Ahmedabad, 3 April 2014

For all those who want to judge Narendra Modi, who has emerged as one of the most hyped figures of the recent times, not by the polarized public life & politics but merely by his actions i.e. facts, Mrs. Madhu Kishwar’s recently-launched book “Modi, Muslims and Media”, capturing the reality of governance in Gujarat during the tenure of Modi, could come in handy.

The author of the book Madhu Kishwar currently a Professor at Center for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) & Director for the CSDS’ Indic Studies Project, is also a freelance journalist. She has penned down a number of books on a variety of complex subjects since 1984.

Kishwar was in Ahmedabad today to share her experience of writing a book on state’s Chief Minister, who is also the prime ministerial of BJP at a function organized to unveil the book before media. Select excerpts from the book were read by Mohammad Sagir Nazm, eminent muslim scholar from Jamia Milia Islamia University.

The book comes with a foreword by leading Senior Journalsit Cho S Ramaswamy, Editor, Thuglak and has an introduction by Salim Khan, famous Script Writer & Columnist. Both of them have provided factual and accurate account of the book hailing the tireless efforts made by the author for the unbiased and masterly analysis of Modi’s rule.

Explaining why she penned down the book, Kishwar said, “The political discourse in India is so vitiated by Modi phobia that even if one expresses appreciation of the quality of roads in rural Gujarat or 24X7 power supply in the state’s villages and town, one is branded a ‘supporter of fascism’. It is politically fashionable to defend Kashmiri secessionists, press for peaceful engagement with Pakistani establishment, which sends terror brigades to India, and project murderous Maoists as saviours of the poor. But, to say a word in appreciation of governance reforms in Gujarat, or to credit Modi for having given Gujarat its first-ever riot-free 12 years since independence, is to commit political hara-kiri – one is forever tainted and tarred with the colours of fascism. This intellectual terror created by the anti-Modi brigade pushed me to find out for myself the reason behind this obsessive anxiety about Modi.”

Author’s assessment of Modi & his governance is based not on the opinion of the author herself but merely on the perception of the scores of diverse people she met. From successfully supervising the administration to managing the after-effects of the devastating earthquake, providing electricity 24X7 to all parts of the state to ensuring people’s participations in most of the government schemes, bringing revolution on the agricultural front to effective use of information technology in the administrative process – the book covers all aspects of Modi’s functioning. Not only that, it also threw light on the fact that how Modi has emerged as a friend and a deliverer for the Muslims in the state amid being projected as communal by some sections of media & political parties.

“This is the first decade during which Gujarat has been riot-free and there has been no curfew even for a single day. Prior to 2002, the state had witnessed major riots every two-three year. We have also seen curfew being extended even for 200 days, which is now thing of past,” says Zafarbhai Sareshwala, a leading businessman in Gujarat, endorsing his views on Modi cited in the book.