Much ado about Modi

These days it is hard to take a stand in Indian Politics. Frankly with everyone just interested in dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s, it is difficult to say something without it being analysed to the last molecule to find out what was the intent of the person voicing that opinion.

A case in point is the recent debate on whether Narendra Modi was promoting communalism by talking about the Burqa of Secularism. Last night every TV channel was screaming itself hoarse about why Mr. Modi alluded to a Burqa when he was criticising the Congress for indulging in Vote Bank politics. According to them, if he really didn’t want to be communal, he should have deftly avoided any reference to the topic and concentrated solely on growth and development as indicators of good governance.

As Nirmala Seetharaman pointed out last night, any one reference by Mr. Modi that is tinged with a “communal” connotation is magnified to eternity while a similar gaffe by a Congressman is glossed over by a press that claims to be non-partisan.

While I think all politicians are self serving and have no interest but their own at heart, I actually feel sorry for Mr. Modi. He is damned if he does and even more damned if he doesn’t. Any word that he uses has the potential for being slanderous or demeaning or vilifying the “minority” community. And as Mr. Shashi Tharoor said in an interview last night, we are all a part of a “minority” community with every person in India belonging to some sub sect of some sub caste of some region! Why can’t the Press just ignore the politicians and their silly quibbling over words and concentrate on more important matters like We the People of India. While the BJP is shouting down the new Food Security Bill, the Congress is beating this same beaten drum not realising that they have been in power for almost the entire time of post Independent India. Isn’t it a darn shame that after all these years, they have still not eradicated poverty, still not alleviated the lot of the masses, still not improved the economy, still not assured the safety of its citizens, basically still not delivered on any of the promises that it has repeatedly touted year after year after year?

When will the people of India realise that the Congress is truly India’s worst enemy. Under the guise of being secular, they are only filling their own pockets and fooling the people with the same silly storyline they’ve been spinning for years. If I were the Press, I would harp on this rather than on whether the Congress or BJP is communal or not.

Today when I walk down to the bhaji market past one of Mumbai‘s “poshest” neighbourhoods, I have to assiduously avoid the overflowing gutter water gushing down the slope, navigate the pot holed roads that I have to walk on to avoid stepping on the vendors , cows and beggars sleeping on parts of the pavement that is not uneven. And when I pay Rs. 60 for a kg, I see more than just the red of the tomatoes.

The Government of the people, for the people and by the people is not tinged blue, black or purple but is made up of men of straw reflective of our own ineptitude and corruption.