The 2019 general election, seen through a conversation with strangers in a train.
In a train from Udaipur to Indore Friday, I had for company a retired bank manager from Mandsaur, his wife, who wasn’t too interested in politics but listened keenly to our conversation, and a young man in his early twenties who lived in Udaipur but travelled frequently to Ujjain and Indore for work. A credit risk analyst for a financial company, he travels to meet loan applicants in rural and suburban areas, assessing their creditworthiness.
The usual political notes were exchanged: They were both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voters and Modi supporters but expected the party to lose in Madhya Pradesh as well as Rajasthan. They were both relieved at the thought. In Rajasthan, Vasundhara had to be removed, and in Madhya Pradesh, the local BJP MLAs and workers.
But what about Modi? “Modi is OK,” said the young man. “Modi theek hai,” echoed the bank manager. Why do you like Modi, I asked, making a mental note of the change from “great” in 2014 to “OK” in 2018.
The credit risk analyst said, “Well if you compare him to Rahul…”
Me: “For a moment, don’t compare…”
“But we have to compare,” he said, “It’s like a multiple choice question (MCQ). There are only four options.”
“Let’s say this is not an MCQ. This is an essay. Evaluate Modi’s performance. What has he achieved?”I asked.
He paused for a moment, and then said, “Well, he’s been really bad with the economy. Notebandi was his worst decision. We have still not recovered from the slowdown caused by it.”
I had asked for achievement, I got failure.
“So why do you say Modi is OK?” I probed further.
Also Read: What do Modi haters say when confronted with the TINA factor?
‘Magic with words’
“See, he has increased India’s stature before the world,” the analyst replied, “By going to every country, he made the world respect Indians. I have relatives abroad and they tell me how they are called brownies and all, but Modi has made them feel proud.
“Wherever he goes, he meets NRIs… I feel happy he’s reaching out to NRIs. It shows he cares about Indians everywhere.”
“Yes, but has Modi improved relations with other countries?” I began to count his foreign policy failures and flip-flops.
“Yes, yes,” the young man agreed, to my surprise. “He’s been terrible at foreign policy too.”
“So then why is he OK?”
“See, he is a very smart politician who always defeats the enemy,” he said, “As in chess, your purpose is to defeat the enemy…”
“But that may not be a great thing in politics. Democracy needs an opposition,” I said.
“Yes, but I like it that Modi is a smart politician. People tend to appreciate smart people.”
I said I thought people liked Modi mainly because he was a good orator. They both agreed. “Bol bol ke ghumata rehta hai (He keeps people enthralled with his words),” said the bank manager. His reticent wife added, “Uske munh se jadoo nikalta hai (Magic comes out of his mouth).”
“He speaks like a mature person, not like Rahul Gandhi…” said the credit risk analyst.
“So none of you can count many of Modi’s achievements, but will still vote for Modi?” I asked.
“Wohi baat hai na,” the credit risk analyst returned to his MCQs, “Aur hai kaun? This Rahul Gandhi… (That’s what I’m saying. Who’s the alternative? Not Rahul Gandhi).”
After Nehru, who?
“Why is it so important to know who the next PM will be?” I asked.
“During Indira Gandhi’s time, there used to be a question: After Indira, who?”
I corrected him. The question was asked of Nehru. And by the way, India did just fine after Nehru, democracy survived, and we didn’t slip into some anarchy or dictatorship, as some feared.
He didn’t buy the argument. So I asked, “Who do you think would make a better PM than Modi?”
“Yeh toh sochna padega (I will have to think about it). I could tell you in a day…”
The young man was open to changing his political preferences, he explained, having wasted some time as an AAP volunteer in Udaipur. If only there were a better option than Modi…
What do you think of Raghuram Rajan, I asked. “He is brilliant,” the young man said. “First class,” said the bank manager.
“The current RBI governor,” the young man said, unable to even recall Urjit Patel’s name, “is not even fit to be Raghuram Rajan’s servant.”
“So let me get this right,” I said, wanting clarity. “If Raghuram Rajan were to be the Congress party’s PM candidate, you would both be happy to press the hand symbol on the EVM, instead of the lotus?”
“Absolutely,” the young man replied. “Bilkul,” added the retired bank manager.
But that was not going to happen, they said.
“What about Priyanka Gandhi?” I asked.
“She’ll be good,” the young man said.
‘Dadi pe gayi hai’
“Bohot tez hai (She is very sharp),” the retired bank manager replied. “Modi tik nahi payega Priyanka ke samnay (Modi wouldn’t be able to hold his own against her).”
“Dadi pe gayi hai (She has taken after her grandmother, Indira),” said the bank manager’s wife.
For all the complicated analysis of the pundits in Delhi, this is the earthy wisdom of the ordinary voter. They’re ready to say goodbye to Modi, but not for Rahul Gandhi.
The opposition can try and make it an un-presdential election, but it is unlikely that they can prevent the voter from asking: After Modi, who?
Also Read: Indian intellectuals hate Rahul Gandhi as much as they hate Narendra Modi
Tbh NDA has not done too bad, unless you were directly expecting a deposit 15 lacs in your account by them. I would like to give NDA a benefit of doubt. Five years are too less to make a “report card”. NDA has just gained momentum, and we can atleast let them continue for another five years to see where they can take India, and evaluate things from there. Clearly, at present, we cannot let UPA come back to power as we wouldn’t want to give them another chance to exploit India as they did in their last regime. Let them also understand how serious we are against a corrupt government.
