Do not let Shashi Tharoor's description of his new book as “more than just a 400-page exercise in floccinaucinihilipilification” daunt you. Brilliant mastery over language and narration acquired over writing 17 books and the political insight drawn from being a Member of Parliament (MP) make his latest work a superb and engaging read. It can truly be called a sophisticated, erudite and artfully damning biography of one of the most controversial prime ministers of India, who has evoked a spectrum of contrasting reactions ranging from obsequious “bhakti” to vociferous rage.
“In writing such a book, of course, I cannot pretend to be a neutral observer,” admits Tharoor, simultaneously asserting that this work is a nuanced analysis, mixed, but far more critical than laudatory. The book is divided into five sections, comprising 50 detailed chapters reviewing a plethora of subjects including governance, communalism, justice, education, falsification of history, fundamental rights, demonetisation, economy, constitution and minorities to name some. It would be naive to expect absolute objectivity from the author on account of his being an (MP) from the opposition, but he pleads his views convincingly and backs them up with evidence.
“Prime Minister Modi’s speeches and sound bites since his election could certainly have been scripted by a liberal, though the gap between articulation and implementation. In his case, remains currently wide enough to drive a rath through. The liberal mask has long since fallen off. The gap has widened. The result is another paradox: a prime minister of lofty ambition, laid low by underachievement.” This observation pretty much aptly accentuates the essence of the book. To underline the deemed paradoxes in Mr Modi, he says, “What can one make of a man who speaks of tolerance and accommodation while condoning hate speech by party members he has appointed as ministers? How does one interpret a PM who speaks of ‘minimal government, maximum governance’ but is in the process of running the most centralised, top-down, bureaucracy-driven, personality-cult dominated central government since Indira Gandhi's emergency rule?”
Tharoor effectively underlines a checklist of the Modi government's glaring failures: a negative growth rate of 2.2 per cent for GDP, mismanaged roll-out of GST negatively affecting manufacturing, exports and business, high-tax demands, stagnating agriculture and a dismal count of 18 lakh jobs against a promise of 2 crore!
“Instead of being a game changing government, the BJP has turned out to be a name changing one.”
The Prime Minister’s priorities clearly do not match his rhetoric. Instead of the promised modification of India, we have ‘Modi-fication of India.’ He accuses Mr Modi’s government and followers of damaging India's plural and secular nature, rendering the country unsafe for minorities, liberals, Dalits and women, stifling freedom of expression, enabling the faking of history, damaging the economy and violating the basic tenets of democratic functioning.
He is meticulous in illustrating his claims with facts and figures which are difficult to refute, except that many ailments creep into a system much before we actually see the overt symptoms, and cannot totally absolve the previous game makers; but that again, is drawing a longer line for comparisons. Beginning from a peep into Mr Modi's humble beginnings which he flaunts as decoration, down to his present achievements and mis-achievements, Tharoor takes us through a damning narration of the man who directs India's destiny. If it's a political assault, no one could have done it better.
“Mr Modi’s rule has been bad for India, and it all arises from his inability to rise above his narrow-minded, mean-spirited, sectarian political origins. Winning elections, thanks to the ruthless management of constituencies, as well as the exploitation of his constituency, does not a great leader make.” He dedicates the book to “The People of India, Who deserve better.” They do.
Source : https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sunday-special/book-reviews/a-dark-portrait-in-a-flamboyant-frame/684790.html