Prime Minister Narendra Modi seem to be on peace and harmony mission. Even as reports of impending Cabinet reshuffle are floating around, the PM has been working in twin direction o achieve his mission. If he is making peace overtures to several of his senior Cabinet ministers in the Union Cabinet, he is also toying with the idea of creating a new Ministry of Peace in the country.
Highly placed sources close to the Prime Minister say that the Peace Ministry may be announced as and when Cabinet reshuffle takes place. Modi believes that the Commission for Communal Harmony under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is not effective enough to achieve the desired objective. Even the Minority Affairs Ministry has been unable to create the right climate of peace, communal harmony amongst various sections of communities and an atmosphere of happiness in the country. Therefore, a new Ministry of Peace alone can serve the purpose.
Sources say Modi hit upon the idea of creating this ministry when he visited Nepal and UAE where such ministries exist in one form or the other. According to sources, the proposal is still at a very early stage and modalities are still being worked out by the PMO. It may be mentioned that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also emphasized with the Prime Minister to create a ministry for Peace and Happiness. Chouhan had personally called on the PM last month. Chouhan himself had announced his plan to create a ‘happiness department’ in his state to measure the state’s happiness graph.
But Modi personally is on a peace mission himself even before the Pace Ministry is created. The PM evolved a mechanism and resorting to “dinner diplomacy.” He is meeting senior ministers individually over dinner to have one-to-one talk with each one of them. These Cabinet Ministers have been feeling for a long time that they don’t enjoy his confidence and are often not consulted before decisions are taken.
Surprisingly, Modi took the initiative to call on almost all his top six ministers at their official residences. They include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Surface Transport & Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. In fact, the PM was first to visit Sushma Swaraj when she was admitted to the AIIMS. Modi had been visiting the residence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley only in the past. He had also been regular at the residence of Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkiah Naidu. But all this is history now and Modi has completed one round with all his senior ministers.
As part of Modi’s ministerial Peace Mission comes the concept of the Peace Ministry.
