Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political and electoral success has one bedrock — his welfare schemes as well as development projects and their effective delivery. Yes, unabashed Hindutva and muscular nationalism are key to his politics, but these are not what win him elections. Modi’s ability to conceive schemes, execute projects with a wider reach has held him in good stead since he rose to power at the Centre in 2014.
ThePrint’s latest series on the flagship ‘Nal Se Jal’ programme reveals something similar — the scheme that aims to plug the gap of functional tap water connections has produced effective results on the ground. Of course, like all new programmes, this one has its fair share of teething problems as well, as our reporters found. But, Modi’s success lies in identifying areas where people lack basic necessities and then ensuring last-mile delivery to them. And this is what helps the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win votes in elections.
From rural housing, cooking gas, rural electricity, bank accounts and now tap water — Modi’s model has been clear, and the results clearer. One may agree or disagree with his politics, or repelled by the polarisation tactics, but there is little denying that Modi knows the art of connecting with the voters. And he does that primarily by identifying what they need, and then creating a platform for it.
Also read: ‘Money is scarce’ — Modi govt set to axe about 40 schemes that ‘have lost relevance’
Hindutva and nationalism
The BJP wouldn’t be itself without its soul — brazen Hindutva. That is what catapulted the party to national prominence in the early 1990s and, make no mistake, it isn’t going anywhere. The BJP wears Hindutva on its sleeve and, in some cases, as an entire robe.
No election is ever complete without the Hindu-Muslim rhetoric — whether it’s the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election with Modi’s ‘shamshaan-kabrisataan’ campaign driving it or the 2019 Lok Sabha election led by Home Minister Amit Shah’s CAA-NRC bogey. Besides the communal prism, nationalism too has become an important plank for the BJP. Anybody who doesn’t fit into the party’s scheme of things is ‘anti-national’ out to ‘break’ the country.
Despite being a credible vote-catching mechanism, Hindutva and nationalism are not the ultimate factor, otherwise the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee would not have lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election so embarrassingly.
The main ingredient Modi added to his successful formula is delivering on his programmes — Hindutva and nationalism have merely acted as the masala that add zing to the dish.
Also read: Why India appears strangely silent on sky-high fuel prices
Welfare, delivery, development
That welfare and development would be key was made clear in early 2018, when Modi told leaders from 14 BJP-ruled states to accelerate the implementation of welfare schemes, and emphasised the importance of meeting the set targets of flagship programmes.
Modi’s first term was about introducing schemes for the needy — the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, Saubhagya Yojana, Ujjwala, Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan Yojana and more. Each of these formed the bouquet that helped catapult Modi back to power in 2019 with an even bigger mandate than five years ago.
The Congress, in its ten years in power heading the United Progressive Alliance, had perhaps just one such marquee programme — MGNREGA. And even this scheme, which gave a definite boost to the party in 2009, started fading during UPA 2, ridden with gaps, flawed implementation and ghost beneficiaries.
In Modi’s case, the trick wasn’t just to identify what people wanted from the government, but also be able to give it to them. Take, for instance, rural housing. As Indira Awaas Yojana, the scheme was full of deficiencies. But as the repackaged PMAY-G, it saw the output being doubled in just two years.
While covering assembly elections in Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh from the ground, I met voters who said they wanted to see the BJP back in power because of the Centre’s programmes. Very few cited muscular nationalism or Hindutva as the reason. Of course, these factors always play a part, but there is little denying that the delivery plank Modi carefully crafted won him elections.
In his second term, governance seemed to be getting lost somewhere, in the din of political noise. But Modi is perceptive and clever. He knows a Ram Temple may give him a fillip, but cannot win him an election beyond perhaps Uttar Pradesh. The ‘Nal Se Jal’ report card seems largely positive, albeit with gaps and much scope for improvement. My colleague Moushumi Dasgupta, who travelled on the ground to report on the scheme, found it to have changed the lives of rural poor, especially those belonging to underprivileged SC/ST communities. She also found appreciation for the Centre for bringing this scheme — much like the response PMAY(G) and Ujjwala schemes invoked.
