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Norway’s leading business leader Da-Gans Narysliv (DN) has described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the world’s most popular politician. Also advised the Prime Ministers of Nordic countries that they need to learn a lot from PM Modi. On May 18, Prime Minister Modi will visit Norway.

Indian Prime Minister Modi will be welcomed by King Harold. He will boost Indian business, meet the Indian diaspora and attend the India-Nordic Prime Ministers’ meeting.

This Norwegian newspaper wrote, “The prime ministers of the Nordic countries should listen carefully. They need to learn a lot from their Indian counterpart.”

The article, published a few days before PM Modi’s visit to Norway on May 18, had said, “While the domestic popularity of prime ministers of Nordic countries barely reaches 30 per cent, PM Modi’s popularity is around 70 per cent. No leader of any major country is as popular as PM Modi in his own country.”

The article said, “PM Modi has been in power in India for more than 12 years. If he decides to contest elections again, all signs suggest he will be re-elected. This is a far-fetched dream for European leaders. His success can be attributed to rapid economic growth, influential ideology, the world’s strongest political party and his personal life journey.”

The article also mentions PM Modi’s humble background and says it is “almost unique” in a world where most heads of state come from the upper middle class.

The article said, “He has no one to thank for his political career but himself and the Hindu nationalist movement. He is as self-educated and an organizer as Einar Gerhardsen of India.”

It was further said that PM Modi is a strong force driving the Indian economy forward. India’s economy is currently growing at 7 percent, which is faster than China and far ahead of all other major economies. According to the current growth rate, India’s economy can quadruple by 2050 and then India will challenge America by becoming the second largest economy in the world.

The article also mentions PM Modi’s achievements in promoting green growth. It said India is now the third largest producer of solar and wind energy in the world and it would not be surprising if it overtakes the US to reach the second position. Last year, coal emissions in India decreased for the first time.

“Western leaders can learn a lot from PM Modi’s persistent green message. Prime Minister Modi rarely talks about global climate negotiations or emissions. He does not ask anyone to make sacrifices for the environment. His message is that India can lift 1.5 billion people out of poverty through green growth. There is no longer a choice between the economy and the environment,” the report said.

The article also said that even if secular parties win the next election, India’s ideology will still be focused on Hindu nationalism.

It said, “Hindu nationalism is India’s answer to the question that faced all non-Western countries after the Industrial Revolution—how to become modern, without becoming like the West? Japan was the first country to solve this problem.”

Despite becoming extremely modern, it remained Japanese. Korea is now more prosperous than Japan and is a major exporter of its culture and music. “China grounds its modernity in its roots such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.”

The article describes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the world’s largest political party, with more than 10 crore members. It said that the party has won the support of all castes, rich and poor, in an unprecedented manner in India.

According to the article, “Criticizing the BJP has become something of a hobby among Western analysts. Critics are right in saying that the BJP talks about the unity of Hindus. But there is little evidence that Hindu-Muslim conflicts have increased under BJP rule. There was more violence and riots during Congress rule. Millions of Muslims are coming to India from neighboring countries; very few Muslims are leaving India.”

The article also said that India is the only country that has chosen the democratic model, as democracy is deeply rooted in Indian culture and tradition. It has no connection with British rule, as other former colonies of the British Raj such as Pakistan, Myanmar and the Gulf monarchies are not democratic.

The article concluded, “In a world where Norway needs new allies for the rules-based international order and Norway’s business needs new opportunities, closer ties with India can be of great benefit. But we must also be willing to listen rather than just preach. Then, countless opportunities for mutual benefit could open up.”