Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shanghai (Photo courtesy his twitter feed)
I have observed 12 prime ministers of India as a professional journalist over the past 34 years and interacted closely with eight of them. There has been none, with the possible exception of Indira Gandhi, who has felt the constant need to construct a narrative of triumphalism about themselves the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi does. There is also an underlying theme to this narrative and it is a contest between him and his devotees over who can love him more—he or them? So far it has been a tie.
That equation was on display yet again in Shanghai today when the prime minister indulged in chest-thumping triumphalism. He needs overseas Indians as much as they need him to complete this weird loop of triumphalism. There were some 5000 of them living in Shanghai who provided the other end of the loop this time. Modi’s 53-minute concert was a continuation of the uncritical celebration of Narendra Modi by tens of thousands of his Indians abroad that began in the Madison Square Garden, New York in September last year.
At least this time around there was something to peg the celebration on—the completion of his first year in office today. In keeping with his often overwrought oratory aimed at gaining dollops of vindication he said this early on in the speech: “Aaj 16 May hai.Theek ek saal pehle 16 may 2014… yeh jo dhai ghantey ka time difference hai usne aap ko bahut pareshan kiya tha. Jab ke Hindustan mein log soye they aap ne puchhna shuru kar diya tha result kya aaya? Abhi Bharat mein suraj ugna baki tha lekin aap… aap vyakul they ki jaldi Hindustan mein suraj ug jaye aur khabren turant aap ko miley. Aisa tha ke nahi tha?…Khabar der se aati thi to pareshan hotey they ke nahi hotey they?” (Today is 16th May. Precisely a year ago.. 16 May 2014…this time difference of two and half hours (between Shanghai and Delhi) had troubled you a lot. When India was sleeping you had begun to inquire about the (election) result. The sun had not yet risen over India and you were restless that it should rise quickly and the news (of the election results) should reach you quickly. Was it not the case?If the news got delayed you would be frustrated—were you not?”
Read how he has constructed it. There is perhaps a subconscious reference to Jawaharlal Nehru’s seminal independence day speech with the famous line, “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” The only difference is in this Modi’s case India was still sleeping when his over-the-top supporters overseas who, according to the prime minister, were wide awake and getting restless to find who had won.
When I say the prime minister feels the need to construct a narrative of triumphalism and vindication this is what I mean. “The sun had not yet risen over India and you were restless that it should rise quickly and the news (of the election results) should reach you quickly. Was it not the case?If the news got delayed you would be frustrated—were you not?” He is asking his supporters whether it was not the case that they couldn’t wait for the election results to come out or if they were not frustrated that they were not coming out fast enough. In doing so he is seeking reaffirmation of his own view of self. Is it just me or the world also knows how remarkable I am seems to be the unspoken question?
Being perhaps the most accomplished political stage performer among all Indian prime ministers, Modi displays an impeccable timing in when to pause to rouse his audience to say what he really wants to hear but then himself say something larger. Take this passage, for instance. “Aur us samay jis halat mein Hindustan mein chunav hua tha, jis paripeksh me chunav hua tha… ek hi swar duniyabhar se sunai de raha tha…(Audience Modi Modi Modi) ek hi swar sunai de raha tha (Modi Modi Modi) ek hi swar sunai de raha tha ‘Dukh bhare din beetey re bhaiyya…Dukh bhare din beetey re bhaiyya” (The circumstances in which the elections in India were held and the context in which they were held only one chant could be heard (the audience prompted by the speaker’s pause chants ‘Modi Modi Modi’) only one chant could be heard (the audience again chants ‘Modi Modi Modi’) …only one chant could be hear ‘The days of sorrows are over…the days of sorrows are over.” Of course, I do not recall people saying in those precise poetic terms “Dukh bhare din beetey re bhaiyya.” The line is originally from a song written by Shakeel Badayuni from the 1957 film ‘Mother India.’
Nevertheless, the way he differently enunciated “Ek hi swar (Only one chant)” was yet again evidence, if any more is needed, how accomplished he is as a political performer. Of course, it is clear that he needs a completely partisan crowd to come into his own. In front of a crowd that is not his choir he is a labored performer.
As an astute political mind the prime minister must know that these pep rallies packed with partisan devotees would soon begin to fall prey to the law of diminishing political returns. There is a terrific saying in Gujarati which the prime minister would understand instantly. It goes “Ras na to chatka hoy, kunda na hoy’ (Relish is to only to be relished and not drunk by the bucketful).” It is beginning to seem that every few months he needs this shot of unconditional acclaim from overseas Indians to do what he is supposed to do at home.
I have no particular problem that a politician should persist with a successful strategy but those Indians outside of the 31 percent who voted Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party into power exactly a year ago are also getting restless now. It is too early to feel restless. I have said repeatedly that the prime minister Modi must be given full five years before making any rational assessment of his claims. It is just the first year. He has four more to go before he is tested again by the same Indians.