Notice the major infrastructure push for poll-bound states in Budget 2021, as well as the slew of projects that the PM is inaugurating in a frenzy across these states, and the pattern becomes evident.
One may want to believe that Modi is all about Hindutva and flaunting a ’56-inch chest’. But alongside the sensational and emotive, often polarising, elements of communalism and nationalism lies the core that Modi knows is crucial to maintaining his political grip — delivering on what matters to voters the most. Call it chulha, makaan and paani, his unique turn on on roti, kapda and makaan.
Views are personal.
undoubtedly the author lives in the villages where all these programmes have reached the people. Most certainly the author has been educated at one on the many educational institutions put up over the last 6 years and obtained all the benefits promised – apart from the 15 lakhs and many others.
A news item on ZeeNews : in Panipat muncipality, for the posts of 13 chaprassis, young men and women with masks were shown sitting in queues with masks, waiting for interviews. There were 27,000 applicants. The post was for 10th standard pass, MAs and MTechs were in the queues.
The 27,000 minus 13 will be waiting for Modi’s last mile delivery. Perhaps they can apply to the PMO because there are a maximum number of 10th standard passes in his ministries.
After that, the rest can sell pakoras or join a shakha and become a chai wallah – that is another route to the PMO’s office.
After that, the people like you can sell pakoras or catch Samjhota Express.
I shall sell pakoras, you can join the PMO and organize a communal riot.
Burnol moment for this guy. Keep crying ayega toh modi hi
It’s an open secret that during the time of Congress holding court, “secular” meant anti-Hindu, and “liberal” meant Socialist, and probably still does. The author is not being an apologist for Hindutva or whatever…he’s just making the case for why the masses keep voting for Mr Modi and his party, which is, his govt providing the services he’d promised.
Finally print is coming up as publications which puts out facts on ground. Most of newspapers are simply printing nonsense to placate secularists, a miniscule minority, exerting it’s influence in media way above their numbers.
Three observations stand out:
“From rural housing, cooking gas, rural electricity, bank accounts and now tap water — Modi’s model has been clear, and the results clearer. One may agree or disagree with his politics, or repelled by the polarisation tactics, but there is little denying that Modi knows the art of connecting with the voters. And he does that primarily by identifying what they need, and then creating a platform for it.”
“Despite being a credible vote-catching mechanism, Hindutva and nationalism are not the ultimate factor, otherwise the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee would not have lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election so embarrassingly.”
“One may want to believe that Modi is all about Hindutva and flaunting a ’56-inch chest’. But alongside the sensational and emotive, often polarising, elements of communalism and nationalism lies the core that Modi knows is crucial to maintaining his political grip — delivering on what matters to voters the most.”
Also, Modi seems to have excelled both Atal and Manmohan because he made sure the benefits go directly to the beneficiaries minimizing the role of the middlemen. In that he was greatly helped by modern information technology.
He’s still stymied by a mix of overenthusiastic caste(ist) Hindu nationalists, characterless and uneducated party workers and a fossilized and overfed bureaucracy/bureaucrats he recently complained about. Modi will also have the onerous task of building up the second line of leadership after himself.
actually modi took the good ideas of MMS [aadhar to bank account & GST ] and improvised the same. Time helped him with fall in petrol price, which he skimmed for his social welfare expenses being gas, toilet, food and doles. Problem for our media is that they donot want to appreciate his clean image. No political party or leader in opposition have a such a blemishless financial and personal integrity
Organising riots and getting Indians killed at election time; Rafale scam, channeling public money to a failed businessman and defaulter; demonetising 86% of Indian currency, and destroying the Indian economy, to win the UP elections, naming stadium after himself, buying a plane for his travels, making a new parliament when he bypasses parliament on farmers’ laws – do all these show blemishless financial and personal integrity to you ?
