Mitron, Aap Chronology Samjhiye. Publicity In The Times Of Epidemic Lockdown & Economic Crisis.
Over the years of the Modi governments rule, one thing everyone has realised is the importance of a good orator. This government has that. People are believing what is being fed to them on the national television. Be it demonetisation, lockdown or any other major decision, all of them were carried out by mere speeches and lack of preparation. The country of 1.3billion needs time to register facts and make proper arrangements for these decisions.
The person behind the speeches of Modi is a great man. He appeals, he enquires and then announces the most disturbing news. Here are the steps followed:
- Ask for a favour
- Re define success
- No regret humility
During the demonetisation speech: “today I want to make a special request to all of you…. In this fight, will our people not put up with difficulties for some days?” this specifies the first part, asking for a favour.
During the Covid-19 speech: “aapke kuch hafte chahiye” “junta curfew” “taali thaali bajaiye”
All these times, a favour is being asked from us so that we are included in all the duties and we feel obliged to the nation and to the PM. And after this whole propaganda, if issues persist, the third point mentioned above is followed, “No Regret Humility”.
During demonetisation: “some issues, but will solve, give me fifty days”
During the Covid-19 speech: “some issues, forgive me, but it was needed”
This shows the third point, No Regret Humility. The issues mentioned above are never elaborated on, rather more tasks and requests are made so that even if we try to criticise the government, we end up criticising ourselves.
Success becomes what you do and not what you promise.
LPG was being taken off from some people and it was distributed to the needy. This was a good measure but not a progressive one as the resources have just been redistributed and no new allocations were made despite in the spike in the income tax revenues.
During these hard times, the poor are the ones getting hard hit by the government. At the current time, poor do not have food to eat, money to spend or a house to live in.
People are coming out on the streets to fight for basic amenities. Nearly 1000 jobless migrant workers gathered outside a railway station in Mumbai’s Bandra on April 14, hours after Prime Minister extended the lockdown to May 3 to check the spread of the coronavirus infections, demanding for trains to take them home. Mumbai Police baton-charged the protesting migrant workers—mostly from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal—who assembled near the Bandra railway station and dispersed them two hours later. Bandra Police filed a first information report (FIR) against 700 unidentified persons and the Navi Mumbai Police detained an Airoli resident for allegedly uploading a video on social media which officers said may have helped spread the rumours.
Looking at the above news, one thing is for sure, people going against the government have no place in the country.
We have been promised a lot but unfortunately, they aren’t fulfilled. A mere sum of Rs 500 was promised to the poor, this was given out in cash but we can clearly see the people out on the streets, fighting for their basic rights. Workers were first left stranded in Delhi and now in Mumbai. Where are we heading? These people are in their own country and are being given this treatment! Social distancing is just a myth if people are not given proper attention for that. They would die of hunger before the virus kills them.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) said this week that 400 million Indians working in the informal economy risk falling deeper into poverty during the crisis. The government has announced direct cash transfers and food subsidies to help some 800 million people. But all save one of the seven workers interviewed for this story said they have received nothing so far.
Is the country only sustaining the people who pay taxes? A day will come when even the best will suffer and maybe that day people will bang thalis against the higher authorities.
Reputed journalists have been arrested during this crisis. All this is done in the shadow of a pandemic so that these issues aren’t highlighted. Sir Anand Teltumbde has been arrested. He is deemed to be dangerous for the Modi government.
More and more money has been deposited into the PM Cares fund in the name of donations.
Please tell us once again that the PM CARES about the PM Cares fund!
International relations have been strengthened, over 25 countries have tweeted thanking the PM for the essential drugs India has sent to them. India stands in the good books of all the nations. Adequate publicity is given to all these issues. The down side has never been highlighted. While state authorities insist there is no domestic shortage, multiple news reports have quoted panicked patients who are unable to access the drug that keeps their pain in control. Doctors across cities told a reputed media company that they currently see no choice but to give priority to the patients who need the medicine the most. In Chennai, many hospitals that still have HCQ tablets in their in-house pharmacies are selling them only to patients suffering from severe pain and swelling in joints.
People who are educated and have been working in the reputed firms have been laid off during these times. The government appealed to the employers to not fire anyone but the employers resorted to that when no relief was promised to them.
Delhi government has also appealed to the landlords to not collect any rent from the people. Now the people are taking advantage of the situation and are deliberately not paying the rent. Where will the landlord go in this case? His property is gone and his monthly rental income too.
Publicity won’t get you any where if people are sleeping with an empty stomach.