That being said I will vote for the best candidate, with good intentions, contesting from my constituency, and if no such candidate is available, then vote for BJP but not waste vote on NOTA as elections unlike website polls costs lot of money.
No vote for pappu shappu, and gatbandhan ke lattuu…
Modi back with tsunami in 2019
Pappu can not be PM. The waiting list is long and street fights will be there.
Waiting list : 1. Begum of Bengal. 2. Maya Jal of UP 3. Kejurriddin of Delhi 4. Maratha paper Tiger. and many more.
Come take my interview..i will tell u the achievements of modi…dont bullshit in the name of journalism
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist,Barnala (Punjab)
From the journalistic angle and yardsticks, the author Shivam Vij is
all fine to feel the pulse of electorate and public !
It is the right approach to read the minds objectively, but very few
know it !
I pity some blind Modi Bhakats deeming the author ” Idiot Author ” !
Does any one think about the nation where is it heading towards ?
Our thoughts and watch words must now focus on NATION not on
the tug of war/ choice between NaMo and Rahul Gandhi taking into
account the stark realities and truths impartially !
It is now the religion of every citizen to neutrally analyse and peruse
what we gained or lost during this more than four and a half years of
totalitarian and authoritarian regime of NaMo !
Time for deep introspection and pondering over the same !
In light of this,voters must exercise their right to franchise in the coming
Marathon -Lok Sabha 2019 Polls !
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala (Punjab)
What about providing free gas and housing to the poor ? It is a pleasant fact for sure . Then we have toilets in crores , which we all know of . Roads , 25 Km / day compared to 1.5 Kms / day of Congerss . Inland water transpoert of 1,400 Kms from Calcutta to Benaras . Having a seperate skill ministry for the first time at cabinet and state level to improve our skill workers from pathetic 3% to 22 % by 2022.Loans under so many scheme ( I ‘ve personally seen people getting benefited ) .Mega project of renewable energy . AYUSH centers and recent Ayushman bharat health scheme . Connecting more than 5 lakh gram panchayats with broad bands for education . Reducing the premiere of farmer’s insurance . The list is ENDLESS. Lapses are there as they are bound to be . How can anything in this world be utopian ??
The good thing about democracy is that is not what I or you think about Modi but what the majority of India think about it. So let us wait for elections to happen. Also if Congress is so confident about Modi not being popular anymore and Rahul the better option, let them be brave enough to fight the elections without any alliance. Make it a Modi vs Rahul contest.
?
Useless fiction. .Why don’t you talk about fastest growing country tag, swaccha Bharat, road construction, reforms in railway, increase in tax base etc. .
Conclusion: Idiot author.
Biased author
?
Modi should be replaced by Congress under Rahul or anyone else from congress or anyone else from opposition. Now I think , the Corporates didn’t like to replace Modi by saying that Rahul is not fit for PM.So the Corporates project some other people to create confusion among the people and also to reinstall Modi as PM to get more favours from Modi. If Modi is re elected , definitely he subvert the democracy and install Dictatorship. So ,the people should more careful during Lok sabha election before casting their votes.
I feel we should vote for a good person as our MP, and not vote for a particular party.
This is the only way we can expect something. Crooks & other criminals will not be our MP’s anymore, and we will ultimately get a good government, which ever it is.
Just vote for a good MP for your constituency, and tell him/her you expect them to perform…
That’s the view of most of educated youth of country…If congress project someone other than rahul gandhi as its prime minister candidate..The battle is half won for them. Modi cannot use the “naamdar” jibe any more in his speeches…Only thing he is doing in recent times and will do in LS election too.
2019 may not be a presidential election at all. The average voter would wish to be presented with a Report Card, listing successes and achievements, no serious politician ever acknowledges a failure or shortcoming. That is the opposition’s task, to point out where the incumbent has fallen short. Very difficult for an incumbent to win reelection simply by pointing out the opposition’s inadequacies, which have already been punished by the electorate in the past. There will be simple, searching questions on the economy. If someone is hurting, and very badly, not easy to distract her mind. The artificial construct of making Shri Rahul Gandhi look like a clown is not going to gain any traction. So even if a presidential note does intrude, it will not be No contest. The ruling party will have to work on its campaign, its messaging, the tone and pitch.
I would vote for myself. No freebies subsidies reservation loan waivers. World number 1 free market economy, guaranteed double digit growth, world class infrastructure. People will die of richness of capitalism and not of poverty of socialism.
I would bring in UK rule back to India. I can be a slave to a foreign nation rather than being robbed by this fucking politicians.
I would set my priorities. i But my my obsession is to have Mod displaced. I believe he is disaster. Danger as he himself proved. liking Rahul Gandhi or not comes later.
If you want to say there is no achievement by Modi government ,say it in your voice.Why do you want to create some fictitious characters.
This is the new way of prestitutes to spread lies
Ha Ha , good observation . May be someone deaf and dumb was selected to ask these Qs .
That’s not a new way. I have travelled a lot in the past few years and i have heard almost identical conversations from almost every age group. People do want to remove modi. They just think modi is less worse than Rahul Gandhi. Political unawareness is second reason for people being unclear about their opinions and by extension, people in rural areas didn’t even know a PM existed at the time of Manmohan Singh and Vajpayee