evidence: The common thread, according to those who know him, is a belief that he’s been divinely chosen to restore India’s historical place as a Hindu nation by rectifying centuries of subjugation, from the conquests of Muslim emperors who produced the Taj Mahal and Old Delhi’s Red Fort to the period of British colonization that ended in 1947. During his annual Independence Day speech last August, Modi declared that India was "at the milestone between 1,000 years of slavery and 1,000 years of a grand future that is about to come." [...] His tenure has seen the emergence of a more confident India, willing to hold its corner in a rapidly fragmenting geopolitical order. It has also appeared, at times, reckless in handling perceived threats to territorial integrity. Canadian police this month charged four Indian nationals with first-degree murder in the death of a Sikh separatist activist and said officers are actively investigating links to Modi’s government, which has dismissed the allegation as "absurd." India has separately blamed a "rogue operative" for a foiled murder plot against a Sikh activist that prompted US authorities to file charges. [...] Asked in a recent TV interview whether he would contest elections in 2029, Modi said: "No country should run on one man." But he did not rule out standing for a fourth term. At a public forum in March, he drew applause by saying he was preparing for India’s 100th anniversary in 2047, a target date for Modi to turn the nation into a developed country.