Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first address after the second wave of Covid-19 made one thing clear: the Modi government has decided to wash its hands off the worst public health crisis faced by India. The prime minister’s designer look of a sanyasi did not indicate any desire to renounce power, but it did betray a proclivity to abjure responsibility. He had nothing to offer. He knew it. And it showed.
The speech was not ill-timed. If anything, the nation has been waiting to hear PM Modi. The number of Covid-positive cases has been rising exponentially. The number of deaths is reported to be much higher than the official count. Health infrastructure is crumbling. Public as well as private hospitals have no ventilators, no beds, not even oxygen. The one thing not short in supply is dead bodies in crematoria and burial grounds. Life-saving medicine is being traded in the black market. Number of vaccinations has come down. Everyone is worried, trying hard not to panic. Everyone needs assurance. Everyone has questions about India’s preparedness for the crisis that is upon us. Everyone wants to know about the government’s plans.
Woefully short
PM Modi’s speech was mercifully short. It was also woefully short on everything people needed, wanted and were entitled to know. People demanded answers; he offered none. People needed credible assurances; he offered empty words. People were angry at the criminal negligence of their elected government; he trivialised their suffering by treating it as personal misfortune. It was not the speech of a democratically elected leader submitting a report to his masters. It was an imperious ruler telling his subjects that all is well, that they must trust him and his government.
There was no dramatic announcement, nothing that could cause public panic. The closest PM Modi came to announcing something was to indicate that his government was not considering another nationwide lockdown. That was perhaps the only real relief in the speech. But you don’t need to keep the nation in suspense at 8:45 pm for this reward.
There was no account of the work done over the last year. Not a word about why we find ourselves in the midst of a second wave despite his earlier claims of India being a model of Covid management for the rest of the world. He chose to present the second wave as if it was aftershock of an earthquake, a natural calamity beyond our control. Nor did he bother to offer any details of what his government had done in the last 13 months to safeguard the country against this possibility. As he was addressing the nation, medical superintendents of some of the leading hospitals in the national capital were raising a red flag that they had only a few hours’ supply of medical oxygen left with them. The PM, of course, assured that plans were on to make medical oxygen available, but said nothing about why this was being planned now. Same with hospital infrastructure and medicines. Everything was in present continuous tense: “Prayas kiya jaa raha hai”.
There were no future plans either. The PM had suggestions for everyone else. The state governments must inspire confidence among the workers so that they stay back. So, if there is another exodus of migrant workers, the responsibility lies with the state government, never mind the fact that it was the Modi government that invoked a central act overriding the powers of the states to deal with the pandemic. He asked NGOs and social organisations to help the needy. So, relief work is not the responsibility of the government. He wanted the media to ensure no panic and rumour-mongering was happening. He advised the youth to form committees to enforce pandemic appropriate discipline. He forgot to tell them how to cultivate this discipline among the leaders who continue election rallies in the midst of this crisis. Not content, he also recruited the children in this crusade. In sum: Everyone except his own government is responsible for facing this second wave of Covid. For the Modi government, there were no targets, no roadmaps, no benchmarks, no tasks.
There was not even the usual attempt to bluff on his part. There was only one concrete detail that the PM shared with the public. He claimed that India was the fastest country to give 10 crore doses of the vaccine. This claim is incorrect and misleading. Dr Rijo M. John confirmed that the US took 82 days to reach this landmark, while India took 84 days. In any case, the success of vaccination should be counted not in numbers but as proportion of the population. On that count, India is way behind many countries. Going by the PM’s standards on economy of truth, though, this would be considered a small lie.
Also read: There’s a need to hold up a mirror to Modi govt on Covid management, and this is the picture
PR at all cost
What, then, was the point of PM Modi’s address to the nation? What was the speech all about?
Well, the PM’s address to the nation was a PR exercise, a high TRP show on national television. My friend Rakesh Sharma, who has tracked Modi for over a decade, calls it “Pran jaye par PR na jaye”. The TV show was to ensure that the public gets to see the prime minister and not notice his absence at this critical juncture. His lofty but vacuous assurances were calculated to give enough reasons for his supporters to continue to suspend their disbelief. The rhetoric was intended to distract the public from the tragic images of hospitals and crematoria that are now doing the rounds in the media. The entire ritual was designed to cover up the growing impression of a ruler indifferent to the plight of the public and, worse, a leader who is solely interested in electoral victory at all cost.
