PM Modi’s 2nd COVID-19 ‘Mann ki Baat’ Leaves Us Wanting For More

The second episode, in the times of pandemic, remained an exercise in consolidating a social constituency.

Image for representation.

(Photo: The Quint)

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi started Mann Ki Baat in October 2014, it was not intended to talk policy, but was aimed at creating a platform to interact with people directly by circumventing mainstream media.

The second episode of Mann Ki Baat, in the times of pandemic, remained an exercise in consolidating a social constituency and keeping it on standby for political purposes.

In the episode of the radio show on April 26, the prime minister was once again the encouraging parent who rarely looks at negatives or misses of the child.

Modi lauded the people saying that when Indian response to the coronavirus is evaluated, it shall be noted that the fightback was essentially “people-driven”.

Astutely, to give people a sense that they are not mere stakeholders, but those giving shape to the nation's destiny, Modi said, "along with the people, the government and the administration are fighting as well." Clear message that people are 'in' the lead.

The PM’s speech did not have any mention of the fact that people are routinely violating lockdown guidelines, not being compassionate enough towards those needing empathy and erecting social walls by preaching hate.

Benign Taskmaster, Kind Evaluator

For every description in Mann Ki Baat, there is a counter in reality. True, many are feeding the poor, but more needs to be done as individual efforts touch merely the periphery of the problem. Undoubtedly, hospitals are better geared up in facing the challenge, but infrastructure and testing leaves much scope for improvement.

Modi, the benign taskmaster, is a kind evaluator – he appreciated that people clapped, banged plates, lit diyas and candles (taali-thaali-diya-mombatti) but did not factor in that they also thronged streets, danced themselves to frenzy, burst crackers and shouted slogans.

While announcing the first three-week-long nationwide lockdown, PM Modi had said people were prashansa ka patra or worthy of praise for making the 'self-imposed' Janata curfew a roaring success. He praises people for accomplishing tasks he sets and these acts become symptomatic of people having faith in him. This talk made it appear that but for the challenge or crisis at hand, India of today has achieved the imagined idyllic utopia.

Enlisting people as partners during crisis when they are primarily dependent on the state for meeting needs, blunts anger over failings. When he realised that bits and pieces measures would no longer work and that lockdown was inevitable, Modi provided people the sense that government response was their 'project'.

The morning-to-night cessation of all activity on 22 March was given the name of Janta Curfew or people’s curfew, although cancellation of trains and other public transport systems left little doubt that it was a government show.

Without using words used by American President, John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address in January 1961, Modi messaged people that this was not the time to be demanding, but to contribute their bit for the country, to supplement efforts of the government. This could be done by faithfully completing tasks given by the prime minister.

Success in enlisting the samaj, or society, for public action or government programmes is a swayamsevak's dream. In many discourses of the sangh parivar, one hears that the ultimate objective is to ensure that samaj takes the place of the sangh or that divergences no longer remain between society and the organisation.

Modi’s Address Not For Those at Bottom of Socio-Economic Ladder

It is universally accepted that Modi was among the first leaders to comprehend power of technology in public outreach. Ever since he assumed office, Modi has incessantly created one digital platform or tool after another.

Although this leaves out a large part of what is euphemistically called Bharat, Modi is aware this section is not what moulds public opinion – this is done by ‘India’. This is why, his addresses communicates not with those at the bottom of socio-economic ladder, but those vested in the system.

In the Mann Ki Baat episode on 26 April, he detailed how covidwarriors.gov.in has become a networking tool for "Doctors, Nurses, ASHA-ANM workers, our friends from NCC and NSS, professionals from myriad fields". He asked people to "to be a COVID warrior and serve the country" – another form to engage with his programmes.

PM Silent on State Responsibility During Pandemic

Not a person to paint pessimism in any form, or remind people of tasks not being taken up currently – getting the economy running once again for instance – the prime minister asserted, "we are experiencing the results of the entire country in unison as a team. Today, the Central Government, State Governments; each and every department and institution are working hand in hand."

Modi said that the COVID-19 challenge is also an opportunity for change. Although many citizens would either deny his claim or remain sceptical, the prime minister claimed that the crisis has made people aware of the humanitarian face of policing.

Significantly, from his first address to the nation, the prime minister has delved just partially on state responsibility during this crisis, especially what government has done and intends to do in coming days.

Although Mann ki Baat is not the platform for such listing, he mentioned direct transfer of money to the poor, old-age pension, free gas cylinders and ration. But, nowhere did he exhibit sign of the sovereign being aware that much more requires to be done – possibly because those living in want, weren't possibly listening because the talk show is not intended for them.

Laced With Subtle Politics

There certainly was subtle politics in Modi's talk. While making a case for listing Yoga and adopting Ayush guidelines to boost immunity, he contended Indians often accept traditions from our past only after "evidence-based research" in other countries. The reason he cited for this is troubling: "Possibly this is largely due to our hundreds of year of ghulaami (slavery)."

Anyone who has tracked Modi’s political speeches is aware that his metaphor of bara sau saal ki ghulami (twelve hundred years of slavery) includes the period when large parts of India was under the rule of Muslim rulers.

There is a need to ponder, in the backdrop of polarisation created by Tablighi Jamaat incident, if this was the only way to make a case for India's traditional systems of medicine? Furthermore, why talk only of Ayurvedic and Yoga systems as means of improving immunity or combating the virus and leave the Unani or Siddha systems? Does this reveal a singular perspective or is this an instance of sun-conscious exclusion?

It is well known that for Modi, religious traditions, rituals and festivals are part of the nation's cultural essence or sanskriti, that he listed alongside prakriti (nature) and vikriti (perversion) as keys to comprehending life. At a later point, elaborated significantly on the festival of Akshay Tritiya (celebrated on Sunday, April 26) and the mythology surrounding it.

This is not the first time Modi drew on Hindu belief and faith in an address during a crisis that should see leaders at inclusive best. Whether it was invoking the idea of Shakti during Navratri or Laxman Rekha as the Rubicon people are never to cross, there are several instances when religious significance has been included in his engagements.

A Tactical Lapse?

Modi did not miss mentioning that the auspicious month of Ramzan has begun.

But unlike on Akshay Tritiya, Modi did not remind people of the significance of this month – making it appear that there is no evocative mythology surrounding this festival or even Easter, which too was mentioned. The spirit of ‘giving’ is not exclusive to a single faith.

Yet, Modi took care to mention that during Ramzan, "by adhering to the guidelines of the local administration, we will reinforce our fight against Corona. It is still very important to follow the rules of physical distancing in the streets, in the markets and in the mohallas or colonies."

Certainly, the message is not divisive by any chance, but can the prime minister be said to have emphasised a stereotype or furthered the recently fostered public image of the average Muslim being carrier of the virus and violator of lockdown guidelines? At a time when India's diplomatic capital in West Asia is facing depletion due to the misdirected Islamophobic campaign, is this a bad tactical lapse?

(The writer is an author and journalist based in Delhi. He has authored the book ‘The Demolition: India at the Crossroads’ and ‘Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times’. He can be reached @NilanjanUdwin. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)