BackThe prime minister’s big gamble on change
Citizens as agents of change instead of government is an interesting idea
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The prime minister’s speech on Independence Day has a respectable place in the annual cycle of political rituals. Beyond that, it serves little purpose. Its vigour and intensity are directly proportional to limits imposed by the electoral calendar and, in recent years, tribulations experienced by the government of the day. In the last quarter century, it has been a rare head of government who has deviated from this script.
From that perspective, Narendra Modi is either a very ambitious leader or someone who enjoys a high-stakes game. In tone and quality, his second 15 August speech, on Saturday, was not markedly different from his first. Both dwelled on generating new hope in India after a distinct mood of pessimism.
The speech delivered on Saturday, however, had a preliminary assessment of what the prime minister outlined last year at the same time. Superficially, the figures trotted out had the banality of a government handout. More than 400,000 toilets constructed; progress toward eliminating ₹ 15,000 crore of subsidy on LPG; 170 million enrolments in the Jan-Dhan Yojana and 100 million in the prime minister’s safety insurance scheme. The list of such “achievements" is considerably longer—long enough to make one listless enumerating it.
This will be a cynical view. But what is worth noting is the remarkable consistency of themes Modi has stuck to. In each of these schemes—including Swachh Bharat—he has emphasized the importance of public participation in efforts to change India. Instead of using coercion to get the wealthy to give up their LPG subsidy, an effort has been made to inspire civic responsibility to change matters.
In a very different context, Swachh Bharat can probably succeed only by large-scale public awareness and participation. The government can build toilets, but cleanliness in public spaces is beyond the reach of coercive means in a democracy.
Modi is not the first Indian leader with reformist inclinations to opt for mobilizing the public in this fashion. In the late 1990s, N. Chandrababu Naidu—then chief minister of a united Andhra Pradesh—tried changing the landscape of his state through the Janmabhoomi programme by involving citizens directly in social change. Just like Modi, Naidu began with a cleanliness drive. But the programme flagged as Naidu came under political pressure by 2002. Droughts and farmers’ suicides ended his ambitions of harnessing citizens’ energy.
From that perspective, Modi is trying a far bigger gamble and on a nationwide canvas. To be fair, these are efforts that must be lauded. In India’s competitive landscape, this is a refreshing change in outlook from the idea that only governments can channel meaningful change. What is worrying is that such efforts are dangerously exposed to “external shocks"—drought, corruption in the system and any event that can push down expectations. Once that happens, ideas of the kind that Modi champions in his speeches become points for a cynical counter-reaction.
The key to ensuring success in an effort like this is to keep expectations in check. A democracy—in contrast to a revolutionary state—cannot survive on a diet of steroids. Sooner or later, course corrections and a change of plans and ideas will become essential. India’s great weakness is that it always begins well but gives up in the middle of the journey.
A successful leader always does well to keep a balance between building expectations and delivering on them. Modi has been very good in rousing India to a higher pitch of expectations. It is high time he settles down to tamping them down a bit.
From now on, his speeches must have a different focus: repetition of the message until it gets home. That is the only way to ensure the success of the ambitious programmes he has launched.
Will Narendra Modi be able to deliver on his promises? Tell us at views@livemint.com
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