Why Modi's adventures with Chacha Chaudhary should not come as a surprise

Promotion of Modi's persona

The effort made at promoting Modi's persona duly served its purpose. Journalists who visited Modi's hometown of Vadnagar, ahead of the polls on guided tours, were told that the town’s youngsters swam in the huge Sharmishtha Lake which was home to about 40 to 45 crocodiles some 55 years back.

When someone would ask how this was possible, the locals came up with answers like, “Crocodiles here were very cowardice, they ran into the deep when the boys jumped in for a swim.” Things seem to have turned turtle now given the frequent instances of crocodiles attacking humans in present days.

The 43-page book was the result of eight months of 'research'. There were glorifying illustrations of Bal Narendra reading books on Vivekananda and Shivaji while his friends were busy playing. There were depictions of Bal Narendra inspiring a junior team that emerged victorious in a kabaddi match and his helping the school authorities to catch bullies. It also showed how he used to keep his school uniform folded under his pillow when he slept and then iron it with a tumbler full of hot water.

Then, of course, were the illustrations showing him as an NCC cadet serving Jawans on way to the border for Sino-Indian war.

This book had reportedly been brought out in English, Hindi and Gujarati. The whole purpose is to pitch him as the greatest of Indian leaders in independent India. What can be a better way than fictionalising things.

Not only through books, there were other modes as well to give him the aura of greatness. This reporter recalls the inauguration from 2005 of Vastrapur Lake in Ahmedabad where the then BJP president Lal Krishna Advani had come as the chief guest. It was the time when Modi was facing dissidence from within the Gujarat unit of the party for his autocratic way of functioning.

His supporters made it sure that Advani listened to the chants of 'Dekho dekho kaun aaya, Gujarat ka sher aaya' (Behold it is the lion of Gujarat arriving) when Modi came onto the stage.

It was at this public function that a pamphlet was circulated in Gujarati that raised the question, “What will be gained if Modi is removed?”

Listing Modi’s achievements

This was followed by Modi's achievements that read, “Modi has never organized an Iftar party in the month of Ramzan. Modi got a portrait of Veer Savarkar installed in the state assembly building. Modi performed the Pooja of Lord Shiva and organized Shiva’s Tandav Nritya to mark the Indian Independence Day at the stroke of midnight on August 14 and 15 in 2003. Modi did not unfurl the national flag at the Independence Day ceremony at this function wearing a Gandhi cap but while wearing a black cap worn by RSS cadres".

The pamphlet had further read, “ While the leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) paid obeisance at the Dargah of Salim Chishti in Ajmer before the parliamentary elections of 2004, Modi sought the best wishes of Saints after taking a dip in the Shipra river during the Kumbh Mela at Ujjain. Modi worships weapons as per the rituals on Dussehra day and also gets security officials to do the same as per the orders of Rishis and Munis (saints)”.

It also listed some more achievements like taking on the Jihadi elements etc. It, however, ended with an appeal saying, “ All Hindus unite and think what will happen if Modi is removed ?” One need not be surprised if such pamphlets and appeals start doing the rounds again ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if one goes by the cyber armies trying their best to defend the performance of Modi government in the cyber world.

Apart from this who can forget the instance of one of the leading English dailies carrying the headline, “Modi in Rambo act, saves 15,000 “, explaining how Modi had ensured the safety of around 15,000 Gujaratis by airlifting them after the Kedarnath disaster of 2013. It is apparent that Modi's spin doctors - in this case, a Rajya Sabha member - had gone overboard in giving him a 'Superman' image.

This is an election year and many more such efforts will be made by the BJP to present him as a superhuman. If he is with Chacha Chaudhary today, who knows he might as well be presented as a “Shaktiman' or 'Fauladi Singh' or someone else to catch the fancy of the masses. With precious little to show as achievement, such efforts are called for. As far as the opposition is concerned, it should have a plan ready to counter such moves that are expected only to increase in the days to come.