A Voyage Down Modi's Ganges

The Indian prime minister wants a second fiveyear term. To win reelection he’ll have to convince the people along the country’s holiest river that their lives have improved

- Archana Chaudhary

Every Hindu in India learns the story of the goddess Ganga, sent by the creator, Brahma, to release humankind from suffer ing. Her waters are believed to be medicinal. The dying receive a few drops to free their souls from the cycle of death and rebirth.

From its source in the Himalayas to its mouth in the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges River flows for 1,570 miles, through five of India’s most populous states. At any given time, dams along the way generate almost 5 gigawatts of energy, enough to power New Delhi. Almost 100 cities and towns draw its water, returning some 3 billion gallons of industrial waste and effluent to the river each day, the equivalent of 4,400 Olympic-size swimming pools.

When Narendra Modi took office as prime minister in 2014, his first act was to worship at the river’s banks. “Mother Ganga needs someone to take her out of this dirt,” he declared from the holy city of Varanasi, his electoral seat, as millions watched on television. “And she’s chosen me for the job.”

Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party stormed into office on a platform of jobs, economic development, and an end to corruption; their victory was so decisive, it was termed the “Modi wave.” As Modi entered a second election that began in midApril and continues until midMay, his popularity remained apparently intact. But the lower castes and Muslims who make up a third of the country’s 1.3 billion population are increasingly critical, feeling sidelined by BJP policies. Their disillusionment could deny Modi another majority or even contribute to an upset win by the opposition Congress Party led by Rahul Gandhi or a coalition of smaller regional rivals.