Drawing a parallel between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kautilya, the renowned statesman of ancient India, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said that the PM believes in “massive transformation”, a virtue visible in every aspect of India’s growth story.

“Our visionary Prime Minister believes in large-scale transformation. After a decade of governance, the results are evident. After a long gap of several decades, we now have a Prime Minister continuing into a third term, and that makes all the difference,” the Vice President said while addressing a function in the national capital.

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Dhankhar said Kautilya’s thought process is a treatise on governance, virtually encyclopedic in covering every facet of administration, and the Prime Minister has exemplified this philosophy of the great statesman through his actions.

The Vice President quoted Kautilya on how he explained that neighbouring countries, if not on good terms with you, would become allies with each other.

He quoted Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta, who said, “A neighbouring state is an enemy, and enemy’s enemy is a friend.”

“Which country knows this better than Bharat? We have always believed in global peace, global fraternity, and global welfare,” Dhankhar said.

Kautilya, the Vice President said, had emphasised that democracy must be participatory.

The great statesman also emphasised the importance of individuals contributing to national welfare. He said that a nation is defined by decorum and discipline, and Kautilya believed that, just as one wheel alone cannot move a cart, administration cannot be accomplished single-handedly.

“This nation has an innovative administration. There were districts in the country that had been lagging, with bureaucrats not venturing into those areas. Prime Minister Modi coined a term for these districts: ‘Aspirational Districts’. Now, these ‘Aspirational Districts’ have emerged as leaders in development. Prime Minister Modi also recognised that people were moving to metros, while Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities also needed to become hubs of economic activity. He devised the concept of smart cities, not just in terms of infrastructure or aesthetics, but as a means to provide facilities for entrepreneurs and students,” Dhankhar explained.

He also reflected on the foundational principles of power and governance, stating, “Power is defined by limitations. Democracy thrives when we are ever mindful of the limitations of power. If you delve deep into Kautilya’s philosophy, you will find that all this converges to one essence: the nectar of governance—the welfare of the people.”

Talking about India’s democratic roots, he said that democracy in India did not begin with the country’s Constitution coming into force or its independence from foreign rule.

“We have been a democratic nation in spirit for thousands of years. This expression and dialogue, this complementary mechanism—Abhivyakti, Vaad Vivaad—has been known in Vedic culture as Anant Vaad.”