The trick has worked for long, with active support from darbari media. But the law of diminishing returns is beginning to set in. It is one thing to lose territory to China in the far-flung Ladakh and yet convince the public that it was China that got a thrashing. It is quite another thing to convince that we have done our best in this pandemic to those who are running from hospital to hospital for a bed, trying to purchase medicines in the black market and watching the pyres lit outside a crematorium. Sooner than later, this recognition is dawning upon the Indian public: Modi knows how to win elections, but he does not know how to govern.
Yogendra Yadav is the National President of Swaraj India. Views are personal.
(Edited by Neera Majumdar)
Around Jan 21 , Yogendra Yadav’s main concern was showboating in Farmer’s protest , the same period he is accusing modi government of mishandling corona pandemic. And now he is doing preaching another.
What is not a PR for him??
And please” The Print” rather calling it his personal views and not even editing little bit his comments.
Atleast try coming up with government’s side of story too rather than your bloody ideology
I left my views just sometime back without realizing that you are the president of a political party. I was amazed to see that although you are a 6 year old party but you failed miserably in elections, not even a single seat. If you dwell is such negativity, who will follow you. So you were mind farting to gain political points. No doubt you were so frustrated and depressed. It was jealousy more than a critical analysis. You are an anarchist aren’t you?? You will join any anti-governemnt rallies as long as it serves your political interest. Such a shame. I wasted time going though your article and sad it is that you wrote in this non-hyphenated journal. Just read an article from Indian Express on India’s poor ranking in freedom of press. But how wrong they are, you criticized the government in the worst possible way but you will still get away with it. You were with Arvind right? Hmmm, see how far he reached and where you are. My apologies, I am not competent authority to compare the two of you. Stop being jealous about others and be creative with your life. Maybe, politics isn’t your cup of tea and so is Journalism. On a side note, I think I saw your picture with the agitating farmers with no mask and no social distancing. The photo is a bit old but Covid was still at large then. With this I rest my case. Jai bharat and JAI SHREE RAM.
Well said.
BJP took more than 30 years to win first MP seat. Winning election takes time and also it is not the criteria to judge someone.
Excellent riposte Mr Mohammad ! And winning elections is certainly no yardstick – especially when you do not control the EVMs and the EC !
But for bhakths like Mr Gautam Rabha, facts and the performance of elected leaders do not matter. At least as long as they thrash and lynch innocent Muslims and proclaim themselves as protectors of the Hindu majority. Hindutva has replaced Hinduism and there is no shortage of idiots in India who can’t tell the difference.
Very nicely written by you about this anarchist yadav. He deserves to be behind bars. Actually, Anda cell along with his friends from the print.
Mr. Yogendra Yadav, you wrote in the Print yet you completely ignored what Shekhar Gupta shared in cut the clutter on this second wave. If you would have, probably you would have reserved a few of your comments for later. Yes, the government could have been well prepared to deal with second wave. It is no rocket science based on the experiences of other nations. However, the bitter truth is that it is the laxity of the people that has brought this misfortune. I went to shop for essentials and I had to urge the shopkeeper to wear a mask. The excuse for not wearing was a feeling of suffocation in the mask. It pains me to see how foolishly our fellow men went to procure liquor before lockdown. I am sure you must have seen those pictures where all covid norms were broken. All those that left us or are suffering is end result of such negligence. Unfortunately, it will be inhumane to share such words with any bereaved family. How many cases does WB have and is it because of the rallies alone??? Can you share a count and share your source for the count? I am sure you were trying to be the ignorant stereotype and your constipated thinking is evident of your hollow thought process and hatred towards a successful PM. WE HAVE MADE IT A HABIT TO TEAR THE SOFT UNDER BELLY OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR OUR OWN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL FAILURES. The PM need not come on television to show progress card, people are not stupid to see the ground reality. If fact we feel it every day. Apart from your so called darbari media, there are other social media and news platform to see the real picture. To battle with Covid, every individual, state and NGOs must work together, irrespective of their age. The state cannot battle alone, in fact it is the collective effort of people of the state that determines the outcome. This is how countries like New Zealand, Israel, etc. tackle in situations like this and look at their success. In your entire column, I failed to find a single positivity and suggestions for a resolution. What would you have done if you were the PM? Just like you are doing nothing now, you would have done the same. Glad that you are not governing this country, we would have been in hopeless situation. If you are truly a president of any organization, you would request your members to step out and help the needy rather than be a cry baby. Always remember, if you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. Criticism should always be constructive. You must be going though a lot of depression and you definitely need help. Good luck and stay safe. Jai Bharat!!
Brilliantly summarized. Couldn’t have put it better.
Also there are places where there’s no test kit to tell that’s its covid or not as a result people are dying as hospital refuses to treat them or provide any assistance as they are not assured .
