Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to share ‘colours of Holi’ with watchmen across the country in an audio address on Wednesday.
New Delhi: On the eve of Holi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address over 25 lakh watchmen through audio bridge medium as he steps up his ‘Main bhi chowkidar’ campaign in the run up to the Lok Sabha campaign, the BJP said Tuesday.
Party’s media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said Modi will share the “colours of Holi” with watchmen across the country in the address on Wednesday.
The prime minister is also scheduled to interact with people, who have pledged their support to the ‘Main bhi chowkidar’ (I also am a watchman) campaign, from 500 places in the country on March 31.
Noting that watchmen work round-the-clock without taking any leave, Baluni said Modi’s initiative is aimed at highlighting the works of people like them and added that it was an important step for improving the lot of the last man in line with the BJP’s credo of ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ (With all, development for all).
People from different walks of life have lent their support to the ‘Main bhi chowkidar’ campaign, he asserted.
Also read: Modi to interact with people from 500 places during his ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign
Why this fixation with Chowkidars? Modi only said that he was a chowkidar. Nobody ever objected to his seeing himself as a chowkidar. The problem came only when he became a thief. If Modi wants to give expression to a fellow feeling he should address the thieves of India.
There is a potential downside to emphasising the watchman’s function to such an extent. First, it creates a feeling that as a nation we are not worthy of trust, self certification, rectitude, require external supervision all the time. That we will jump a red light if a traffic cop is not present on the spot to enforce the law. Very different from the way the West and other similar countries have chosen to organise themselves. Second, everyone of note adding Chowkidar to their designations makes them morally responsible for creating Ram Rajya. When things go wrong, they are taking the onus on themselves. Finally, as a citizen goes through her daily interaction with public authorities., if she finds that things remain as they always have, the whole campaign will seem like a PR exercise, breed cynicism.