Sound and fury

Of all the criticisms that could be levelled at the Prime Minister,some things he cannot be faulted for, are his confidence and his bravado, misplaced or not. While delivering his last Independence Day speech ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Narendra Modi did not mince his words when he declared he would return to the ramparts of the Red Fort once again next year, with a report card marking the achievements of his government’s achievements over the last one decade.

The speech found Modi in his element, as stuck to the ideology of the ruling party: promising to rid India of its three major obstacles — corruption, dynasty politics, and appeasement politics. No prizes for guessing which party faced the brunt of the PM’s barbs. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge skipped the PM’s address citing a health issue, and calling out the security protocol, which prevented him from making it to the venue on time. The party’s communication chief Jairam Ramesh also said that Modi had turned the speech into a self-aggrandizing spectacle instead of finding ways to unite the nation.

Jibes aside, Modi’s discourse was filled with promises, and assurances, something necessary when India is being put through the wringer. Manipur was a talk point, and both Central and State assistance was mobilised, as confirmed by the PM. The ground reality was that its people were left to fend for themselves until the emergence of a gruesome video that chilled the spines of citizens.

The speech was also an occasion for the PM to remind us of the welfare measures that had been undertaken by the government over the past few years. A special mention was made of the Vishwakarma Yojana which will be launched next month. The programme envisages the allocation of Rs 13,000 cr to traditional artisans and craftsmen across India, to encourage their talents. Women empowerment is also on the NDA’s radar and the plan to create two crore lakhpati didis (women with savings/resources totalling Rs 1 lakh) is something that brought cheer to the masses. Jan Aushadhi Kendras are also set for a boost — from 10,000 to 20,000 in the coming years.

The PM’s guarantees included India emerging as the world’s third largest economy in his next term. He also promised to roll out more measures to rein in inflation, and minimise the burden on citizens. About time, considering it was just this week that official data showed that retail inflation had shot up to a 15-month-high of 7.4% in July from 4.9% in the month prior to that, on the back of soaring veggie prices (read tomatoes).

Per the PM, India also gained new strategic advantages and secured its borders. He showcased our diplomatic might vis-a-vis the G20 presidency. And he trained his guns on critics of national security, remarking how the era of serial bomb blasts and innocent deaths are over. The dip in terror attacks, planned by non-state actors outside India, has now made way for lynchings by gau-rakshaks and right wing vigilantes, who depend on the playbook of extremism implicitly approved by the ruling dispensation. Unfortunately, he skipped out on acknowledging the damage wrought by termites in the woodwork of his democratic ideals. One can only hope that Modi’s tales, tall as they might be — full of sound and fury, signify something good for the country.”