Narendra Modi’s expected re-election will inspire fear and hope

By Jeremy Page

In a speech on India’s independence day in August 2023, his tenth as prime minister, Narendra Modi declared the country to be at a turning point. A new world order, he told the crowds, was emerging in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. India was poised to shape this new order, thanks to its “trinity” of demography, democracy and diversity. “The world can see a spark for itself in this beam of light that is emanating from India,” he said.