This parasite, Yogender Yadav, is of no good to the nation anyways. But now that he is an official dalal of foreign funded false news portal, the print, he can be utilised best for what he is good at. The Print and its news reporters/authors need an urgent dose of Truth serum at the hands of general public or else postmortem would be the only way to find its source of fake news which is always full of ….
Moron
Dude you have nerves of steel to write against modi gov but i think the main cause of this crap gov staying in power is not because of andh bhakts but because of the way ruling gov has terrorised and scared majority with hindu muslim drama.
So much steel that he keeps jumping from Andolan to Andolan. Please get ready for the march of the rich farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP to Delhi.
Stop criticizing Modiji for everything. Even in normal circumstances other than pandemic our health system cribs then what can Modiji alone do. Health system is built over years not in days or span of one year. Since when Modiji came to power life expectancy has started to increase in India else we were worst in World. Cant be blame ourselves for this pandemic disaster. No masking, no santizier no social distancing but just blame Modi ji. It’s really saddening to read such articles. It s high time wake up India and realise our own mistake. Just few months time things will be fine and then we need leader like NAMO. Follow covid protocols still things can be saved instead of blaming. I have never seen any one taking such quick steps ,in increasing manufacturing of vaccines, even when people criticized covaxin, he was the one who took the dose. It’s our time now to follow covid appropriate behavior. I know till Modiji is there we willbeat this pandemic and emerg victorious. Jai Hind
Why are you so bitter ? Everyone is overwhelmed.
Everytime I read your paper it’s just criticism. While it is many faced and a grave problem, expecting just one man to solve it is not fair.
What would you do if you were a P.M.?
Lockdown the public and shut the economy?And how long? Because I don’t see anyone caring about a mask. People still believe its a rumor.
Or will you build hospitals overnight? Build beds? Or far† oxygen?
India literally had over a year to prepare, what we did? Nothing!
‘Or will you build hospitals overnight? Build beds? Or far† oxygen?’
China built a hospital in 13 days.
A BJP minister declared sometime ago the cow exhales oxygen. UP has a lot of cows, why is there oxygen shortage then ?
These were exactly the questions I wanted to ask. It is very easy to get wisdom in hindsight!
I am waiting for Modi’s useless pet (IT cell arses) comments. Which always have the same tone and written without even reading the article.
Those comments somehow always bring smile on my face.
Please IT cell reply to my comment too.
Please Troll me.
I am getting bored.
PM who is always in election or event mode – present crisis was like question out of syllabus or course. Be it PM or BJP – aim is only winning the election not good governance.
Says a guy who was having a corona party just last month at the Farm protests. Reminds me of my today’s experience where this guy sitting a shop was smoking a cigarette (It’s illegal in my state and I saw someone doing it after decades, from his language I could judge he was from neighboring state), he was blaming govt. for Covid failure while rest of the 5 guys agreed with him, none had any mask and outside the shop I could see – “No Mask, No Service”.
I love my great India and it’s hypocrite intellectuals!
I think earlier the Print was advocating that CM’s should handle all Covid in their states. Cooperative Federalism, for the pseudos, you know. Why this sudden U- Turn blaming PM Modi now???!!!!?? Because the CM’s have failed miserably and so all want to put the blame on PM Modi!!!!!
Excellent article by YoYa. It clearly shows that PR matters everything to Modi. Dhruv Rathee’s new video is an eerie reminder of the true nature of our supreme leader. I dunno where in the dreamland Modi supporters are. Keeping putting your head in a ditch, and when you are suffering don’t complain again.
Mr. Pm Modi
Jada bill gates ke pairo me gir Kar Mere Bharat desh ko barbad Karne ki koshish na kare. Itna paisa kha Kar Kaha leker Jane wale hai. New world order ke naam per logo ko mar rahe ho.. Corona virus ko isolate to karo phir bad me virus ki Vaccine banana..
Resign de do tum
go doe
Nonsense article. Do some homework before writing such articles.
Thank you for calling a spade a spade. Thank you for this courage to speak out the truth. May God be with you always and protect you from sickness and especially the goons who are controlling our nation.
Does he not require protection from the middlemen who are funding the agitation of the rich farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP? With direct bank transfer to the account of the farmers, these middlemen will be in fix. They will take their anger against the self appointed farm leaders like Shri Yogendra Yadav, who promised them repeal of the farm laws.
The only option India has for PM is Modi. Better among the worse.
He has nothing to give except empty promises
Looking to grave situation in our country in pandemic time, old Powerful Politicians in Current governance needs to resign & young politicians be given reign of country who can definitely show far better results through their innovative senses.