Are you dumb, or you know everything and you are lying ?
Last mile delivery – LOL.
Modi just named the Sardar Patel cricket stadium after himself just before the first delivery of the India v England test match.
It is the first time a living PM has named a structure after himself. The BJP’s Preeti Gandhi tweeted ‘world’s largest stadium dedicated to world’s largest personality’.
It proves the fellow is a tasteless Third World megalomaniac and his followers are just low IQ worshipful bhakths.
He once wore a 1 crore sherwani pinstriped with his name when he met Obama. He has bought a plane and is spending crores to remake Parliament. Last mile delivery to the poor, my foot ….
bitterly sour grapes for some.
probably this shows your ignorance or hate for modi. indira and nehru gave bharat ratna for themselves. We have 500 odd institution in the name of nehru/gandhi dynasty
If protest leads to roll back, he will roll back all institution which were not posthumously named after a leader ; more looser will be ghandhi dynasty
‘We have 500 odd institution in the name of nehru/gandhi dynasty’
Those were named after they were not in power or they had passed away. The only other person who indulged in this was Mayawati. She was CM, but your type would have raged about that.
The writer is right that is the worst kind of Third Worldism. This is a first in India where a sitting PM has named a stadium after himself. I just read an article in the Financial Times (English newspaper) about it. The article remarks this is a characteristic of dictators, not democracies, and it is a steady but sure decline of India. It said this is an acknowledgement that Modi has failed and he is trying to make his legacy permanent by naming a stadium.
It is another low. But you want to defend it like Baba Rahim’s followers.
The writer is right that is the worst kind of Third Worldism.
Well . Then you and the writer should move to first world by crossing Vagha border and let your offspring become proficient in Arabic.
That is the response of a real Third Worlder ! Anger without brains is no use.
The Print and Shekhar Gupta himself seem to have one foot in the liberal camp and one in the Hindutva fascist one. Shekhar Gupta’s own articles will start off with a string of Modi’s achievements, which are all minor; only after that preface, Gupta will say what he wants to say, that is, the economy is in free fall. The first part is precautionary; he is anxious not to be labelled a liberal, a Luytens gang, and of course he is afraid, the govt. will send the Income Tax department to hound him, or a FIR will be filed against him as a seditionist.
This article by Tewari fits the same tenor. In the first paragraph, it implies Hindutva and its style of ‘nationalism’ is ugly and damaging , but pleads the poor have benefited, and this explains Modi’s electoral success, so the ugly side can be overlooked. It does not mean India is successful, but for many, Modi’s success is India’s success. Modi is projected as a great man with the unusual capability of ‘last mile delivery’. Whereas without Hindutva, Modi cannot win – Subramanian Swamy has said it in one of his candid moments. If last mile delivery to the poor was Modi’s forte and responsible for his electoral success, he would not need communal polarisation and the riot, or a Pulwama just before the election.
The Print allows plenty of space for Hindutva writers, feet-in-two-camp writers, and an occasional liberal or critic of Hindutva fascism is slotted in to pretend it is a fair journal. It is a bit like Congress : an umbrella for all but lacking in an identity or conviction.
In contrast to The Print, online digital platforms like The Wire, and established publications like The Hindu, and Outlook have a consistent liberal stand, and always stand up for human rights, law, and against bigotry. It is better to have conviction and argue your case cogently. Hence, they are admired for fearlessness and standing up to violent intimidation.
The right also has a strong conviction, but they do not have the people of intellect to argue cogently, and they only get their point accepted by force and threat of violence. They rage against intellectuals because they don’t have any. That is the style of fascists the world over since Mussolini and Hitler (the RSS sent people out there to learn from them). But the right’s platform (as Mahua Moitra pointed out in the Lok Sabha) relies on the cowardice of abusing absolute power – the coward feels strong when he is in a mob and he can use state power for wickedness.
