Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement slamming religious violence came to many as a surprise. I feel that the strongman has finally succumbed to the growing international pressure over his party’s silly policies threatening the secular credentials of India. It seems that the statement of US President Barack Obama during his visit to India has worked wonders. This is truly a blessing of today’s closely linked world. In this global village, it has become very difficult for countries to live in isolation due to increasing economic interdependence.

The saffron brigade must have realized that it is not easy to promote its communal agenda in the presence of the new media. They can buy the traditional media but it is very difficult to control the social media.

However, we should not rejoice too much. Modi cannot be trusted, as the statement in question was part of a fiery speech that he had delivered outside the Parliament. We all know that Modi is good at giving speeches. Being a good orator, he knows how to charge up the crowd. We have to monitor the situation on the ground before jumping to any conclusion. My skepticism stems out of Modi and his party’s past record and the core values of the force they represent.