The tendency to demonise those who leave India for education diverts attention from the troubling state of Indian higher education under the BJP.

Roman politics of “bread and circus” relied on skilfully curated distractions that kept the populace happy. In almost every initiative of the Indian government, it is easy to spot which of these two is being focused on.

The BJP may or may not get a sizeable winning vote bank from this outreach, but it may help it prevent the wholesale transfer of these votes en bloc to the opposition.