The feet-in-two-camp writers like Ruhi Tewari are fellow travellers of fascism, and in the final analysis, are cowards. They do not want to throw stones and burn the neighbours’ house in a mob, but if someone else does it, they will argue one needs to move on and look at the other side (last minute delivery to the poor !)
In contrast to The Print, online digital platforms like The Wire, and established publications like The Hindu, and Outlook have a consistent liberal stand, and always stand up for human rights, law, and against bigotry.
May be you should read only those publication You don’t want logical analysis. You want to reaffirm your belief. You are one of those who are Ignoramus.
I read those publications (The Wire, The Hindu), and The Print, and even right wing types. Yes, I have a belief in human rights and I can defend it with logic. The right wing does not believe in human rights, and it cannot write anything logical and coherent. You can rage, write abuse, denounce the left as intellectual, ask to send them to Pakistan or China etc. But you will not be able to write a point by point refutation. Hence, your rage. The right wing relies on violence and intimidation of the mob. But as Mohua Moitra said in Parliament, it is just application of power and force by the cowardly. Your bravery and thinking arises in a mob scenario, you cannot think as an individual. You repeatedly say the majority is with you. So what ? The majority can be wrong.
We are only interested in getting result. That is last mile delivery.
You can argue about it till cows come home. Indians want result and want it now. They don’t care for ideology of left, right or center. They realize that ideology is simply to make a fool out of them by trying to direct that to cause to which they have no stack e.g secularism. . Old time Indians were lethargic. So Nehru & co. got away with slow growing economy of less than 5%. .
Indian economy expected to grow by double digit as per IMF & other reputable institution.
You have total unwillingness to accept facts, which contradicts your worldview.
Well said. I also thought for a long time SG is rowing two boats at the same time and the liberal face he puts up is just a facade and does not carry enough conviction.
The ones who are totally amoral are Arnob, Sudhir Chaudury, Times Now…. They are the majority. They will sell lies if it makes money and gets the favour of the powerful. Arnob is the most shocking – an Oxford graduate, descending to a hate merchant. I read Goering, the head of the Nazi Luftwaffe, was a decent soldier and airman once, but after he fell into Hitler’s circle, he degenerated and became like the rest. It made me think of Arnob – he was not like what he is now, but once he fell in with this lot, power and money were too tempting, and it ruined his character. The majority is with Modi and Arnob. They have a feeling of strength from being part of a mob, but it is the strength of the coward as described aptly by Mahua Moitra in Parliament.
People who have moral conviction are Ravish Kumar, Vinod Dua, Prannoy Roy, Barkha Dutt, Nidhi Razdan, Sreenivasan Jain, N. Ram, Disha Ravi, Kaniyaha Kumar, Shehla Rashid, Mahua Mitra, JNU and Jamia students ….. a few. Money and power cannot sway them, nor does fear sway them – they are ready to stand up and risk their lives.
SG is disappointing as he does have the intelligence and understanding to know India is driving to self destruction, but what is lacking is the moral conviction and fearlessness to say the RSS is the inherent cause. Quite a few are like that – they know Modism is wrong, but they do not want to swim against the tide.
“Liberal face”. There is no liberal face in Indian media. It is pro-Minority face.
” Liberal” media were never publishing atrocities on dalit or tribal since Independence. But a few minority members killed and they behave as if sky has fallen down. Of course for a convert like you life of people of book is worth much more than life of pagan.
The liberal media printed articles on the rape of Dalit girl, and her cremation at night by police. None of the rapists or police were converts. So your type lay low then. I did not see your type rage then.
I saw you claim Dalits as one of your own, but it appears to be a put on. You hate them as much as you hate minorities. They are dragging down your progress.
That is your view. dalits are always also run. Now that that few Herrenvolk, Muslims, are becoming victims suddenly secularists are remembering untermensch, dalits, as victims. But that only in last seven years, not sixty plus years before that time. At that time only dalits were victims, so secularist were going around happily in their ways.
