Barking Dogs Don’t Bite: A Masterclass in Hollow Nationalism

 Barking Dogs Don’t Bite: A Masterclass in Hollow Nationalism

Shush Little Doggy

You’ve heard the saying: “Barking dogs don’t bite.” That’s not just an old proverb; it’s a diagnosis of India’s current political reality. Loud speeches, dramatic pauses, constant threats when it’s time to act, it’s all noise and no teeth.

Just ask Pakistan. After a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, instead of decisive retaliation, India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, admitted the Modi government gave Pakistan a heads-up. Why strike the enemy when you can strike a pose for domestic audiences?

Modi’s record is clear: if it bleeds, it leads straight into an election campaign. Tragedies aren’t national crises to solve; they’re political fuel to burn. Just like in 2002, when Gujarat burned, Muslims were massacred, and Modi launched his political ascent. The violence was horrific. The outcome was useful. Nothing has changed since.

Remember Bilkis Bano? Gang raped during the riots. Her rapists were released early and welcomed with garlands on Modi’s watch. That wasn’t an error. That was a message. This is how he plays the Muslim card: shamelessly, strategically, repeatedly.

Fast forward to the Kashmir attack. Suddenly, headlines scream that the terrorists asked about their religion before shooting. Where did that come from? Godi media. Right on cue, amplifying division just in time for elections. It’s not journalism. It’s narrative warfare.

Modi’s playbook is pure distraction. Fail on the economy? Launch a culture war. Fail on jobs? Blame minorities. Fail on promises? Hand out Sindhoor and call it a welfare scheme. That Sindhoor stunt was a joke, desperate, hollow, and tone-deaf. But that’s all he has left.

Globally, the same pattern continues. Modi wasn’t initially invited to the G7 Summit. He went anyway, under conditions, and the diplomatic cold shoulder was on full display. Any leader with self-respect would’ve stayed back. Modi didn’t. He needed to be seen, even if it meant being publicly snubbed.

While all this played out, India suffered one of its worst air disasters 270 lives lost. Modi was in India when it happened. But instead of staying to lead, investigate, or console the nation, he left on a three-nation tour, using the G7 appearance as a convenient cover. Why? Maybe because an investigation might move too quickly. Maybe because the names behind the tragedy are a little too close to his own circle. Staying away buys time. And silence.

Back to Gujarat. Still a “dry” state, officially. But anyone living there knows alcohol flows freely. The only thing missing? ₹15,000 crore in tax revenue. Why? Because that money flows untaxed, straight into the pockets of private interests. That’s Modi’s model: wrap corruption in morality, and let the poor keep clapping while getting robbed blind.

Now compare that with real leadership Dr. Manmohan Singh. A man who didn’t bark. He didn’t need to. After the 26/11 attacks, his government launched more than eight covert operations in Pakistan, targeting the actual perpetrators. No press conferences. No campaign rallies. Just quiet, focused action.

Dr. Singh didn’t turn cricket into a weapon or newsrooms into war zones. He didn’t punish civilians. He punished terrorists. He cornered Pakistan on the world stage so thoroughly that the country’s credibility collapsed for years. He delivered results without the rage. Focused on outcomes, not outrage. He lifted the poor instead of selling them empty slogans. He governed with spine, not spin.

He understood leadership is about protecting India’s future, not protecting your poll numbers.

Modi, in contrast, governs with noise. With hate. With endless drama. Every tragedy becomes a campaign prop. He performs as both the hero and the victim, while the real victims are silenced, forgotten, or exploited.

Even international media now says what many are afraid to admit: Indian voters are being played. And it’s not just insulting, it’s deserved if we continue to reward barking over biting, stunts over statesmanship, propaganda over policy.

India once had real leadership. It can again. But only if the public stops confusing decibels for strength and starts demanding substance over spectacle.

 



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