Dear Yogender Yadav ji,
You are most welcome to thrash the government. But please don’t comment on ladakh and such critical issues, which are just a matter of public discussion and publicity for you and the political parties( be it any), it is a matter of pride, life and death for a few. So mind your journalism, politics etc to yourself. Otherwise most welcome to verify details
Yesterday, I have an observation over the news material.
But, I guess the roots aren’t best to deliver fruits.
‘It is one thing to lose territory to China in the far-flung Ladakh and yet convince the public that it was China that got a thrashing. It is quite another thing to convince that we have done our best in this pandemic to those who are running from hospital to hospital for a bed, trying to purchase medicines in the black market and watching the pyres lit outside a crematorium.’
That sums it up. The long suffering public put up with demonetisation, ATM queues and migrant workers walking back. The minorities put up with lynching and communal riots. Pulwama and the loss of land to China could be passed off as victories. But the public has seen the most distressing scenes in many cities – hospitals stacking bodies outside as the morgue has no space, anonymous bodies being unloaded from lorries onto blazing crematoriums whose blaze can be seen far off.
And worse is yet to come. Modi has not announced lockdown, but another is needed. There is no way the spread can be controlled with vaccines now. India has been put on the red list by the UK and Canada. The USA will follow. And the rest of the world will follow them.
I tell everyone. What you saw fail goes beyond Modi. It is the abject failure of Hindutva. This is the proof it does not work and we need to return to secular democracy and qualified people running the country instead of teaboys operating according to a failed 1930s ideology adapted from Hitler. The BJP, media and the public were partners in Hindutva and hence this debacle. Learn from it.
There are two more years of misery, thereafter there is no choice but Congress. And they will only succeed if they work to disband RSS and Hindutva.
Yes and until then (2024) all Indians need to hang on for dear life! Everyone is Rambharose now.
@Akash: You are a Pakistani/commie Bla bla!!
How could China enslave so called democracies & powers like USA/Europe as well as media in west & India that they are all silent on fixing Chinese responsibility for the Wuhan Virus disaster??!!
Data robbers & freedom manipulators like Google/youtube, FB, Twitter etc.. are silent!!
No hash tag on how Chinese Virus is killing Indians, Europeans & Americans alike!!
No hash tag on how Chinese are killing Muslims while Muslims are SILENT as dead PORK!!
Spot on, sir, as always. Thank you.
Wow ! How well you have desribed my thoughts in words. My thoughts since Balakot, And since the tragic coincidence of the departure of Sushma and Arun Jaitly.
Aren’t we overlooking the carelessness of Indian public during the whole time?? I mean government surely seems to provide a weak leadership presently but no government can thrive without We, the people of India.
if you are so concerned about COVID, you should NOT have asked farmers to protest, or end protest ASAP and go home. it’s just politics for votes, for you too.
Modi has not sprayed the virus on anybody.. if anybody had got afflicted by the disease.. it is absolutely the carelessness and fault of that anybody.. Leaders of opposition parties kicked out by the people for rampant corruption and their supporters severely castigate tyrannical Modi.. the ONLY politician wanting to WIN elections.. for brutally oppressing people by restricting their fundamental right to freedom in the name of lockdown.. and yet want him to bear responsibility for a situation arising out of the arrogance or callousness of that very people..
But we the people are not STUPID and WE STAND BY MODI.. AND WILL STAND WITH HIM AND MAKE HIM WIN AGAIN IN 2024..
Have a mental check up
I would like to request shekhar gupta again, please don’t allow failed politicians to masquerade as opinion makers here. It is a sacrilege against all principles of journalism.
Losing territory to China ? Such blatant lies are published in this toilet paper. I would draw the attention of the I&B ministry to take stringent action against such toilet papera which publish loads of rubbish everyday and divide communities, spread hatred.
Yogendra Yadav wants the country to burn so that perhaps hia long cherished dream of bringing back the corrupt and communal family might materialise. So Mr Yadav Modi ji is not obliged to answer anti nationals. You place is in hell. You can go and seek all answers you want. You will never succeed in your wicked mission of tearing this country apart. Modi will choke people like you, politically and financially and all Indians will support him with all their might.
Does it matter that Modi’s speech was “short”? In all probability these Indians would vote for him in the next election!
Your system is slow , it takes a lot of time for the comments to appear , also I really wish Mr. Yadav has the decency to take some proper criticism face on.
“”Success of vaccination should be counted not in numbers but as proportion of the population.””