Secularists got concerned about dalits only after they started voting for BJP. Dalits finally realized which side they belong. Now secularists are desperate to get DALIT VOTES for secularists parties, not dalits in position of influence.
Secularist liberals CONCERN FOR DALITS IS FAKE, it is not genuine like their concern for minorities. They identify themselves with minorities ,not dalits.
The columnist ssys:
“PM Modi conceives of welfare programmes like Ujjwala, Awaas Yojana and Nal se Jal — and then ensures beneficiaries get it.”
If this is true for the masses, then according to her we should be closer to a Welfare State? Why are then the masses feeling 1) poorer than what they werebefore 2014
2) desperate and hopeless about lack of employment?
Has Nal se Jal really worked?
Has Ujjwala freed the poor women from traditional chulha?
So much for the poor masses for whom SURVIVAL IS DIFFICULT. What is Modi’s success index on the scales of 1) Democracy for the masses
2) justice for the masses
3) peaceful coexistence of the masses?
All the above pertains to INTERNAL dynamics of the country. On the EXTERNAL front, what is Modi’s success index in improving india’s IMAGE & RELATIONSHIPS in the world since 2014?
Narendra Modi has been creating yojnas and programmes every time he has found a microphone within range. Only some ournalists have been mesmerized by those day-dreams. What about health for all yojna? Or 100 lakh crores spend on infrastructure yojna? Beti bachao yojna? Make in India yojna? A senior journalist like Ruhi Tiwari should be able to add many more items to such gasbag yojnas. Yes, what about Ganga cleaning yojna? Running ships on the Ganges between Varanasi and Muzaffarpur in Bihar yojna?
Why are then the masses feeling 1) poorer than what they werebefore 2014
Masses are not feeling poorer considering Covid -19. People would shudder to think what would have happened if Rahul was PM during Covid-19 crisis? He would have to take vacation every alternate week.
Why even think of Rahul as the PM? Doesn’t the Congress have Anand Sharma, Ghulan Nabi Azad, PC Chidambaram and others?
They are spent forces, ready to be part of Congress MARG DARSHAN GROUP. What applies to these Congress stalwart s applies to other non-Congress opposition leaders too.
Rahul is young with royal jelly. So if Congress win there would be any PM other than Rahul.
So accept the fact that among opposition Rahul Gandhi is bad among WORST LOT and India has only choice between Modi & Rahul.
Correction
So if Congress win there would be any PM other than Rahul.
should read
So if Congress win there WOULD NOT BE any PM other than Rahul.
If competence to govern is any benchmark e.g Rs. 100 disbursed and how much reached to beneficiary, journalism will be objective.
But to justify pro appeasement governance these journalist paint BJP and Modi Hindutva party. There is no evidence that minority or any community is excluded in any manner from the benefits.
India’s biggest problem we have some political brokers who call themselves journalist
very true.
In a democracy, with a multitude of political parties, mostly floating rudderless, any report, view or opinion on action and inaction will attract varying comments as a result of fixed perceptions. This acts either which way – for and against. But it is heartening to see that “We the people” have matured enough to discard rhetoric and discern which Governments (states and Centre) deliver.
It is time our politicians recognise that they will have to walk into the sunset, if they don’t “walk the talk” (expression borrowed without permission)
This is a balanced article. It has a lesson for every political party in the country. Political Pundits used to say that an ’emotive issue’ will make the difference in elections and parties used to come up with something religious, communal, caste equations etc.
But to win an elections a party needs some solid (and basic too) achievement which benefits all needy across the population. Modi – BJP got it right by identifying basic needs and problems and solve them to the last mile.
Voters may respond to emotional issues which could be short lived but solutions to their problems stay with them for longer, much longer time and keeps reminding them subsequently too.
