"Pain in the ass", "Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman"... US media's nonsense take on PM Modi
Both
India
and
the
United
States
of
America,
two
significant
democracies
on
this
planet,
display
this
unique
character
and
more
particularly,
when
it
comes
to
a
polarizing
figure
like
Narendra
Modi,
currently
the
prime
minister
of
India.
Negativity
prevailed
even
when
PM
Modi
was
welcomed
in
USA
Modi's just-concluded visit to the US, a high-profile one given the fact that the same country had once denied him visa on the background of the riots in 2002, marked an unparalleled occasion and he was given a massive welcome in the country. But at the same time, there were also expressions, both in terms of action and writing that created an uneasiness.
The
actions
and
protests
are
still
understandable
for
they
are
a
part
and
parcel
of
the
democracy
and
despite
his
huge
victory
in
the
Lok
Sabha
election
held
earlier
this
year,
a
big
section
still
disapproves
of
him
as
the
leader
of
the
world's
biggest
democracy
owing
to
his
right-wing
backgrounds.
why
over-simplified
and
vague
analysis
on
PM
Modi?
What
is
the
necessity?
But when words in the American press begin showering analyses on Modi that are over-simplified and over-stretched, then it becomes an imperative for an Indian to raise a point.
During Modi's five-day visit to the USA, the press there toyed with ideas like "pain in the ass" [Read this Economist article], "Narendra Modi is a dangerous cliché" and "Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman" [Read this Bloomberg View article]. It is really a pain trying to understand what encourages the self-proclaimed intellectuals of the American media arrive at such vague conclusions about Modi. Will they do the world a bit less favour by resisting the temptation of making the silly observations that they make on the controversial Indian leader?
Certainly
yes.
India
doesn't
need
the
playing
with
words
to
understand
or
misunderstand
their
leader
For
India
doesn't
really
need
their
wise
play
with
words
to
grow
a
doubt
about
a
popular
leader
they
have
elected
in
the
national
election.
One
of
the
articles
making
a
cynical
commentary
on
Modi
even
mentions
the
Chinese
leader
Mao
Zedong
and
his
infamous
Great
Leap
Forward
looks
completely
out
of
place.
The situations are completely different and making all sorts of assumptions on Modi's premiership with less than six months in office is just an abuse of journalistic freedom by those trying to pen that most sought-after exclusive analysis.
Contrary to what these journalists/authors are trying to portray, Narendra Modi isn't the worst India has produced. This country already has thousands of problems to cope with and they pose a much bigger threat to its future.
If Modi is trying to infuse some optimism, what's wrong with it?
If Modi is trying to infuse a spirit of optimism among the Indians after a decade of ordinary performance, then what is wrong with it? To connect everything related to Modi to everything related to killing of Muslims in Gujarat can't be accepted.
If Modi has to be criticized from here on, one must wait and watch what he is doing. Dragging him into the past and trying to incite pessimism isn't the duty of journalists.