I would truly agree with you Mr.Yadav if and only if the same standards were used for the rise in cases and the total infected, not as absolute but as percentage of population.
How about another article on the BKU who have refused to call off their farmers protest and are blocking oxygen tankers near the Singhu border ??
indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/stuck-at-singhu-border-delhi-police-helps-move-truck-carrying-oxygen-cylinders-to-hospital-7283040/lite/ So we were second to 10 crore doses, what about 11 and 12 crore, any thoughts on them Mr pathological obssesive liar Yadav ji ???
Speech by PM or anyone else cannot save people, we need action. With easing of age limit we need more Vaccine for those who will take first shot and others waiting for second as many have crossed time lag. Sadly PM has sought the help of Children (Bal Mitras) to advice elders not to go out without cause. I wish he made this advice before he began his election campaign so that they would advised him not to go out, but he can always claim he is coming out for the cause of party and power
I agree with most of the author”s views, only I am not so cynical about PM”s call to help the needy. But one thing I can tell – “the law of diminishing returns is beginning to set in” this is anything but the truth. The PR exercise by Modi is going to work, notwithstanding your scorn for him and his ideology. Much more is needed to convince people to oust him. And it is not coming from left wing scholars, BJP”s rise was after vanquishing their ideology.
Salim bhai aapko yaad hoga ki kisan aandolan main aapne bhi bahut bheer ikaktha ki thi. Ab aap sab subject expert ban hi gaye ho to ye bhi bata do ki kya karna chhiye.
Aap bhi sahbhagi hain is problem and Same with every Indian.
This article lacks substance. Just full of rants.
Recently China reported ten, twelve cases a day, all imported. A fierce adversary, which refuses to disengage in Ladakh. Vietnam, which is now a more realistic model for India to compete with, has had 2,800 cases, 35 deaths. Ever since the pandemic began, each diplomatic mission in Delhi would be plotting India’s response. No better way to size up the strengths and weaknesses of a friend or a foe.
Do we hear the ringing of some words in the distant past:
“Maut ka Saudagar”
Highly political & holier-than-thou opinion from a man who orchestrated some of the biggest super spreader events & continues to do so with impunity while having the gall to demand others mop up after him.
Aandolanjeevi Champagne socialist zholawallah is doing what he does best – unfounded criticism without providing any alternate solutions.
Who reads this guy’s drivel?
Jo karna h kar lo. We will always support PM modi.
Why you never write these about national brothers of you…..
Tumhe funding kaun deta h… bada is vahiyat likte ho india k baare me
Do we expect logic from roll back Expert. Please calculate the alleged amount of money by successive rulers and brokers (who were no friends and supporters of MP Modi) since the independence, before talking about the shortages of medicines and O2 which is a direct result of those thefts.
Can any expect Mr Yogendra Yadav to be honest. Does he not know Corona spreads through close contact and he instead of advising kisans not to gather has actually instigsted them this crowding the space and spreading Corona.
Will he accept his mistake or point out mistake of others
This guy has one agenda: to find fault with Modi. Period. So, with the wisdom of hindsight, goes on a diatribe, without talking about what HE has done
I like your optimism Mr Yadav, but I am afraid that our country has an almost never ending supply of people who are willing to suspend good sense and practical thinking and delude themselves into following the messiah! Well, now the crisis is here and as is usual with messiahs, he has washed his hands off and blamed everyone and everything else for our sorry plight but himself and his fat headed schemes. Still, as you will notice in other comments, he will find committed supporters who will ridicule you for raising pertinent questions. Such is the tragedy of our times!
Schemes ???!!!
Another piece of shit based on plethora of speculations. However I would accept it as another opinion, yo-yo is losing his credibility day by day.
Yogendra Yadav is a Psephologist. Let him concentrate on that. Instead of supporting PM Modi in this difficult times, he is playing games and Politics. Even supporting Farmers for a wrong cause. He also cheated Kejriwal. Even USA suffered in the first wave of COVID-19.
One thing is for sure, Mr. Yogendra Yadav. You sure can write some sh_it. Reporters like you deserve the credit of driving such a big nation’s blind and stupid people upto insanity. But for good or bad, India is now probably 80% for shitty people like you.
For sure there was a golden time of this country but not anymore. Reason, spineless people like you. You really deserve this country. Go destroy it to the maximum and make money out of it, just like what most politicians have done so far. Not one reporter have been found who has the spine to report the facts. And I understand upto certain point that you are selling too. And can’t sell something easily if it’s not spicy enough for people. But really, till what extent? Is there anything called moral or ethics left in you guys, anymore?