Page 28 - 15SEPT2018E
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INDEPENDENCE DAY





                                         A dream                                                                               This  time  around  he  was  set -  rorism, NRC and farmers suicides   stitched up lately. And so this time he

                                                                                                                                                              which are  the underlying  prob -
                                                                                                                                                                                            aimed at reaching out not to alliance
                                                                                                                               ting a tone for elections in Mad -
                                                                                                                                                              lems in the country presently. He
                                                                                                                                                                                            partners but newer constituencies of
                                                                                                                               hya  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh  and
                                                                                                                                                                                            dalits, OBC’s, minorities and others.
                   merchant at work                                                                                            Rajasthan to convey that he is a   avoided contentious & controversial    Major opposition parties have come
                                                                                                                                                              issues, it was all about the ‘feel good’.
                                                                                                                               PM who believes in performance.
                                                                                                                                                                                            together with the prime aim of ‘Modi
                                                                                                                                                                Modi came in 2014 with a prom-
                                                                                                                               Since 2014 this is the first time that
                                                                                                                                                              ise of making India a manufacturing  Mukt Bharat’’. Congress has sharp-
                                                                                                                               the narrative is against him wheth-
                                                                                                                                                                                            ened its attacks and is in the final
                                                                                                                               er its economy or social milieu of
                                                                                                                                                              hub which hasn’t shown tangible re-
                                                                                                                               the country, be it lynching, sliding
                                                                                                                                                              sults. Niti Ayog which was replaced
                                                                                                                               growth or jobs. So this time he made  by  Planning  Commission  which   process of chalking out lethal and
                                                                                                                                                                                            unmissable strategy to corner Modi
                  Since 2014 ,this is the first time that PM Narendra Modi’s narrative has gone against him                    sure that he pushed hard of the posi-  much of a hoopla hasn’t done much   and his policies. AICC General Sec-
                                                                                                                               tive narrative.
                                                                                                                                                                                            retary Ashok Gehlot says Congress
                                                                                                                                                              in terms of structural reforms. The
                  whether its economy, lynching, sliding growth or jobs. Therefore, Modi is focusing more on                     However  Modi  emphasizes    export scene is pretty unsatisfactory  is ready for the elections if they are
                   achievements of his government with an eye on 2019 elections, writes PRITI PRAKASH                          the  benefits  that  GST  and  De -  too.                    preponed as Modi pushes for ‘One
                        he nation listened with   leave any stone unturned in woo-  electoral narrative. Knowing that he
                        rapt  attention  at  what   ing the voters of India. The speech   now doesn’t have anything concrete
                        Prime Minister Naren-  of Modi was a report card of his   to offer in terms of economy, Modi
                        dra  Modi  was  offering   government where he gave himself   harped  upon  populist  schemes.
               T this Independence Day,       full marks on toilets construction,   He pressed all right buttons in his
               the last speech of the first round, a   power, LPG, highway construction,   speech- poor, farmers, youth, middle
               few months ahead of general elec-  building homes. As the PM, Modi   class, soldiers, tax payers, corrup-
               tion. Clearly the Prime Minister too   was out this time selling his ‘’new’    tion, middleman, power brokers. On
               had it all over him. Modi brought   India vision aggressively. A dream   women who are his key vote bank
               to best use his charisma and his   merchant selling Man Mission in   he struck a chord when he patted
               earthly connect on this occasion.   Space as next big dream. Gifting an   his back on women making it as
               His style that marks him apart along   aspiration to people, asking them to   Supreme Court Judges, women in
               with his eloquence translates into   feel proud of being Indian, Modi said   the cabinet, women winning medals
               a kind confidence which by far any    that the power of the Indian pass-  in sports and on women’s victory on
               Indian would like to see in its leader.   port has increased and that India’s   triple talak. From scaling Mt Everest
               With his body language expressive   standing has improved in the world   by tribal children to expedition to
               of his charged confidence and per-  today. He came across as a man who   South Pole by Indian women.
               sonal appeal, he spoke in his resil-  wants to carve out a destiny. This   A  Santa  Claus  like  Modi  an -
               ient, assured manner braving the   time he knew that he had to give a   nounced ‘Ayushman Bharat’’, the
               hot humid August 15. He was giving   speech which ensures that he gives   National Health Mission also popu-
               a vision map.                  the next 5 more.               larly called as Modicare, the larg-
                  There’s no denying that Modi’s   As he said, we can take tough de-  est government funded healthcare
               speeches are rhetoric fireworks, they   cisions because nation’s interest is   programme which will be rolled out
               are a roller coaster and people enjoy   first for us, not the party’s, he set the   on September 5, 2018 and removal
               listening to him. The accompany-                              of AFSPA from North East. He is -
               ing theatrics make him come across                            sued a warning to spiralling atroci-
               larger than life yet real, the dema-                          ties on women and children saying
               gogy that he envelops, the currency,   The speech of Modi     rapes should be widely reported and               • Rhetoric fireworks On this Independence Day too, Modi came across as the man of the moment with his oratorial luxuries
               the brand that he is, the confidence,   was a report card     rapists should be sent to gallows
               positive energy, readiness that char-                         for their crimes to enforce the rule
               acterises him is what is his USP that   of his government     of law.                                           monetization  would  bring  for   Challenges ahead           Nation, One Poll’. Congress too has
               catapults him into the likes of Indira   where he gave          Modi did not spare the opposition               the  country’s  future  and  in -  Close to 2019 General Elections,   devised its slogan against BJP. Con-
               Gandhi. On this Independence Day                              for UPA’s red-tapism culture, power               terests  they  were  the  biggest    Prime Minister is up against chal-  gress spokesman Randeep Surjewa-
               too, he came across as the man of the   himself full marks on  brokering, policy paralysis, no action           fiascos at the end of the common   lenges which will decide who the   la says BJP is following the policy of
               moment with his oratorial luxuries.  toilets construction,    on GST and India’s low global image.              man. He did not talk of increas -  next PM will be more than which   ‘Divide, Deceive and Distort’. The
                  Crooning over the achievements                                                                               ing oil prices, falling rupee, upward   government comes to power. The   party attacks Modi of strangulating
               of his government with election   power and highway           Stumbing blocks                                   inflation, low exports, bank crisis,   prime challenge and what is im -  the voice of media too after over-
               2019 as the target, like Arjun’s eye in   construction        An  analysis  of  his  four  years                lynching. There was no mention   portant is that he faces the grand   looking judiciary.
               the epic Mahabharat, Modi did not                             have seen his priorities change.                  of Pakistan and cross border ter-  alliance,  the  Mahagathbandhan,   Rahul Gandhi has not just trained



                                      TEHELKA / 15 SEPTEMBER 2018  28  WWW.TEHELKA.COM                                                               TEHELKA / 15 SEPTEMBER 2018  29  WWW.TEHELKA.COM


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