Modi and Obama — Similarities and Differences
On 20th January 2009 Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the President of United States of America — the oldest democracy of the world; 5 years and 4 months later Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world. Comparisons that were being made between Modi and Obama pointed to the common feature they both shared — Humble beginnings and being the underdog(Caste system and racial prejudices). Now after 16 months of Modi’s premiership, some other and more meaningful comparisons between the 2 premiers are due.
While Obama is a Centre-Left in politics, Narendra Modi comes from the Centre-Right. This analysis will try and neglect any differences owing to ideological differences
Similarities:
1. Both Obama and Modi have truly come from humble backgrounds. Both have said multiple times that their respective stories are only possible in vibrant democracies like US and India.
Born to a Kenyan-American couple, the young Barack after being born in Hawaii, spent a some part of his childhood in Indonesia before returning to United states. Narendra was born in a family from the Modh-Ghanchi-Teli community (from Other backward classes)
2. Both Obama and Modi have hugely benefited in their image making from having previous heads with abysmal public standing.
George Bush and MM Singh — Both of whom have been called as the worst leaders of their respective countries
3. Both are good and forceful orators in their own sense.
Though both have shown megalomaniacal behavior to varying degrees, their public speaking (and public image) appears even better when compared to their predecessors who were truly forgettable at public speaking.
4. During the election campaign, both Modi and Obama capitalized on the anti-incumbency sentiment that had arisen due to 10/8 years of extremely poor leadership.
5. Both Obama and Modi have not been afraid to show their emotions in public. Both have cried while giving speeches and talks.
6. Some parts of the republican party and Fox news took a long time to accept that Obama is indeed elected and official leader. The Congress party and especially some parts of the Indian civil society have not accepted Narendra Modi as their Prime minister yet.
Differences:
1. Hostile media relations: Obama is extremely open to having interviews with people in media (Fox) who are extremely hostile to him. This was one of the rudest interviews any American president had to face. In spite of such manners Obama has appeared again on Fox and may again give O’Reilly an interview.
Narendra Modi has given only a handful of interviews (to networks inclined to him or foreign networks — scripted interviews). In internal party meetings Modi has called news media persons news traders and has generally held Hind — based english media in utter contempt.
The left-leaning media has been excessively harsh on Modi for previous 13 years which has contributed to excessive paranoia on Modi’s part (and a boycott of certain media outlets). While Obama has been aggressive while defending himself against his critics he has rarely come across as hostile.
2. While both have humble origins, Modi has made the most of his humble origins whilst creating certain sympathy for himself. Be it referring himself as a chaiwallah, or breaking down in front of the world while seated next to Zuckerberg.
Obama rarely mentions the hardships and racism he faced growing up and, as a result, comes across more dignified in certain aspects of his statesmanship. Modi has extracted more mileage out of his humble origins that Obama.
3. Responses to smaller events which capture large media attention:
When Clock-assembler-dis-assembler kid from Texas was arrested/detained because he was Muslim, Obama’s twitter handle tweeted about the incidence within hours of the event. Obama has time and again spoken up against racism, gun violence in spite of facing extremely hostile media.
When an innocent man in Dadri Uttar-Pradesh was killed by a lynch mob for alleged possession of beef (while 2–3 others have also lost their lives due to this beef politics of Mr. Modi’s party), Modi took more than a week to comment on the act and has thus far refrained from condemning the act unequivocally. Even though Modi has condemned certain acts and comments from his larger ideological family, he has not been able to get the communal monkey of his shoulder.
One can point out that while arresting the kid was a state action and Mob-lynching wasn’t a state sponsored action. Modi cannot comment on each and every law and order incident but when his own ministers inflame the atmosphere with regressive statements it is imperative that he speaks up to distance himself from the fringes of his own party.
4. In spite of hostile opposition to him, Obama in his first term tried to work with the Republicans to get laws and budgets passed. Bi-partisanship showed by Barack Obama has not been seen from Narendra Modi yet. Narendra Modi has not been able to reach out to the opposition even to get the GST passed in the Lok Sabha.
5. While meeting foreign leaders, Modi comes across as forceful, macho and confident.
EG: the 56-inch chest Modi
Obama, on the other hand, has been criticized for coming across as not forceful and effective enough, esp while dealing with Vladmir Putin and Angela Merkel.
6. Obama in his public speaking abroad has not descended to making petty partisan points about the republicans; Narendra Modi has criticized all his predecessors unnecessarily (including A.B.Vajpayee by extension) abroad
I personally cringe every time he makes a petty attack Vadra- Sonia or the so call pseudo secularism from abroad even though the attack might be correct.
On the whole, Obama comes across as a likable, intelligent, smart and charismatic statesman who lacks certain political ruthlessness, chauvinistic machoism (a quality desirable in the USA) and effectivity. On the other hand, Narendra Modi appears to be an Effective and tech savvy communicator, astute and ruthless politician, macho global leader who still indulges in petty mudslinging and take a authoritarian stance against fringe elements of his ideological parivar — or Political power base (Due to lack of political will or power we don’t know)
Note:
I have omitted certain differences and similarities which were more due to the difference in Indian and American politics and culture and less due to differences of personality and character.
