Where is flamboyant Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
From the uncharacteristic silence on TV screens and the subdued coverage in the newspapers, it would appear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi too is on leave with Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal. But, he isn’t. Modi is currently in the middle of yet another foreign tour, signing agreements and discussing diplomacy with heads of countries in the Indian Ocean.
Today he appeared on television screens to address the Sri Lankan parliament, but his body language was tempered, his tone subdued and his demeanour serious. There were no high spirited jokes, no wisecracks of any sort – just a very sombre speech, highlighting the ties between the Indian and Sri Lankan nations.
A few days ago, he was weathering the opposition storm in the Parliament over the land acquisition law, listening to the debate on Arun Jaitley’s budget and the outrage over his party’s Kashmir fiasco.
Just a few months ago, all these high-profile events would have been the perfect cues for round-the-clock TV coverage, bombastic Modi speeches and Madison Square Garden-type events showcasing the craze among NRIs for the PM.
But Modi has not been just silent, he has also been invisible.
Over the past fortnight, he launched a meek defence of the land acquisition bill from somewhere in Madhya Pradesh, added to the angry chorus of BJP leaders against the release of Masarat Alam by the J&K government, said nothing of significance on the Budget-he just resorted to trademark alliterations and called it progressive, positive, practical, pragmatic and prudent on twitter- and quietly left for his Sri Lanka trip. Not once did Maun Modi appear keen to share his Mann Ki Baat.
A part of this silence-the retreat into MMS mode-appears strategic.
The poor response to his election rallies in Delhi, acerbic criticism of his jumlas like ‘I am naseebwala’, adverse electoral results and the roasting he got after his showmanship during Barack Obama’s visit have all served to remind Modi that the speech-season is over. He would have realised that instead of relying on grandstanding, bombast and designer suits, he must do what he has been elected for: deliver on his promises. So, Modi is no longer visible in his pinstriped suits; he has instead slipped into an invisibility cloak.
But, his absence from TV screens and newspaper headlines is also because of market dynamics. During the election season, when Modi’s interview was played on the loop on India TV, it broke all viewership records. According to market data, the Modi show was watched by nearly 74 percent of all Hindi news viewers.
But those giddy days of high ratings are history. Though market data would be the credible indicator, anecdotal evidence suggests that he has lost his TRP ratings and Modi-fatigue has set in. The ongoing AAP circus and cricket world cup have pushed Modi out of the viewer’s mind. And in deference to the old media saying, Jo bikta hai, wohi dikhta hai,
Modi has disappeared from the evening infotainment menu.
A period of quietude away from the glare of media will help Modi. Too much of spotlight and media scrutiny-as Arvind Kejriwal may have begun to realise and before him Rajiv Gandhi would have experienced-can be lethal for a politician when the going gets tough.
It magnifies failure, gives near-equal opportunity to critics and rivals to communicate their point of view and leads to large-scale awareness of every significant and insignificant decision or controversy.
Sometimes it also irritates people. During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, the PM was a regular on prime time Doordarshan news (there used to be just one Hindi bulletin around 8:30 PM). But after his image took a beating because of his inability to deliver and allegations of corruption, Gandhi became the butt of jokes. His ‘hume dekhna hai, hum dekhenge’speeches were regularly lampooned by rivals and panned by critics. There was also a time when angry critics used to switch off their sets every time they saw Gandhi.
The perception began to change gradually after he lost the 1989 election, especially after VP Singh and Devi Lal turned into bigger losers and jokers, but, unfortunately Gandhi didn’t get a second chance on national TV because of his untimely death.
And then there is the tragic case of Kejriwal, whose party was born on TV, raised on prime time and now seems to be imploding on Twitter and Facebook.
So, it may not be a bad idea for Modi to be ignored by the media. While he is languishing in the shadows, he can focus on bringing his government back on track without being distracted by the noise outside.
The good news for him is that during his absence, one of his rivals has self-destructed and the other has relinquished the media space completely by going into hibernation. The throne of India’s TRP King and headline honcho is still empty.
Once he succeeds in steering some big-ticket reforms and revives hopes of achche din, he can always reclaim it with his jumlas, alliterations, sartorial choices and references to his 56-inch chest.
