Thread by @TheAtulMishra

Modi ne hamein kahin ka nahin chhoda (A thread)

Ps: don’t judge a thread by its title.

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So many things have happened in the past few months. From successfully controlling the first wave of coronavirus to a disastrous second wave, from almost winning West Bengal to post poll violence in Bengal after TMC’s thumping win, from being Israel’s BFF to appeasing Palestine.

Twitter is labelling anti-Congress news as fake, influencers world over calling the B.1.617 variant, Indian variant, shameful coverage of India’s Covid deaths in western media. Oxygen shortage, medicine shortage, ventilator shortage and faint chances of a big economic bounce-back

It’s natural for anyone to blame their state head in times or crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is our state head and hence it’s alright to criticise him. So is PM Modi responsible for everything?

Let me present an alternate history of the last 7 years.

Year 2014:

Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata party looks poised to win the general elections. Congress looks weak. But, result day is full of surprises. BJP registers a healthy lead over the Congress party, but things start changing after 11 AM.

The day ends as a shocker for the BJP as it ends up as the single largest party but 40 short of majority. Congress stitches a ragtag alliance of regional parties. Mamata emerges as the king maker.

Manmohan is given a graceful retirement and Rahul Gandhi becomes the fourth person in the Gandhi-Nehru clan to become the Prime Minister of India.

Rahul Gandhi isn’t a clown anymore as the national media rally behind their new king. Unknown virtues of Rahul Gandhi now dominate Twitter timeline. His gaffes are deleted, and leading economists extol his skills day and night. Economy slips.

Aadhaar remains a non-standardised ID card and loses its relevance eventually. In the absence of an IBC, companies keep defrauding share holders. In the absence of a fugitive law, more millionaire fugitives keep running away from India. Media coolly blacks everything out.

People are paying a hundred different taxes in the absence of a standard GST. Socialist policies like Food Security bill have been enforced even as the middle class cries in agony. Moody’s downgrades India, S&P says India story is over. IMF isn’t interested.

Minority appeasement hits a new high. Communal violence Bill is passed and Hindus are at the mercy of minority communities. Farm loan waivers and minority subsidies increase. Religious violence engulfs north India as conversion continues unabated in South and North East.

Congress has realised how powerful BJP’s social media supporters are. Government agencies begin audits against Right Wing Media. Prominent social media influencers are arrested on flimsy grounds as western liberal media hails the minority friendly Indian government’s actions.

Pakistan attacks Indian soldiers in Uri, Rahul gov forgives them. A standoff between Indian and Chinese forces ensues in Doklam, which ends up in India ceding some ground to the Chinese.

A terror attack rocks India as over 40 CRPF jawans are killed. Rahul Government hands over dossiers to Pakistani government which the latter laughs off.

In the absence of a strong people’s movement, Ram Mandir remains a far cry.

Terror activities in Kashmir increase as Hurriyat amasses more power.

2019, Congress easily crushes a dispirited BJP whose social media support has been crushed and the party has disintegrated internally after Narendra Modi’s retirement from politics.

2020, a deadly pandemic engulfs the world. Economically weak India is under pressure to enforce lockdowns. But Rahul Gandhi doesn’t enforce any lockdowns as country is short on reserves. In a week a million Indians are dead and over five million are battling for their lives.

There have been no new AIIMS or private hospitals built in the last 6 years, India is now at the mercy of the west. India finally announces lockdown but community transmission has already begun. There is no stopping the virus now.

China uses the opportunity to flood Indian markets with cheap masks, PPE kits and faulty vaccines.

Post Pandemic, India is a third of what it used to be. It’s a hopeless country. Every family has a couple of dead members. Economy is devastated and there is no road ahead. Chaos descends over India, and a full fledged civil war breaks out.

Rest is beyond my imagination.

So yes it’s natural for every Indian to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But one must not forget how many fronts he is fighting on. He is the best we ever had and for a long time there won’t be any substitute.

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