Soliloquy

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a nation-wide people’s curfew on Sunday, 22 March to combat the deadly coronavirus which has threatened to ruin the lives and livelihoods of the general public. This move has led to the garnering of praise towards him, even from opposition quarters, who have hailed it to be a symbol of unity.

India’s public too has understood its significance and are going all guns in trying to ensure that the curfew is carried out properly. Modi’s charisma and ability to win over people with his rhetoric has again saved the day, especially as the government was reeling under pressure from all sections- the public, the opposition, the international policists and the media, in particular, to explain about the government’s inaction regarding the riots which took place in Delhi in February.

Modi’s Home Minister Amit Shah had chosen to remain quiet after the barracking of questions which were hurled towards him in Parliament and broke his vow of silence much later to say that the government will punish all those responsible for the riots. He also went on to say that the riots were made possible by a criminal mastermind, who had planned things to perfection. The opposition parties, led by the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress, walked out from Parliament, refusing to believe or buy into such telling lies.

Modi himself has remained eerily quiet about what happened in Delhi. It was widely reported that riots along communal lines had broken out, but it remains unclear whether who attacked first- Hindu or Muslim. However, does it matter? Delhi was burning and what was the most unfortunate part of the whole event was that the police force stood by doing nothing. It was also reported in print media that some members of the police force took sides with the majority community in trying to hurt the minority. Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal did not take any concrete action and the opposition demanded that Shah, who as Home Minister, was directly responsible for Delhi’s police force, resign immediately. Shah, however, possessing a thick skin, decided to brush it all under the carpet with nonchalance. That Modi was backing him to the hilt was now no longer under any suspicion.

In this background did Prime Minister Modi find himself trying to lead a nation in its fight against a biological impediment- one that cannot even be seen with the naked eye. It can be argued that although the prime minister’s address to the nation on Thursday, 19 March, did not list any measures that the government was taking to combat the economic effect of the virus apart from the formation of a task force team, India has been dealing with it well. The number of deaths so far are minuscule compared to those in Italy and China and the virus has not reached the stage of community transmission yet. Modi’s government deserves commendation for this.

After Delhi, a vast majority (a word that the prime minister loves) of the urban intelligentsia had become disillusioned with Modi and reflected sadly upon why they had chosen to bring him to power at all. These people have now begun to understand the threat that such a government poses to the country and what it will lead to if left unchecked. These people will no doubt not vote for the saffron unit in the next elections unless a miracle takes place. And for Modi, that miracle can be the successful fight against coronavirus.

If the prime minister remains calm under pressure and keeps his nerve, then he can lead the country towards the light in these dark times. Various economic reforms can be undertaken to alleviate the problems of daily workers, who are hit the hardest by this outbreak. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana can now be made better use of and amounts of Rs 1000 or more be added to the accounts of those who need it most. The parties from the Left have been arguing for this constantly and perhaps it is time that Modi gives in to their demands. The task force which was set up by him and is led by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman needs to present its report quickly if there is to be any sanity restored among the poor.

After turning a blind eye towards Delhi, how Modi tackles coronavirus will have far-reaching impacts and directly decide if the bourgeoisie still want him as Prime Minister anymore.