COVER STORY
Modi’ s speech was a clarion call. A call that said he is restless, he is impatient, he is anxious to move forward, were pointers of his ambition to be there asking for another chance to carry his work forward.
Challenges Ahead
Close to 2019 General Elections, Prime Minister is up against challenges which will decide who the next PM will be more than which government comes to power. The prime challenge and what is important is that he faces the grand alliance, the Mahagathbandhan, stitched up lately. And so this time, he aimed at reaching out not to alliance partners, but newer constituencies of Dalits, OBCs, minorities and others. Major opposition parties have come together with the prime aim of‘ Modi Mukt Bharat’. Congress has sharpened its attacks and is in the final process of chalking out lethal and unmissable strategy to corner Modi and his policies. AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot says Congress is ready for the elections if they are preponed as Modi pushes for‘ One Nation, One Poll’. Congress too has devised its slogan against BJP. Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala says BJP is following the policy of ' Divide, Deceive and Distort '. The party attacks Modi of strangulating the voice of media too after overlooking judiciary.
Rahul Gandhi has not just trained himself to be aggressively vocal in attacking Modi personally as well as on his style of functioning, like the dishing out‘ jumlas’ and acronyms like‘ reform, perform & transform,’ the Congress President has taken on the mother organization RSS with blistering attacks at its very nature on outside soil. Rafale scam is being positioned as its nemesis. Recently Kerala floods have pitched centre against the state over humanitarian assistance for the flood ravaged people. Rajasthan Congress is claiming of bogus voter list numbering into thousands. TMC, TDP, BSP, SP, CPI, RJD and other satraps have closed ranks to present a united coalition. Crimes like rapes and girl child abuse have figures breaking all records particularly in the northern belt. Cow vigilante and moral policing are on a free run. Lumpen elements are bereft of fear of law. Eating and dressing as a matter of personal choice is at all time risk. PM ' s J & K thrust and policy on Kashmir having hit the rock, Modi appeared on the backfoot as he exhorted Vajpai’ s,‘ Insaaniyat, Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat.’ Finally the Prime Minister will have to answer for this.
Economy is the biggest challenge that Modi might face a backlash on. Inflation is high, oil prices are going steeper by the day, and job situation is tense and getting worse. If oil prices continue to rise, it will affect the rupee which will affect inflation. At the end Prime Minister Modi can only win election on the state of the economy. Challenges are cleargrowth is sliding, rupee is in problem, banks are in serious trouble. Add to this the Nirav Modi and Mehul Chauksi scam of debt and defaulting that has taken a toll on the much publicized clean image of the system under Modi.
Farmer agitation and the disenchantment in the farmer communities are only simmering. Prime Minister’ s promise of 50 percent increase in MSP is not really on ground and there is not much that his rhetoric will be able to do now.
On the international stage US sanctions on Iran will affect India. The Trump-leashed tariff war between US & China will hurt India badly too.
Clarion Call
Words apart, how much have the promises made in the last 4 years translated on ground, is a contentious matter. The Prime Minister’ s speech was designed to address antiincumbency, to be back to being the change agent.
Modi’ s speech was a clarion call. A call that said he is restless, he is impatient, he is anxious to move forward, were pointers of his ambition to be there asking for another chance to carry his work forward. His speeches all along have been about his hard work, his life, his vision for the country which he uses as influencers. It was a far more politically significant oratorial performance as some would call it- a mix of political and personal. Undoubtedly Modi is a master or symbols and oratory.
The template of his speech was clearly Lok Sabha elections 2019 which by all guesses may be just about four months away. Will the people buy what the master orator is saying? His task is more challenging this time. But he seems convinced that he’ s going to come back in power.
Ending his speech with poetry was a first too. Was Prime Minister Modi trying to reposition himself as a softer, more inclusive leader? Starting with placing himself as futuristic he said that his goal( manzil) was to finish what he had promised.
* Priti Prakash is an Independent Journalist, Travel Blogger, Political Commentator, and Foreign Correspondent
46 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 8 • August 2018, Noida