India's 2019 National Election and Narendra Modi

INDIA'S 2019 NATIONAL ELECTION AND NARENDRA MODI

Since 1991, economists have been saying that India needs big-bang reforms to eliminate poverty and become a superpower. But big-bang reforms are impossible in a democracy. So the next-best option is incremental reforms - which grow the economy at a respectable 7-8%. And that is what both P V Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee did.

When NDA came to power in 2014 (after the disastrous UPA period), everybody thought it would be Incremental Reform Govt - 3 (IRG-3) - after Rao's IRG-1 and Vajpayee's IRG-2. But the new Prime Minister was different. He was not interested in incremental reforms. He wanted to carry out the big-bang reforms that economists say India needs. So he carried out not one but two big-bang reforms: demonetisation and GST. When a weak man starts exercising, he will become strong - but only after some time. In the meantime, he will feel only aches and pains. And this is exactly what is happening with the Indian economy.

Humans see only short-term pain and not long-term gain. That is why people in every country vote against govts that carry out radical reforms. Everybody is saying 2019 will be a test for Modi/BJP/NDA. They are wrong. 2019 will be a test for us - Indians. Can we see not just the short-term pain but also the long-term gain of fundamental reforms? May we all have the wisdom to make the right choice next year . . .