Thespian, statesman and strongman: Policy pundits deconstruct Modi's popularity

With over 50,000 Indian Americans from all across the country registering to attend the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ rally on Sept. 22 in Houston, starring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and with the event garnering even more excitement with President Donald Trump expected to join India’s rock-star, erstwhile U.S. ambassadors, leading policy wonks and scholars provided their perspective on to what makes Modi tick and makes him such a phenomenon.

Teresita Schaffer, a retired career diplomat, currently a Senior Adviser at McLarty Associates, who also writes the popular ‘South Asia Hand’ blog, said, “He believes in the greatness of India — hence his determination to grow the economy, to strengthen India’s ties with the great powers and India’s standing as a great power, or at least a great power in the making.

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