a wide enough ambit to include every person irrespective of the various divides and as mentioned earlier can permeate national boundaries itself. In this regard, PM Modi is truly global in his impact as highlighted through various surveys, magazines such as TIME magazine, and other countries also. Religious harmony and developmental programs for minorities have been a top priority of the Modi Government which is clearly visible through scholarships and government initiatives for minority upliftment, as the spirit of “The greatest good of greatest number” does not do justice to Indian diversity. The steps like Insurance for all Indians, more than a billion vaccinations of COVID-19, free ration of food grains for all during and after the pandemic, free housing for the poor through PM Avaas Yojna are some of the examples of emancipatory steps taken by PM Modi during his tenure which I am certain will see a surge of such initiatives in time to come. Women empowerment has not been only an agenda on manifesto as this section of society has seen consolidated steps in form of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padao”, Free gas and electricity connections, and many more to alight the living conditions of families of rural India as development if not restricted to cities alone.
His Holiness Pope Francis was born in Argentina. On subjects connected to the church, he supports conventional beliefs. However, he has a socialist perspective on international events. He opted to live a less opulent lifestyle than his forebears.
He built a bridge connecting the USA and Cuba after years of estrangement and conflict, by resolving diplomatic concerns between them. Members in the LGBT community find him friendly and welcoming. Pope Francis is a proponent of taking effective steps to address climate change. He has brought forth several church changes that have been well received by young Christians all across the world. Pope Francis prioritizes religious unity and has friendly connections with the leaders of Islamic countries such as Palestine and the United Arab Emirates. He believes it is the obligation of the entire world to sort out the hardship and challenges that people in war-torn places under ISIS and the Taliban face. He is a fervent supporter of Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Great minds make the world a better place… Through love and compassion, great minds bring heaven to earth.Narendra Modi Ji and His Holiness The Pontiff.
(The author is National Spokesperson BJP)
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