It is unfortunate that even after 70+ years of independence people’s issues are basic like water, roof over head etc. It highlights the horrible failure of previous governments. And if a particular Govt/ Party solves them with sincerity we should appreciate them. What is wrong in it?!
People may not mind, for now, putting up with some nuisance cropping up before elections, routinely!
I think this article while a good start gets it reversed.
Modi uses Hinduism and Nationalism to win votes so that he can deliver the necessities to the poor.
He came to power not to fill his pockets but to actually help the nation and its people.
Corruptionless delivery of the last mile is not done for votes, votes are just a by product.
This is a despicable article on two counts.
Firstly, it tries to gloss over Hindutva fascism and mob violence, and genocide of minorities by Modi and his party. It is saying, ‘we know it is not good, but still it did not harm the majority, so just leave that aside, think of what Modi has done for the poor (last mile delivery).’
Secondly, it is a lie that Modi delivered to the poor. They were the people who were standing in queues for their money after demonetisation, they were the ones who lost their jobs. After Covid, they were forced to walk 700 km. Their girls get raped and the police cremate them at night without the parents.
Who is the writer trying to fool ? I don’t know why bhakts want to justify Modi. If you support fascism, say so.
Get real Mehran majority of Indians benefited from BJP rule. Only some crooked Indians got their fingers burned.
You are right.
Farmers, migrant labourers, Dalits, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, journalists and university students got their fingers burnt – they are crooked Indians.
Ambani, Adani, 25 loan defaulters, Arnob, mob rioters, Delhi police, rapists, degree forgers and counterfeiters are the majority, indeed they benefited from the BJP rule.
People who benefited voted for BJP, except may be minorities. From election results it is clear more people benefited than people who burned their fingers.
Your have to get out of your ivory tower and listen to people outside you echo-chamber.
It took 7 years for some journalists to identify secret ingredient of MODI success. Better late than never. I am no MODI batkh or anything. I see things with no bias.
Last-mile delivery…………..it took 6 years for the fools at The Print to figure this out.
“ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it………………”
Scary that it claims that the “finest” work for it.
I am an old fashioned guy who believes a rising tide lifts all boats. Of higher economic growth alone being the antidote to mass poverty. True, when so many Indians are poor or barely lower middle class, direct intervention by the state, starting with an efficient PDS, is imperative. For the delivery system to be clean, less prone to leakage, is a fine achievement. However, if the economy continues to sicken, Indians across the board will suffer. There is also the question of how long the government will be able to fund these welfare schemes, as its tax revenues lose buoyancy. See how fuel is being squeezed dry to keep the show going. A weak government with a strong economy does not sound like such a bad bargain.
I don’t believe the article. In fact, it is a deplorable article that admits Modi uses Hindutva and whips up anti-Muslim hatred, but the actual reason for his victories is that he is a great deliverer. If that is so, he will not need the first.
Modi’s electoral success relies on Hindutva – and nothing else. He shot into prominence by beating up Muslims in Gujarat. He thereby became a hero for many Hindus. Some admit it, most don’t. Who likes to openly confess criminality ? The conscience of Indians does not mind participating in corruption, criminality and communal violence, but with most, their conscience does not permit admitting it. They invent some cover for wickedness – as has this writer.
Subramanian Swamy, a rabid Hindutva ideologue, himself said Modi cannot win by development mantras, it is only with Hindutva.
As for Modi’s delivery, that is a fantasy. Demonetisation was a disaster for the Indian economy, but Modi delivered UP to the BJP. It did not end corruption and counterfeiting, and nor did India become a cashless economy. GST was a mess. 5 trillion economy ain’t coming. Where is the bullet train ? Where is Swach Bharat ? When Trump came to Gujarat, Modi built a wall to hide the dirt. Where is the black money back from abroad ? Where is the doubling of farmers’ income ? The mishandling of Covid and the lack of planning for migrant workers led to scenes nowhere seen in the world. As for the chowkidar with 56 inch chest, even there the evidence shows the opposite. 58 soldiers died in Pulwama. Why did he not stop it ? Afterwards, in the skirmish with Pakistan, the only tangible evidence was India lost a plane, and Pak captured a pilot and returned him. It was the most despicable humiliation. On Balakot, all we have is some Whats App videos from the IT cell claiming mass graves, but international media dismiss India struck anything. On Galwan, China took land, killed Indian soldiers, and Modi meekly said nothing happened.
