Tears did not roll down his eyes when corona started consuming thousands of innocent people and the crematoriums and graveyards were over flooded with the dead bodies; or hundreds of dead bodies were thrown in Ganga and other rivers without performing the rituals as the village strong men did not allow the dead to be cremated at the local burning ghats.

But his sensitivity made public appearance only after the international fraternity and global media started tearing apart his image of an efficient administrator. Modi could not endure this. This was also a big challenge for his saffron mentors for whom he was the most sought after pawn. RSS has been quite happy with Modi as he has accomplished most of the important tasks assigned to him by the RSS. These are abrogation of section 370 in JK, abolition of Tin Talaq and laying foundation for Ram MandiR.

Ten senior RSS leaders are presently meeting in Delhi to evolve a strategy to help Modi to overcome the crisis and also issue guidelines to Yogi Adityanath, yet another blue eyed boy of RSS. Modi’s averseness towards those killed by corona is at some level connected to the RSS approach towards the pandemic. It is worth mentioning that 55 lakh swayansevaks and cadres of RSS are keeping away from reaching relief and fighting the pandemic. Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief is not quite disturbed at the rising number of deaths. Recently he said that those who were dying were getting emancipated. In a natural course he should have pulled up Modi for not doing adequate to protect the lives of lakhs of Indians. But Bhagwat lacked the courage to do so. He made only some mild noises without naming Modi.

Yet another factor which deserves attention is complete dearth of medicine and vaccine and the traders and businessmen serving indulging in large scale black marketing of the vaccines and medicine. Only yesterday a Delhi court pulled up BJP MP Gautam Gambhir for storing medicine. A couple of days the story about involvement of the uncle of a BJP MP from Bengaluru into black marketing of medicine was exposed. There are large number of such cases. But government was not willing to take any action. The worst has been discrimination practiced by Modi government in supply vaccine to states. The Supreme Court had to intervene in the matter.

How can he deny of not having feedback? In fact the rightist forces and their leaders are immune to the sufferings of the people. If Modi has been really concerned of the miseries of the people he would have outright cancelled his dream Tajmahal project, the Central Vista and used the money to purchase the vaccine and oxygen and also pay them to purchase their food.

Modi is known for his theatrics and lies. He is immune to the sensibility, emotions and feelings. Had it not been the case he should have taken the pain to listen to the requests of over 200 academics, authors, including Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and retired bureaucrats to suspend the Central Vista project. But he did not listen to and the construction continues in full swing. These people had also drawn his attention to cornering of funds by the Centre to the disadvantage of states.

The retired bureaucrats collective Constitutional Conduct has also pointed out to him: “what numbs our senses daily is not just the cries of the citizenry for medical assistance and the death toll in its thousands but the manifestly casual attitude of your government to the magnitude of the crisis and its implications for the mental and physical health of the community of Indians.”

The bureaucrats in their letter complained; “Despite warnings from the international community and our own scientists, the breathing space between the first and the second waves was not used to augment critical resources. You and your ministerial colleagues not only diverted attention from the looming threat but probably also contributed to both state governments and citizens letting down their guard at a crucial juncture. As a result, your ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is today compelled to seek the help of the outside world to lessen the agony inflicted on its own people by your government.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was absolutely right in his avowal that second wave of corona which consumed lakhs of innocent people happened because of Narendra Modi failing to perform his moral responsibilities. He has even urged;” Change your style of functioning, Mr Prime Minister. Lakhs of people have died because of your deeds. More people will be killed.” Some intellectuals and academics have been urging the leaders of the farmers’ movement to heed the message that intensification of protest would aggravate pandemic and in view of this they should call off their agitation. These people symbolise the middle class liberal cultural sensibility. They carry the legacy of feudalism which prevents them from taking to a new uncharted path. Why these conscience keepers do not rise against the demagogue rulers and ask them to perform or perish?

The Rightist forces true to their political philosophy have been consistently raising two issues; who after Modi and which party. They have succeeded in creating an illusion that there is no leader who can challenge Modi. But the water loo of the BJP in Bengal election has exposed the hollowness of this political line. Notwithstanding their systematic vilification campaign and striving to polarise the Hindus, the centrist forces outright rejected the fascist design of the Rightist forces. The RSS ideologue knew that resurgence of these forces and their projecting Mamata Banerjee as the alternative to Modi will sound a death knell for the rightist forces. During Modi’s tenure the rightist forces have been trying to occupy the centre stage of the political system and institution. They have succeeded to some extent. The democratic and parliamentary institutions have been systematically weakened. Nonetheless they could not check the centrist, liberal and democratic resistance.

Nevertheless one thing is absolutely certain that Sangh Parivar, especially the RSS is facing the crisis of survival. A simple wrong political decision would shatter the gains the RSS has achieved during the rule of Modi. They would not like to sacrifice Modi or Yogi for appeasing their urban middle class vote bank, they would at the same time would not prefer to do away with their aggressive policies and programmes. They may not prefer to lock horns with the centrist and democratic forces at this stage, they would intensify their divisive politics and policies and they have given enough indication by deciding to renew CAA and NRC programmes.

Modi’s utter contempt for the lives of crores of Indians has been the topic of condemnation in the international arena. Almost all the leading newspapers across the globe have censured his leadership. Newspapers write “Modi… now appears a diminished figure, presiding over what many see as the biggest disaster to befall the country since its independence from British colonial rule in 1947.” They also comment; “Instead, many Indians struggling to keep Covid-stricken relatives alive in the face of daunting obstacles feel abandoned by a leader who appears strangely indifferent — if not paralysed — amid their suffering.”

Vaccine hoarding is all the more disturbing as a Covid disaster unfolds in India. India likes to use its moral authority of being world’s largest democracy to protect its standing in the global economy and the international diplomatic community. But this would prove to be a major challenge as the world is no more willing to accept its clarification. With the curtain separating the reality of the country’s Covid-19 crisis from the rest of the world, India’s standing and authority are at risk. (IPA Service)