Opinion Telescope: The Modi hardsell
If TV polls are correct on public appreciation of the PM’s performance, then why is the BJP preaching to the converted?
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Only when people are disappointed do you conduct a public relations blitzkrieg and carpet-bomb them with the “goodies” you’ve bestowed upon them.
It was more than 42 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon in Mathura. The prime minister flung out his arms to embrace the thousands who had gathered to hear him and declared, “I am not pradhan mantri, I am pradhan santri.” On Independence Day last year, he had described himself as “pradhan sevak”, so take your pick. He then took several sips of water and promised “bure din” ahead — but only for those bad people who had looted the country.
When the TV cameras panned to the audience, men were practising jumping on the spot, waving their arms, but you couldn’t tell whether they were welcoming the PM’s words, the camera’s focus on them or, indeed, the cooling air of the fans.
News channel after news channel— News X, CNN-IBN, Times Now, India TV — on Monday and Tuesday indicated that the majority of Indians had seen better if not “achche din” in the last 365 days. So perhaps the audience in Mathura was celebrating Modi’s one year as pradhan mantri.
As is the BJP this week, with plans to hold 200 rallies across the country, 200 press conferences and 5,000 jan sabhas, as well as many media interviews — all to acquaint the nation with its achievements. Don’t wish to be churlish but isn’t this excessive, unnecessary? If the TV polls are correct on the public’s appreciation of Modi — CNN-IBN says 72 per cent are satisfied with his performance — then why preach to the converted? Only when people are disappointed do you conduct a public relations blitzkrieg and carpet-bomb them with the “goodies” you’ve bestowed upon them.
So it’s been a little puzzling to watch the BJP’s top leadership on TV, at rallies, press conferences or in interviews, at pains to list out the accomplishments of the last one year. The prime minister in Mathura seemed to be trying almost too hard to convince the (TV) audience that as its “pradhan santri”, he had done everything to safeguard their interests. Ditto Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (Friday, Delhi), Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Kolkata (Tuesday) and Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi. It’s as if they want to make us believe “saal ek, shuruaat anek” by ramming it down our throats.
In power, the BJP likes to be positive: today’s “achche din” is reminiscent of yesteryears’ “India shining”. Now, India may or may not be shining, but what’s undeniable is that the sun is shining.
It’s 45 degrees Celsius and more out there, over 1,000 people have died in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and millions more are suffering from the heatwave. No matter how many times you tell them, in the many different ways you tell them, that the feel-good factor is here, they’re not feeling too good these days. Instead of giving speeches of self-congratulation, perhaps the political leadership of the country could have gone out amongst the people and offered them a cuppa tea and sympathy — a variation of the PM’s chai pe charcha?
The hardest hardsell came on DD News, his master’s voice. On Tuesday night, while faithfully reviewing the Modi year, the reporter said, “The world is optimistic about India.” Now, how on earth does he know that?
As is his wont, Arvind Kejriwal gate-crashed the BJP party. Monday, we watched the AAP at a public cabinet meeting in Delhi’s Connaught Place; on Tuesday, it was a special session of the Vidhan Sabha — as always, AK manages to steal a little of the BJP’s limelight. Tiresome to watch so much ado about something that didn’t deserve the coverage. Why don’t the news channels just switch him off?
shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com
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