Hype is the byword for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s politics. If you thought the prime minister must show a sense of proportion no matter how enticing grandiloquence is, you haven’t understood the Modi phenomenon.

We were told Modi’s ascent to Delhi’s throne itself would end all the ills Indian polity was afflicted with, ushering in achchhe din for one and all. Demonetisation was supposed to bring down the curtains on black money, terror funding and counterfeit currency. Make-in-India was meant to trigger a manufacturing revolution. The installation of the “sacred Sengol” in the new parliament house was destined to unleash waves of wisdom and righteousness. The post-Kumbh “new consciousness” was expected to break the slavish mentality and lay the foundation for future centuries. The “holiest moment” of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was to take the country into a new era of “Divine Bharat”. Imagination ran wild, positioning Modi atop the world as “Vishwaguru”.

Modi is a magician of hyperbole. It is for the people to decide whether his captivating narratives have indeed stamped out despair from their lives. The hyperbole hailstorm was delivered on a platter yet again when Modi addressed the nation on the pious occasion of the hoisting of the “dharma dhwaj” on the Ram temple. “Aaj poora vishwa Ram-mai hai,” the Prime Minister declared, not realising perhaps that not all of India, or even Uttar Pradesh, was aware of the hurriedly organised event.

“Satya mein hi dharma sthapit hai,” he said, insisting that the ruling establishment would have to take inspiration from Lord Ram and internalise his ideals. Ram stands for justice and sacrifice. Should the nation expect the Modi machine to finally change its path and traverse the one shown by the Lord? There is no need to nurture doubts then that Modi would be guided by the likes of Dhirendra Shashtri, that Bageshwar Dham “baba” whom the prime minister has called his “younger brother”. Forget Ramdev and the other saffron-clad godmen, Modi will henceforth follow Ram alone. He has vowed that there can be no compromise on truth and morality.

Thank you, Modi ji. If anybody has a genuine complaint, approach the prime minister now. Much like Lord Ram, who responded to the silly suspicions of an ordinary mortal by sending the symbol of purity, Sita, out of his kingdom, Modi too will demonstrate the highest standards of probity. Rahul Gandhi, stop screaming “Vote-Chori” in the streets. Go to Modi, you will get justice. No need to feel helpless against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, get a noble response from the prime minister. Just remind him, through a polite letter, of the post-Sengol, post-Kumbh, post-Ayodhya consciousness that guides India. Let’s nurture a faint hope that the prime minister will respond in the spirit of “Ram’s ideals”, not like a politician driven by the naked lust for power. As Ahmad Faraj wrote, “Ab mera hunar hai mere zamhoor ki daulat…” 

Constitution day

Imagine the chief minister of a state walking with a procession which has an elephant carrying a copy of India’s Constitution! What else can a politician do to uphold constitutional values? Isn’t that indisputably the highest respect paid to the Constitution ever? Remember, it is the majestic elephant, not a rabbit.

Modi recalled in his message to citizens on Constitution Day on November 26: “My mind goes back to the year 2010. This was when the Constitution completed 60 years. Sadly, the occasion did not receive the attention it deserved at the national level. But, to express our collective gratitude and commitment to the Constitution, we organised a ‘Samvidhan Gaurav Yatra’ in Gujarat. Our Constitution was placed on an elephant and I, along with several other people from different walks of life, had the honour of being part of the procession.”

The prime minister continued: “I still remember the moments in 2014 when I came to parliament for the first time and bowed, touching the steps of the greatest temple of democracy. Again, in 2019, after the election results, when I entered the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, I bowed and placed the Constitution on my forehead as a mark of reverence…. When the Constitution completed 75 years… we had the privilege of organising a special session of parliament and launching nationwide programmes to commemorate this historic occasion.” Modi asked citizens to make “fulfilling our duties” an integral part of our nature, emphasising that “every action of ours should strengthen the Constitution”.

If rituals involving elephants, bowing and touching the Constitution are indeed enough, even fascists and dictators would merrily do it. Constitutionalism demands upholding the principles of equality and justice, of guiding the entire state machinery to respect pluralism and individual freedoms. Modi, his chief ministers and ministers, and his support-system need to introspect if their “every action” strengthens constitutional culture. Till that introspection happens, citizens can hum this revealing couplet, preferably while riding an elephant, “Tu bhi saada hai, kabhi chaal badalta hi nahin/ hum bhi saada hain teri chaal mein aa jate hain.” 

Filthy rich

In the course of an agonising conversation with a security guard who works 12 hours a day, which revealed how he eats a decent meal only on festival days and does not have any vegetables with roti otherwise, what erupted like a volcano of pain was the general curiosity generated by a lavish wedding in Udaipur.

Reports suggested the wedding of an Indian businessman’s daughter might have cost Rs 90 crore, with the American pop star Jennifer Lopez alone reported to have taken home Rs 17 crore for her performance. Indian celebrities, from Madhuri Dixit to Jahnavi Kapoor, also enthralled the guests. Rs 90 crore for a wedding? Well, that is peanuts compared to what Mukesh Ambani spent on his son’s wedding.

The obscenity pierces the soul when you recall that millions of people live in wretched poverty across the world, barely managing to ward off death caused by hunger. While the World Bank treats those surviving on less than $3 a day as extremely poor, that’s a dream amount for the poorest in India who survive on less than Rs 35 – less than half a dollar – a day. One estimate says the bottom 10% of India’s population earned Rs 1,059 in a month in 2023-24. India ranks 102 out of 123 countries in the World Hunger Index. Close to 200 million people sleep hungry every night in India. The scenario is frightening not only in terms of extreme poverty; the overall economic prosperity in India is reflected in this data: only 2.81 crore individuals paid income tax in the last financial year.

The rich and powerful will, however, give sermons on the number of hours people should work instead of analysing the ugly tradition of exploitation and profiteering. How many times have they publicly debated why so many people in big cities working for 10 to 12 hours get Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, or even less, in a month? That too without a weekly off-day, medical facilities or retirement benefits. Are they worried about the millions who lost their jobs after notebandi  and Covid even as corporate profits soared?

But you will be told, don’t grudge the rich their pleasures; enjoy the details of such lavish weddings – how the guests were entertained and how the 4-metre-high cake was designed by a French chef! If you are not satisfied, hunt for the short video clips of wedding festivities that are available on social media. After all, that’s the largesse the poor get absolutely free.

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