Modi’s New Year eve speech: No answers only more sops

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on New Year’s Eve again was an example of the politician’s shrewd diplomacy and ability to ignore the most pertinent questions

By the middle of December 31, 2016 everyone was awaiting what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to say to the nation at 7.30pm. In fact, the anticipation was even greater than 11.59pm.

Sadly, Modi failed to put on a good show. At least his carefully crafted speech could have finally given the nation a result as to how demonetisation had actually benefitted the country of 125 crore people.

Modi, on the other hand was in a very generous mood, acting like a Santa Claus come to a late Christmas Party. Primary receivers of his gifts were rural and urban poor, small businessmen, senior citizens, poor pregnant mothers etc. They were in the form of loans and reduced interest rates etc.

He carefully avoided any explanations and only waxed eloquent about how the entire country had been such a sport in accepting demonetisation (hasn’t he been reading the papers?) How the poor were tired of being overshadowed by the rich and how the corrupt will be brought to book.

Interestingly he acknowledged how political parties need to shed their ‘holier than thou’ image and how banks had failed the nation because of the nexus of corruption being traced to them.

We have heard this in the two Mann Ki baats we have had post demonetisation and this speech on New Year’s eve was only a clever rehash of the previous speeches.

Nothing concrete regarding the demonetisation exercise has been put before the nation. The uncertainty still exists, cash withdrawal limits still exists, no cash boards on banks and ATMs still stare at the public while they go to withdraw money and the corrupt are still being caught with bundles of new currency in their possession.

Modi failed to address the elephants in the room – India’s messy economy and the falling rupee. While he failed to answer a lot of questions related to demonetisation, he also chose to ignore what the country went through in 2016, the upheavals, the deaths, the controversies, the failures. No answers given.

With this speech Modi has set the tone for 2017 – more uncertainty and no clarity.