Plans of Modi Government to Celebrate its First Anniversary
May 23, 2015
As the Bharatiya Janata Party plans grand celebrations to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s completion of first year in office on 26 May, let me quote an American writer on business management and practices,Thomas J Peter, who says: “Celebrate what you want to see more of”.
Who else other than the BJP understands Peter’s words better? Its very first government in 1996 had lasted just 13 days. The next time when it came to power in 1998, it was just for 13 months. Thereafter, when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) got the mandate to rule for a full term, it could not do so as its leaders hastily opted for an early election only to face defeat and remain out of power for the next 10 years.
Who else other than the BJP understands Peter’s words better? Its very first government in 1996 had lasted just 13 days. The next time when it came to power in 1998, it was just for 13 months. Thereafter, when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) got the mandate to rule for a full term, it could not do so as its leaders hastily opted for an early election only to face defeat and remain out of power for the next 10 years.
It is little wonder, therefore, that anniversaries hold an important place in the BJP’s mind. Even in 1998, when not many expected the BJP-led NDA to last a year, it had exceeded all expectations. Indeed, that was reason enough to celebrate the occasion that made noted liberal Muslim scholar Asghar Ali Engineer remark: “The BJP itself was not expecting to last very long because of such shaky coalition. It is, therefore, jubilant that it could complete one year. What was otherwise the need for such celebrations? A normal stable government does not have to celebrate its completion of one year.”
What Does the Plan Look Like?
Mark Engineer’s last words. How wrong he was in his assessment! He, though, is no more alive to see how things changed for the BJP. The party, now with “a normal stable government”, does embark on a much bigger week-long extravaganza to celebrate the completion of one year of absolute power. It plans a blitzkrieg of 250 rallies and around 500 media conferences across the country. (The BJP President Amit Shah in a recent television show had said that the party had at times failed to convince the media about its works and this made him feel ‘nirbal’ or powerless). While 26 May will be observed as Jan Kalyan Parv (People’s Welfare Festival), PM Modi will kick-start the celebrations on 25 May with a rally in Mathura, the hometown of one of the BJP ideologues and prominent Bharatiya Jan Sangh leader late Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
Modi’s Penchant for Celebrations
And why shouldn’t there be celebrations? Noted behavioural science academic and author Dr. Steve Maraboli, says: “Celebrate your victories! Be verbal about it. Haters will say you’re bragging, but those who love you will celebrate with you.”
Modi has, indeed, displayed a penchant for celebrations in his first year as prime minister, right from the day of his swearing-in, which was a huge public spectacle with all neighbouring state heads of the SAARC countries joining the festivity. Images of him celebrating his arrival in the big league with expatriate Indians at Madison Square Garden in New York, Allphones Arena in Sydney, Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto and at Expo Exhibition Centre in Shanghai had gone viral. Showmanship has been his hallmark and he has done so with aplomb.
I take this opportunity to quote a motivational writer Anthony Robbins: “Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself, ‘Here is an opportunity for you to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary’”.
Modi has missed no opportunity to assert his supremacy ever since he assumed office a year ago. He has successfully portrayed himself as the centripetal force. They are reasons enough to call for more celebrations and the occasion is also ripe to play to the gallery – to not just showcase the government’s ‘achievements’ during the year, but also to project a positive feel about the government.
How Much Ground Has BJP Covered?
The economy has somewhat revived ever since Modi took charge. The Foreign Exchange Reserve has increased to Rs. 22,499.8 billion as on 8 May 2015 from Rs. 18,852.8 billion as on 9 May 2014. Industrial production, too, has increased by 2.10 percent in March 2015 over the same month in the previous year. Manufacturing recorded the highest increase of 2.2 percent and electricity output has increased by 2 percent. Mining edged up 0.9 percent during the year. Even the Consumer Price Index inflation slowed for the second consecutive month to 4.87 percent in April 2015 from an upwardly revised 5.25 percent in March, because of lower food prices. The two slogans issued by the government to mark the occasion – ‘Varsh Ek Kaam Anek’ and ‘Modi Sarkaar Kaam Lagataar’ – are illustrative of this fact. These slogans hold significance because not everything is hunky-dory within the party.
Why is BJP Government on Back Foot?
Consider that just two days ago, marginalised BJP patriarch L.K. Advani nixed an important parliamentary committee meeting on net neutrality when he supported the Opposition’s call for cancelling the meeting on grounds that the government was keen to gift internet space to corporate groups.
The government is already on the back foot on account of the controversial Land Acquisition Bill. The Opposition in Rajya Sabha forced it to sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee claiming the bill to be “anti-farmers” at a time when unseasonal rains have ruined standing crops and suicides by farmers are on a rise.
The Congress Party and the Left have been branding the Modi government as “pro-big business” and the Congress is all set to unveil an equally high-pitched counter-offensive throughout the country to challenge the government’s claims on economic development.
Even Modi’s foreign trips have come under a scanner following a RTI report that Modi’s USA tour did not result in signing of even a single memorandum of understanding (MoU)!
Even the US President Barrack Obama – who ironically penned a favourable note on Modi in Time magazine recently – handed over a bitter prescription of secularism to the Indian government after his visit to India in January.
Yet another controversy that dogs Modi is the allegation of “killing democracy” by the Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who accuses Modi of trying to topple his government and take control of Delhi from back door. The issue has snowballed into a major standoff between the Centre and the AAP government and exposed the legal complexities.
Modi’s Handling of Detractors
Modi, though, must be guided with the dictum: “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” Ever since becoming the PM, he has celebrated his exalted position with élan and in the process, made heads turn! He, seemed least perturbed over the Opposition’s war cry. He single-handedly decimated them in all state elections except Delhi. The BJP’s debacle in Delhi elections did prove an eyesore for Modi, but he is rather too matured a politician to lose sleep over that.
As he moves ahead and the BJP celebrates his one year in office, what one may ask is that whether it will make all Indians feel proud or not? After all, he did say that Indians were ashamed of being born in India until he became Prime Minister
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