A silence louder than a monologue
NEW DELHI: For the first time since the Mann ki Baat show began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence spoke louder than his natural conversational monologue. He reiterated key themes which have become a mark of his public engagement, but by side-stepping key contemporary controversies, Modi has left himself open to the charge that he was abdicating his responsibility.
Two patterns in Modi’s political communication are clear.
First, ever since his August 15th speech, the PM’s public speeches have focused on the role and responsibility of the citizens in tackling social issues, rather than drum up expectations from the state. On Sunday, he encouraged citizens to take selfies with daughters and urged brothers to gift insurance schemes to sisters on Rakshabandhan. Whether this is only the politics of symbolism; whether it is sufficient to deal with the deep structural issues; and whether there is institutional follow up on citizen engagement, is open to question.
At the same time, Modi is also focused on boosting the legitimacy of the state apparatus and his own reputation as a leader who can implement. The PM cited the role of the Ayush ministry in organising Yoga day, the ability of the government to evacuate citizens from Yemen or deliver assistance to Nepal, and even claimed that most schools now have toilets. Whether this last claim is true; and whether there is actual administrative reform which has enhanced state’s capacity is not clear yet.
But this edition of Mann ki Baat will stand out not for what Modi said, but for what he did not say. At a time when the public sphere is rocked by allegations of impropriety, corruption, and deep conflict of interest issues against his ministers and party leaders, the PM has chosen to remain silent.
Something similar had happened when Hindutva belligerence peaked at the end of last year. Despite widespread criticism, and even obstruction of Parliament, the PM chose to remain quiet — making a public statement over a month after the ghar wapsi controversy had erupted after both national and international condemnation.
This time too, either the PM thinks the issue will blow over, or he is waiting for the Parliament session to start, where the Opposition is expected to kick up a storm, and respond accordingly. If this persists, Modi will be known as much for his silence as his masterful political communication.