The Rise of Modi and The Fall of India

 

The Rise of Modi and The Fall of India

In one of his trademark jibes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a "smart thief," suggesting that this is why no one has been able to find any proof of his alleged corruption. Ah, yes, because when a thief is smart, India’s mighty investigative agencies — with all their resources and expertise — are rendered helpless. How convenient. With that single statement, Modi may have unintentionally revealed more about his government’s inability to gather evidence than about Kejriwal’s cleverness. Or perhaps he just confirmed that his administration is, in fact, led by people incapable of tying their own shoelaces without first forming a committee.

This brings us to a much larger issue: the state of governance under Modi's leadership. If his government cannot produce evidence to back the corruption charges against Kejriwal after months of investigation, one must question the competency of these so-called bureaucratic “geniuses” who are supposed to safeguard the nation from fraud. Are they all playing hide-and-seek with the evidence, or is it possible that, despite the pomp and posturing, there simply isn’t any?

It’s a tough time to be a bureaucrat in India. Imagine the shame of working tirelessly to investigate someone, only to be told by your own prime minister that the suspect is too "smart" to be caught. Well, at least they can take solace in the fact that being humiliated by their boss is just another day on the job.

And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the revered figures that some of Modi’s most ardent followers, particularly those from the RSS, worship. These include people like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Nathuram Godse, and Subhas Chandra Bose. Now, a friend recently pointed out that many of these individuals are celebrated despite their undeniable failures. Losers, he called them. I had to admit, he had a point. Savarkar, who begged the British for mercy. Godse, couldn’t see the irony in “saving” India by assassinating Gandhi. Bose, whose Azad Hind army failed in its mission. All of this makes perfect sense when you consider that the BJP and RSS have lost something of an art form.

Of course, not every name on this list of revered figures is deserving of such harsh criticism. Subhas Chandra Bose, for example, may have lost his military battle, but he certainly did not lose his place in history as a patriot. And then there’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a respected statesman who, despite literally falling asleep on the job during the Kargil War, is still regarded as one of India’s better leaders. But hey, when the bar is set so low, even a nap can be forgiven.

Now we have Modi, the great leader who has elevated this nation to new heights of, well, selling its assets to corporate buddies while delivering speeches about nationalism. Under his rule, India has seen the rise of privatization, where state-owned assets are sold off to private companies, because why should the government manage the country’s resources when they can be neatly handed over to billionaires instead? After all, nothing screams "economic progress" quite like stripping the country of its wealth and handing it to a select few in the name of “development.”

The irony here is rich — no pun intended. Modi, who rose to power on the promise of eradicating corruption and safeguarding the nation’s wealth, now oversees the wholesale auctioning of India’s resources to the highest bidder. And who benefits? Certainly not the ordinary Indian. But don't worry, you’ll get a glitzy new statue or a stadium renamed after him to remind you that nationalism, not your empty pockets, is the true prize.

Let’s not forget Modi’s masterclass in governance: demonetization. You know, that bold move that was supposed to eradicate black money but ended up making half of India stand in line for hours just to access their own money. Remember how that “war on black money” turned out? It’s still missing, and apparently, so is the black money.

Modi's rise to power was built on his image as a man of action — a leader who would clean up the system. But after a decade in power, what has truly been accomplished? The promise of a corruption-free India has fizzled out as most of the country’s allegedly corrupt politicians have conveniently found their way into the BJP. If you can’t beat them, join them, right? Well, in Modi’s India, if you’re corrupt, you get a party membership.

Speaking of corruption, let’s revisit the now infamous Delhi Liquor Scam. Despite all the bluster and finger-pointing, no evidence has been produced to implicate Kejriwal. Not a shred. If Modi’s government spent as much time governing as they do chasing phantom evidence, maybe the country wouldn’t be in its current state. It’s almost as if the whole investigation is nothing more than a poorly written plot twist in a political soap opera — the kind where the villain is obvious, but the scriptwriters are too lazy to provide a motive.

And yet, here we are, with Modi proudly declaring that his own government, equipped with vast resources and state machinery, can’t catch Kejriwal because he’s “too smart.” It’s a strange kind of self-own, but it fits perfectly into the larger narrative of incompetence that has come to define this administration.

Under Modi’s leadership, the justice system has also become little more than a punchline. Once upon a time, India prided itself on its legal institutions and commitment to fairness. Now, the justice system operates more like a political tool — if you’re an opposition leader, expect a knock on your door. If you’re in the BJP, congratulations, you’ve just earned immunity from consequences.

As we watch the rise of Modi, we also witness the fall of India — in every possible way. The economy, once considered a rising global force, is now teetering on the edge. The social fabric of the nation, once built on diversity and inclusion, is fraying under the weight of division and hate speech. The country’s global standing, which once promised so much potential, has been reduced to a caricature of nationalism and crony capitalism.

But don’t worry, because in Modi’s India, failure is a success, selling the country is patriotism, and calling your opponents "smart thieves" is a valid political strategy. After all, why govern when you can just blame everyone else? In the end, the rise of Modi is inextricably linked with the fall of India. The two go hand in hand. As we move forward, we must ask ourselves: how much more of India must fall before the rise of Modi finally ends?