'Modiabind'? Myopic view of anti-Modi forces
Bihar is on the verge of self-introspection or so it seems. This one is all about life and its realities. The older generation is worried about the younger generation and its affliction with 'Modiabind'. Don't get worked up with this new 'disease'. This is what the anti-BJP and anti-Modi section of the society would like you to believe. Satirists, particularly folklorists of Bihar, are nowadays convincing everyone that their society is going blind with Modi.
'Modiabind' is akin to 'Motiabind' (cataract) that makes one blind to the reality they preach. Poll strategist and now a politician himself, Prashant Kishore is keen that the nomenclature should spread across India to unite all anti-Modi sections because the youth of Bihar are glued to Modi through their mobiles. Hence, he seeks a boycott of 'WhatsApp university' messages that glorify Modi's achievements. He, like Tejaswi Yadav, feels that Modi-China-Pakistan is the new affliction and the youth have no time to think about the local problems. Bad roads, unemployment, stinky drains, lack of power supply, inflation, corruption, crime and religious divide and caste divide and under development are all results of Modi governance. So the political elite of Bihar is of the view that the youth must be weaned away from the mobiles and Modi only then the problems go away.
This is the problem with the skewed view of the politicians. To denounce the youth outright because of their defeat in elections is strange. Is really Modi responsible for all the ills mentioned by them? Don't the State governments have any role in it? Who should ensure good roads, clean drinking water, a check on price rise and power supply? 'Motiabind' is not exactly dangerous. It may be so in an extreme case. But this political cataract that seeks the world to blame Modi for rain and shine is their nemesis. A couple of days ago JD(U) authorised its chief, Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, to work for bringing together all anti-Modi forces in the country to take on the BJP.
Nitish Kumar is optimistic that defeating the BJP and ousting Modi will be easier once all anti-BJP parties join hands. It is a different issue that his seven party Mahagathbandhan in Bihar lost the Kurhani by-election to the BJP. But, Prashant Kishore who blames Modi for everything nowadays accused Nitish Kumar of picking up a wrong candidate of the RJD to field in that election. The younger generation may not see eye to eye with the older generation. Usually it does not happen. That is known as the generation gap. The grand old Congress party too faces the dilemma. Rahul Gandhi would not agree with his party's old war horses. The problem is more with the ego-centric moves of the regional parties. Regional perspectives leave little scope for national views. The only national view that these parties now have is an anti-Modi stand. Now that really cannot be a convincing alternative for the voters. If the regional parties are assured of yet another term will they ever bother about the national politics? To cover up their failures one could always talk about 'Modiabind' but without a concrete outcome. If Nitish Kumar really seeks a national role, he should strive selflessly to take on the negatives of the BJP rule without bothering to do the balancing act of retaining power in the state too.