There is no evidence of competence or delivery, and plenty to the contrary !
You don’t have to explain and justify Modi’s electoral success. Communal polarisation has worked; Pulwama was handy; and some EVM tinkering. Next election, people will be absorbed with Rama temple.
It is good that secularists believe that Modi wins only because of Hindutva. because then they will try soft Hindutva , without delivering anything in terms of development & social uplift. So they will fail and then will adopt hard Hindutva. So finally we would have Hindu India like Muslim Pakistan and Nehru will turn in has grave.
INDIAND PEOPLE WILL BE BIGGER WINNERS. EITHER HINDU SECULARISTS WILL BECOME HARD HINDUTVA OR THEY WILL DELIVER. SO IT WOULD BE WIN WIN FOR TRUE INDIANS, while Jihadis & Pakistanis will cry.
I see. If your ambition is only to have a Hindu India like Muslim Pakistan, why did you need all that pretentious talk about 5 trillion economy, minimum government, maximum governance etc. ?
Declare your aim.
The only problem is ‘Hindu India’ will be even less successful as a concept than Muslim Pakistan. It will mean a country broken into several states.
EITHER HINDU SECULARISTS WILL BECOME HARD HINDUTVA OR THEY WILL DELIVER.
What happens if we have hard Hindutvadis who don’t deliver ? That is what we have now – and the country’s economy is floundering, there is social rift between Indians, and neighbours are moving in.
You need to get real.
Indian people don’t agree with your views. They are satisfied with BJP’s performance. They elected BJP, not secularists period.
There are disgruntled people in any society, India being number two in terms of population naturally would have highest number of disgruntled people. So it is time government stop trying to win them over and handle them like Chinese would do.
Get real Man. Get out of your Indian version Qanon nonsense promoted by assorted secularists. They live in their make believe world.
An illiterate woman in my village in Nagaland was commenting how awesome Modi was that he would give them free rice and cash. I find muscular nationalism and alienation of other faiths disturbing but there is no doubt that Modi’s welfare schemes has worked effectively inspite of all the lacunaes.
That Government particularly Pm in person is scam free also adds attraction to voters.
Last 60 years Congress could not provide electricity, banks, gas cylinders, toilets and water to every citizen. Modi achieved this just six years.
One thing you missed; MODI has made self-pitying, paid, biased journalist/opinion maker, anti-national, pseudo-secular irrelevant. Please share with Shekhar.
This shows the calibre of so called Indian Journalists, You guys are trying to decipher the causes of success of this man but failed each time you guys will never understand why his success rate & popularity is so high
I am pleasantly surprised to see this acknowledgement from the ‘liberal’ reporters at Print. This is good journalism. Hate Modi, Hate BJP, but dont lie, dont hide the truth. You can choose to disagree with BJP, but give credit where its due, give strong criticism where necessary. Then You will see, many people will stop looking at You with distrust. You might even be able to get your genuine points across much better. However, if you vomit on the webpage your hatred for Modi like Shivam Vij does everyday, or Jholachaap Ravish does on NDTV, regardless of facts, then You will remain confined to a small section of society. Anyway, nice to see you make an effort at least.
Well said Prashant. Overall, I also find Print’s Oped to be most balanced amongst the slew of online news portals. Mr. Gupta has set a high standard for this platform.
You are right. India seem to lack unbiased reporting. A believe that media should classified as News or propaganda. In news a report from right winger to communists would be nearly identical as they present facts only. A propaganda portal would be giving twist. Government should subsidized news and tax heavily to propagandists to make it tax neutral.
