Modi mania down under

Picture this: A crowd of nearly twenty thousand people and a stadium echoing with roaring cheers and exaltations. Amidst all this was a bespectacled man in his mid-60s standing on the stage with his hands joined together and acknowledging all the zest and live wire current palpable in the ambience.
This may sound like a scene straight from some cricket match or a live performance by a celebrity or some entertainment show.However, in reality, the event taking place was a political speech from the current Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi.
Modi's story isn't short of any Bollywood potboiler with all the essential ingredients to please the quintessential movie ethos of a nation of a billion people. His rise from being a tea-seller's son to the chief minister of Gujarat and then the Prime minister of India is a perfect story of a much deserving underdog we all love to see. He quickly climbed the success ladder of politics and made sure his clout grew deeper and stronger in the web of politics.
A nation which was dismayed and hopeless with the nonchalant attitude and non-performing score card of its previous government welcomed Modi like never seen before in India. He was immediately hailed as a messiah of suppressed and downtrodden and expected to assuage our pains and bring about a magical change in the system, which is rooted deeply in our psyches.
Whether Modi can bring his Midas touch into our lives is a question which can only be time tested. Nonetheless, it would be wrong not to acknowledge the definite sense of Modi mania prevailing in the air and it seems to be somewhat contagious. Even the Indians outside India have not escaped this frenzy, and just like back in India, we have two factions - those who are overwhelmed by Modi and the rest.
Modi's recent trip to Australia would be remembered for years for more than just one reason.
He has achieved many historic milestones in his latest tour down under. He is not only the first Indian Prime Minister in last 28 years to visit Australia, but he also gave his speech at the Australian parliament, at the G20 Summit, in English without any hiccups or discomfort and displayed to the Australians that we are ready to walk the path of success along with them with aplomb and determination. Modi's vision of free trade agreement, talks of bilateral relationships and similarities shared between the two countries were as much applauded in the Australian parliament as much he was appreciated by the Australian media for being forthright and charismatic.
Modi's speech at the Sydney Olympic Park was another event which pulled a swelling crowd good enough to put several film/music celebrities to shame. He infused confidence in the minds of young Indians and won them over with his focus on youth and promise to uplift India in the International arena.
He was nicknamed "Rockstar" by many Indians and when Modi left Australia, he showcased to us why he truly deserved to be called that. Whilst it's too early to say if Modi will fulfill all his promises of development in India and free India from the clutches of bureaucratic corruptions, he certainly has made people believe in him with this cracking pace and ability to connect with those who matter most to him - the aam admi of India, within and outside the country.
For now Narendra Modi may have succeeded in his talk-the-talk strategy but what the common people like us would like to see is his walk-the-talk strategy now.