Modi’s Success Lies in Not Falling into Trap of Those Who Never Voted for Him
The art of mass connectivity and Narendra Modi are made for each
other. His communicative skills not only mesmerised voters but also made
others look like dwarfs. He conquered India with words instead of
weapons. Yet last week, the Prime Minister surprised his colleagues and
admirers in a 645-word blog, bemoaning the denial of a reasonable
honeymoon period to his government by the media and others. Candidly, he
wrote, “Previous governments had the luxury of extending this
‘honeymoon period’ up to 100 days and even beyond. Not unexpectedly, I
don’t have any such luxury for 100 days. Forget 100 days; the series of
allegations began in less than 100 hours.” He may have a point. But what
baffled Modi watchers was the reason he gave for the hostility towards
his month-old government. Modi had admitted that he was facing a
Brobdingnagian challenge on how to “convey to a select group of people
our intentions and sincerity to bring a positive change in this
country”.
For a leader who has won an unprecedented mass mandate,
looking for an endorsement from a cluster of non-voting classes was a
tad surprising. His words later revealed the challenges he faces in
Delhi. Modi disclosed that this cluster comprises people from both
within and outside the government. He has hit the nail on the head. It
is for the first time that a person from a poor, backward background has
come to occupy the most powerful office in the country. His style is
alien to the ruling social classes. Modi’s Mission poses a serious
threat to the established elitist hierarchy in Delhi. If he has
emphasised the need to convince people within his own system about his
intentions, it is obvious that he is out to pulverise them, in case they
fail to fall in line or introduce roadblocks in his model of
governance. Political Spiderman each one of them, they had woven the web
of maximum government with minimum governance in order to insulate
themselves against any threat of ejection from the system. Modi is an
outsider in a city that boasts of degrees, pedigrees and punditry. He
doesn’t possess any one of these supposed virtues. He has never been a
fashionable Lodhi Gardens perambulator or a panelist in India
International Centre discussions on diplomacy, culture or the economy.
Now he has acquired the power to make or break the career of those whose
hobby is to demolish the reputation of outsiders over champagne and
caviar. Modi is their prime target—perceived as one who will ensure the
transfer of real power from PLUs (People like Us) to PLTs (People like
Them). Some PLUs are already trying to infiltrate his durbar through
dubious and cultural connections to surreptitiously demolish and
diminish his stature.
It is true that Modi’s actions as PM came
under critical scrutiny within a week, beginning with the appointment of
his Principal Secretary, followed by the railway fare hike and judicial
appointments. When he won the election, he never thought he would have
to face a grave inflation crisis, a massive monsoon deficit, the partial
takeover of Iraq by Islamic fundamentalists, and train and fire
accidents. But since the expectations were so scary, his detractors have
taken political advantage in finding fault with his government for even
natural calamities. But his response to some of these issues has been
flawed, due to inexperience and differing wavelengths of communicative
skill. For example, all sane people would favour a reasonable hike in
train fares if Indian Railways has to survive as a robust public
transport system. But the official explanation—even though correct—that
it was only the decision of the last government that the NDA was putting
into action sounded half-hearted. The new railway minister, who had
served briefly as a Karnataka chief minister, was perhaps not briefed
that he was no longer in the Opposition and had to speak like a national
leader, taking responsibility for hard decisions, which will yield
results in the long run. The HRD minister was under fire for her resolve
to implement the BJP manifesto to roll back the Four-Year Graduate
Course in the Delhi University. But she was the target of prominent
leaders from within. Modi has to ponder over how the media and others
knew the names of his ministers and their departments even before he had
sent the signed notification letter to the President. Even now, details
of inside information regarding decision-making are leaked to select
people to either promote their agenda or demolish adversaries.
But
Modi is justified in his emotional outburst against opinion-makers for
being uncharitable. His first month in office has set many precedents.
He has shrunk the gargantuan bureaucratic edifice by replacing the
well-entrenched Committee raj with informal decision-making style in
which all ministers sit across the table and resolve issues. He has
given them a time-bound plan of action to deliver on issues. He has
established direct contact with ministers and secretaries. In his first
Cabinet meeting, Modi cleared the appointment of a Special Investigative
Team to assist the Supreme Court-appointed panel to bring back black
money to India. When the PMO received warnings about a massive monsoon
shortfall that may cause unbearable food inflation, the Prime Minister
called a high-level meeting to chalk out strategy to put corrective
machinery in place. It is for the first time in India’s history
that a Prime Minister starts work at 7 am and switches off the lights
only at midnight. His working style has changed that of his colleagues,
who would earlier walk into office at will for a cursory look at the
files. Now, most of them are at work before 10 am. Another blog posted
on June 27 on his website claims that the buzzword in the corridors of
government is: In Modi’s government, the emphasis has shifted from “acts
to action” and from “committees to commitment”.
If the actions
and intentions of the Modi government are any indication, the PM is
charting a roadmap for a Government with a Difference, after the party
lost its unique identity over the past one decade. But Modi’s success
lies in not falling into the trap of those who never voted for him.
India has chosen him to change Delhi and not get lost in the glitter and
false glory of the capital, full of vested interests, name-droppers,
social climbers and opportunists. Modi should always be Forever Narendra
Modi.
Prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com; Follow me on Twitter @PrabhuChawla
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