People deserve true News free from propaganda. Everybody is expected to behave in civil manner. Propaganda portal break this basic expectations.
POOHI is a CONGRASS journalist.
Her party ruled INDIA by dividing HINDUS, teaching fake history , ensuring caste politics to create enmity between HINDUS.
Poohiji’s CONGRASS supported ultra left wing radicals and PROSELYTIZERS to further attack HINDUS.
However poohiji please understand HINDUTVA MEANS NATIONALISM and ensuring delivery to the last person.
A CONGRASS journalist will NEVER understand that HINDUTVA believes in modern education , science and prosperity and will oppose proselytizers and jihadist.
THE days of FAKE NARRATIVE journalism is coming to an end.
All these welfare schemes give Modiji as well as some state CM’s the votes to stay in power. But it is middle class working in formal sector their taxpayer money being used by govts for funding welfare. But if more jobs for the middle class and labour class in the formal sector are not created, economy does not grow , there will not be enough taxpayer money to fund these schemes eventually.
Similarly indirect taxes (paid by all citizens) are also being used as a source of funds for welfare. No wonder petrol prices are increasing because both centre and state desperately need the money to meet government expenditure.
Our country is on the road to becoming a messy contract between the elected and the majority of unemployed or non tax paying voters. Elections will happen regularly, new welfare schemes will be announced and executed through the bureaucrats. But when will majority of Indians become productively employed and pay their taxes that too by being employed in a formal sector? Only then will welfare schemes not become a burden and taxpayer money can be fully utilised for better infrastructure and public services.
Unless our governments get to that point India cannot hope to cross the chasm to turn into a China or Korea.
Well if the opposition reads and competes on Modi on this, would it not be a game changer. For the sake of our fellow humans anyone who focuses on delivery of benefits hopefully succeeds. Their politics be damned!
Go to Rajasthan, or MP or rural Tamil Nadu. Toilets and new houses! Hope this is the new baseline.
The problem is opposition parties don’t have effective feedback system on ground. They rely on media to see how effective their ideas are implemented. Therefore Independent, unbiased reporting is essential for democracy. It is good that journalists like Sekhar Gupta are trying to do that by hiring journalist willing to write facts in unbiased manner.
in contrast to opposition parties BJP has RSS which provides independent feedback, bypassing lower level party people involved in creating obstructions, to senior leadership of BJP, thus providing it with effective feedback.
i hope more media would follow Sekhar Gupta and provide true ground reality rather than providing what ivory tower intellectuals want. Minorities in India face far less discrimination than minorities in Asia.
Modi’s politics is not about making money but to prevent to the extend possible money being made by others. That is the success of the last mile delivery, there are no figures of who far have we gone up from that 15 paise famous quote of Rajeev Gandhi of the 80s.
All the equipment coming out of the private sector and DRDO, was developed and ready to be rolled out but the brokers and the beneficiaries just did not allow it to come out. In Mr. Gupta’s inter view Mr. Kalyani of Bharat Forge told him that he had supplied 1000 s of rounds for Bofors during Kargil war but did not get an order for a single round since.
Has anyone ever tried to quantify the amount saved on cuts, commissions and government sanctioned thefts under the craftily designed procedures. This is nationalism and for Modi to win again, do not think he needs Hindutva, which may just be a rallying point for opposition.
Hindutva gives clarity of mission. The total war declared by secus on Hindutva forces BJP cadets to feel do or die situation and therefore they put their best effort of both for delivery and make people aware of the schemes. If BJP were to drop Hindutva, secus activists in media will start praising BJP. then BJP workers will become complacent or not motivated. If that happens it is re-run of VAJPAYEE 2002, PRAISED BY LIBERALS & SECUS ,REJECTED BY PEOPLE.
This assessment of yours is just perfect.