Why failures don't hurt Narendra Modi
Nirmala Sitharaman, hitherto minister of state, ministry of commerce and industry is the new defence minister. She has been elevated to cabinet rank and is the second woman to hold this critical portfolio after madam Indira Gandhi.
Even as Prime Minister Nardendra Modi left for China to attend the BRICS summit, news platforms were filled with reports on the recent Union ministry rejig and induction of the "New Nine" with just one-third of the government's tenure remaining. The Opposition is convinced that the Cabinet reshuffle was nothing but a "tamasha" played out to deflect the nation's attention from the Reserve Bank of India's Annual Report that revealed 99% of the demonetised notes were back with the banks.
Led by former finance minister P Chidambaram, a fusillade of tirade has been launched seeking an apology from Modi over the move that failed in achieving all of its stated objectives including assault on black money, blow to terrorist/insurgency financing, greater tax compliance and revenue collection. The Opposition is furious that the ruling dispensation kept altering the goalposts on the question of "Why demonetisation" and now that the claims stand "exposed", Modi was nonchalantly avoiding blame and indulging in window dressing vis- à -vis the Cabinet expansion.
Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan in his recently launched book, I Do What I Do suggests, "Even if the intention was laudable, the demonetisation route was not advisable. A cost-benefit analysis may be necessary to obtain a mid-term/long-term impact." The aam admi, however, is not buying the accusation that Modi has goofed up. They cite the huge victory in UP elections, where on the hustings, demonetisation was presented as a move made "in the interest of the masses". Modi answered his critics with silence. Taking a moral high ground, he said: "We the People must endure the 50-day agony for a larger purpose."
Even as the growth figures headed south, the aam aadmi gave a thumbs up to the Modi-Shah-Yogi combine.
During the Doklam standoff, Modi stood his ground and remained quiet even as the Opposition blamed him for indulging in bravado. The Opposition was concerned that given the fact that the border with Pakistan was porous, India cannot afford to open a channel of confrontation on the Bhutan front.
Meanwhile, diplomacy was at work and Modi's silence was eloquent even as China went unusually bellicose aping its immature North Korean ally. Just as Modi was leaving for the BRICS summit, lo and behold, both China and India disengaged from their positions simultaneously underlining Chinese' acquiescence to India's high moral ground.
The Opposition's charges did not stick. There was no chest thumping from Modi & Co.
During the monsoon session of Parliament, the Opposition raised the issue of mob lynching and gau rakshaks. Modi refused to fall into the trap. Instead of getting into a war of words and emotively escalating the issue, his administration took a stand that violence in the name of "gau mata" would be an anathema to Mahatma Gandhi and was despicable. Modi silence was deliberate and broken only on two occasions to send home the message that the barbaric acts and would be dealt with severely. The opposition's charges fell flat again.
Be it the Gorakhpur tragedy or the targeting of Lalu clan et al, the opposition charges are just not sticking.
The Modi government is seen as politically strong and has consolidated its hold on the masses. With the Opposition apparently reconciled to a government change only in 2024 and Modi saying that by then "I would dust myself, pack my bag (not bags) and leave for the Himalayas", he has taken a moral high ground here too.
Ordinary Indians don't expect miracles from political leaders. All they seek in their leader is honesty, sincerity of purpose and hard work. The Modi administration has functioned without any charge of corruption so far and the prime minister is seen to be working round-the-clock.
People reposed faith in Modi as a diligent worker who would do his best. Modi has kept his promise. Even his detractors have to grudgingly concede that is "seen to be trying". The economy may not be booming and job creation burgeoning as he promised. Yet, we are not disillusioned.
Modi is a crafty politician. At the core, Modi is honest, sincere and hardworking. That is why none of the seemingly "obvious charges" such as the demonetisation failure are holding.