The media professionals have used their expertise in exploiting all kinds of journalistic tactics to refurbish the Modi persona. The tailoring, suppressing, overplaying or underplaying of news/facts, using “sources”, adulatory spin, positive adjectives, pre-scripted interviews all have been used, without qualms, to depict Modi as “can, will and must do” Prime Minister. His “fierce determination” to succeed has been amplified 24/7. His persona has many characteristics and dimensions but some of them like being vindictive (Haren Pandya), intolerant (Suresh Joshi), communal (relief camps as child producing factories/hum paanch, hamare pacchis) and insecure (tendency to concentrate all power in his own hands and distrust of Institutions like Lok-Ayukta and RTI) have been ignored. A notable phenomenon is that the media has hardly ever put an inconvenient question to him either during the campaign or after his assuming office. The media, of course, plays out a charade of neutrality regularly but unconvincingly.Modi has won kudos for the proposed Bullet Train to Agra, Udhampur-Katra rail link, INS Vikramditya, Isro`s PSLV-C23 and URI-11 Hydro Project but is it not ironical that these are based on “gifts” from the outgoing UPA Government? Yet, the media, the neo-liberal fundamentalists and Modi`s team keep harping on the “mess” left behind by UPA.The Corporate keep offering lofty platitudes and synthetic commiseration for the plight of the lower castes but do everything to resist any change in the privileges they are accustomed to. It regularly rants against subsidies and welfare measures through almost daily presence of the likes of Sunil Alaghs/Rajiv Kumars in studios and Arvind Panagriyas/Bibek Deb Roys in print. The RSS too is opposed to any change in the “divine” mechanism and has acquiesced in going along with the Corporate. Nevertheless, it must resolve the contradictions like 1) the cultural nationalism which stands for one nation, one people and one culture and the reality of India`s plurality 2) letting in modern East India Companies through FDI and worse adjustment with the Western Mores and Culture which tend to pervert and disrupt our way of life, 3) the fate of Swadeshi Jagran Manch and its economic beliefs, 4)homogenisation of Hinduism, like that of Semitic Religions, by raising concerns about Hindus being reduced to a minority and using shibboleths of victimhood and persecutions and finally 5) the negation of the core values of tolerance, assimilation, accommodation and equal respects for all religions, the USP of Hinduism and claims of its intellectual and spiritual achievements which have no parallels.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:57:45 +0000
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