Diversity is India’s hallmark, writes PM in Economist

India has tremendous social strengths, including pluralism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written in the prestigious Economist magazine in comments that come in the backdrop of a debate over rising intolerance and violence in the country.

This is the third time in the last two weeks that Modi has touched upon issues of diversity as he tries to parry criticism surrounding his perceived silence on alleged attempts by members of his party to inflame communal passions for electoral benefit.

Modi’s reference to pluralism in India came in a piece for the magazine’s special edition titled “The World in 2016”. The excerpts were tweeted by the Economist’s Europe Business Correspondent, Adam Roberts.

Modi also referred to the “great expectations” from his government which completes 18 months next week, amid allegations that the government was starting to lose momentum gained from a landmark victory last year.

“There is a sense of great expectation from our government. Inevitably, some of these expectations run ahead of us,” he said. The Economist was broadly supportive of Modi’s electoral promise of jobs and unclogging the economy but has recently carried several pieces critical of what it sees as a derailment of the development narrative.

Modi repeatedly invoked the themes of diversity and plurality during his recent visit to the UK, much to the approval of his audience.