"Pain in the ass", "Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman"... US media's nonsense take on PM Modi

Democracies have a strange character. They somehow manage to conceal the ugly face of conservatism behind the musk of liberalism. They feel compelled to honour the decision of the majority even while feeling sympathetic towards the minority.

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.