Saying Modi ‘Governed As If No One Else Matters’, Time Magazine Recognized Indian PM As Top 100 Most Influential People 2020

Hanima Anand |Sep 25, 2020

Though listing him in Top 100 Most Influential People 2020, Time magazine is hesitant to give him compliments. Instead, they said Modi brought all into doubt.

On September 22, Time magazine featured PM Narendra Modi in its annual collection of Top 100 Most Influential People 2020 with a small note under his name. The Prime Minister of India doesn’t receive encouraging comments as expected, but a doubtful tone instead.

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To be specific, Karl Vick, the editor in charge of Modi’s note wants to highlight the democratic nature of India. According to him, free elections which have taken place in the country for decades are not necessarily the key to democracy.

Elections announce who wins the most votes but neglect those who didn’t vote for the winner. By saying this, Karl implies the lack of proper care for non-Hindu communities in the country who may not support PM Modi, a Hindu-nationalist.

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Karl Vick quotes a saying of Dalai Lama who spent most of his life in India that our nation is an example of ‘harmony and stability’ given the diversity of religious groups here. In fact, India is home to a variety of religions, from Christians, Muslims, Buddhists to Sikhs or Jains but they found the way to co-exist in peace with each other for years.

However, Karl said under the administration of PM Narendra Modi, all those stable features have been brought into doubt. Although most Indian population come from Hindu families, Prime Ministers prior to Modi all try to better the living standard for all groups, regardless of their religions. Karl felt Modi, in contrast, has ‘governed as if no one else matters,’ only focusing on the privilege of the Hindu group.

Particularly, the Time editor highlights the negative approach of PM Modi towards Muslims, which is most visible during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Besides PM Modi, some other world leaders featured in Top 100 Most Influential People 2020 include US President Donald Trump, German PM Angela Markel, Chinese President Xi Jinping and also Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAIP who plays the crucial role in the US coronavirus task force.

Top 100 Most Influential People from Time covers a wide range of jobs, from artists, scientists, entrepreneurs to politicians. There are 5 Indians on the list, including PM Modi, actor Ayushman Khurrana, Bilkis, Sundar Pichai, and Ranvindra Gupta.

Actor Ayushman Khurrana is recognized for his efforts in breaking stereotypes with his iconic roles. Bilkis is the face of peaceful protests to fight for human fundamental rights. Sundar Pichai spreads his influence as the CEO of Google while Professor Ranvindra Gupta is nominated for his relentless research into HIV cure.