#100AccheDin? The hypocrisy of the Narendra Modi government has come to the fore

As we look back at the Narendra Modi government’s 100 days in power, one thing becomes palpably clear: this government has the stamp of Narendra Modi all over it.

Modi’s most impressive attribute is his oratory skills. We experienced this during the election campaign where he went on a spree of speeches. Even after becoming prime minister, Modi has held on to this. Whether it was the emotional speech in Parliament in front of his MPs or the Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he has mastered the art of striking a chord with the electorate. He knows his audience well and is astute enough to say the right thing at the right time. His speeches are like gushing water in the desert, especially after we have had a prime minister in the ‘Pushpak’ mode for the last 10 years. Modi has been using social media to his advantage as well and his ministers too, are following his example.

When Modi took over as prime minister, the share market witnessed a boom, bringing some optimism for industrialists. Decisions regarding economic liberalisation, which the UPA-2 sat on, were expected to be passed by him. However, much to everyone's disillusionment, finance minister Arun Jaitley played safe in the first budget session. Though the government gave a green signal for foreign investment in railways, defense and insurance, it failed to tackle the most important point of the election: inflation. A 14% increase in rail prices did not go down well with commuters and the proposed amendments in the Land Acquisition Act and Labour Laws turned out to be controversial.

More importantly, setting aside the Madhav Gadgil report proved that this NDA government is not very different from UPA-2. In fact, some of the decisions taken by the new government resemble the previous regime. The ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’ announced by Modi has the look of UPA’s ‘Cash Transfer Scheme’. When Modi said, ‘toilets before temples’, he was eulogised. But before him, when Ramesh said the same thing, it is worth remembering that BJP supporters had littered and protested outside his house. Meanwhile, the eradication of the Planning Commission is an out of the box measure by the NDA, but there is no clarity about its replacement yet.

However, credit must be given where it is due. Modi has given stern signals as far as his foreign policy is concerned. He made a positive statement by inviting leaders of SAARC countries for his swearing-in ceremony, but did not shirk away from reprimanding Pakistan after its high commissioner held a meeting with Hurriyat leaders.

While highlighting the pros of the Modi government, it is imperative to juxtapose some of the worrisome developments as well. Modi seems to have taken his dictatorial attitude from Gujarat to the Centre. Much like Indira Gandhi had a hold on her government, Modi too, seems to be dictating his terms to his cabinet ministers. Rajnath Singh would know. If the home minister is not allowed to choose his PA, then the less said the better about others. There is talk in Delhi about Modi keeping an eye on the attire of ministers, the people they dine with and so on. Moreover, it is said that every file, before being passed, sees the interiors of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), which has made some of the ministers a bit upset.

More chillingly, the hypocritical strategy of the Modi-led government is coming to the fore explicitly. While saying “communalism will take us nowhere”, he has not even admonished the communal forces within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sanjeev Baliyan, accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots, was given a cabinet post. Mohan Bhagwat and his friends in the RSS have become aggressively vocal in their Hindutva agenda and a person like Dinanath Batra, well known for his distortion of history, has been included in the school curriculum of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. While saying “sabka sath, sabka vikas”, Modi has given the responsibility of the Uttar Pradesh by-elections to Yogi Adityanath, known for his poisonous speeches. 'Love Jihad' as a political agenda may win you elections, but can scar the society permanently. The habitual communal tensions in Uttar Pradesh should be on any government’s priority list but for some reason, it has escaped Modi’s. The PMO shows alacrity while issuing statements about rumours concerning Rajnath Singh’s son, but is conspicuously tight lipped about the communal unrest.

All these developments do not augur well for the minorities in India.

There is no doubt that the BJP, riding on Modi's back, won a resounding mandate in the general elections. But a substantial chunk of Modi's votes have come from young voters. A generation used to getting a pizza delivered in half an hour expects a powerful leadership and development just as promptly. Modi would be better off not testing their patience. He ought to remember that he is beholden by the Constitution of India and not MS Golwalkar’s Bunch of Thoughts. Some experts had wished that Modi would leave his khaki half pant back in Gujarat and start afresh in Delhi. However, his first 100 days insinuate otherwise.