Teachers Day was about Modi
If the UPA 2 was an example of a PR disaster, NDA under Modi is proving to be a PR overkill. Not much has changed between BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Modi. He was campaigning then, he is campaigning now. The difference being that now the government ends up paying for his PR excesses. What appeared to be an effective means for him to communicate with the voters, Modi's oratory now comes across as an end in itself.
From Nepal to Japan, all that he has successfully done is to talk his way to entrench himself in our minds. Governance has been reduced to a Big Boss-inspired soap opera, with the Prime Minister as the Pied Piper of India.
With most media outlets indulging in competitive sycophancy, every word uttered by him, howsoever inane, finds an echo from headlines to debates to hashtag trends.
What happened on Teacher's Day is unprecedented in terms of the way 1.8 million schools were mandated to organize live transmission of Prime Minister's interaction with 14 million students. Teachers were incidental to the program, except that they had to hire equipment, rent auditoriums, tutor children and later prepare compliance reports. Some schools went a step further and decided to organize a quiz based on the Prime Minister's speech and add marks to the finals.
All this to cater to the fundamental urge of the Prime Minister to talk. To talk, not about what problems our 5 million teachers face; not even about children but to talk about his favorite subject - himself. Students were made to ask questions tailored to ensure the Prime Minister was able to talk about Bal Narendra. And if people were expecting him to address issues of under equipped, under staffed schools and under paid teachers, they were hugely disappointed. In fact, he ended up insulting teachers by saying that people who fail at becoming doctors and engineers end up becoming teachers.
Those looking for content in the interaction, were amused at the rather naive connection he drew between climate change and getting older. His inspiration clearly came from the Dina Nath Batra School of Environmental Sciences.
Interestingly, Narendra Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat had been addressing students of the state since 2008 on Teacher's Day, with scant concern for either the students, or the teachers or education per se. In May last year, the Supreme Court had slammed the state government over its Vidya Sahayak Scheme. Not only was the court angry over the recruitment process of Vidya Sahayaks, it expressed shock at the meagre salary of Rs. 2500 being given to the Vidya Sahayaks.
Those looking for the real intent of this exercise are convinced that it was meant to serve as brand-building for Narendra Modi, the incumbent Prime Minister impressing a captive audience comprising future voters.
Remember his victory speech in Vadodara when he indulgently spoke about children making YouTube films on him - Agli peedhi taiyyar ho gayi - the next generation of voters is ready.
If it was as innocent as plain brand -building, one could have overlooked it as yet another attempt at self-promotion by a man grappling with lofty expectations and a loftier self image. This should be seen in the light of the plans of HRD ministry of rewriting the curriculum and indoctrinating young minds. For the RSS to succeed in making education completely bereft of liberal influences and promote its agenda it needs plumbing - to send messages for what is euphemistically called 'character-building'. Narendra Modi is doing the ground laying work for that plumbing.
Such is the apprehension about this regime that the CBSE's circular asking students of class XI and XII to furnish their mobile phone numbers and email IDs is being viewed with suspicion across the country and termed as an invasion of privacy. The exercise is being seen as an attempt to create a database to be used for non-academic purposes by the state.
For those who were confused whether it was children's day or teacher's day, the answer is it was neither. It was a day of Narendra Modi. more
From Nepal to Japan, all that he has successfully done is to talk his way to entrench himself in our minds. Governance has been reduced to a Big Boss-inspired soap opera, with the Prime Minister as the Pied Piper of India.
With most media outlets indulging in competitive sycophancy, every word uttered by him, howsoever inane, finds an echo from headlines to debates to hashtag trends.
What happened on Teacher's Day is unprecedented in terms of the way 1.8 million schools were mandated to organize live transmission of Prime Minister's interaction with 14 million students. Teachers were incidental to the program, except that they had to hire equipment, rent auditoriums, tutor children and later prepare compliance reports. Some schools went a step further and decided to organize a quiz based on the Prime Minister's speech and add marks to the finals.
All this to cater to the fundamental urge of the Prime Minister to talk. To talk, not about what problems our 5 million teachers face; not even about children but to talk about his favorite subject - himself. Students were made to ask questions tailored to ensure the Prime Minister was able to talk about Bal Narendra. And if people were expecting him to address issues of under equipped, under staffed schools and under paid teachers, they were hugely disappointed. In fact, he ended up insulting teachers by saying that people who fail at becoming doctors and engineers end up becoming teachers.
Those looking for content in the interaction, were amused at the rather naive connection he drew between climate change and getting older. His inspiration clearly came from the Dina Nath Batra School of Environmental Sciences.
Interestingly, Narendra Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat had been addressing students of the state since 2008 on Teacher's Day, with scant concern for either the students, or the teachers or education per se. In May last year, the Supreme Court had slammed the state government over its Vidya Sahayak Scheme. Not only was the court angry over the recruitment process of Vidya Sahayaks, it expressed shock at the meagre salary of Rs. 2500 being given to the Vidya Sahayaks.
Those looking for the real intent of this exercise are convinced that it was meant to serve as brand-building for Narendra Modi, the incumbent Prime Minister impressing a captive audience comprising future voters.
Remember his victory speech in Vadodara when he indulgently spoke about children making YouTube films on him - Agli peedhi taiyyar ho gayi - the next generation of voters is ready.
If it was as innocent as plain brand -building, one could have overlooked it as yet another attempt at self-promotion by a man grappling with lofty expectations and a loftier self image. This should be seen in the light of the plans of HRD ministry of rewriting the curriculum and indoctrinating young minds. For the RSS to succeed in making education completely bereft of liberal influences and promote its agenda it needs plumbing - to send messages for what is euphemistically called 'character-building'. Narendra Modi is doing the ground laying work for that plumbing.
Such is the apprehension about this regime that the CBSE's circular asking students of class XI and XII to furnish their mobile phone numbers and email IDs is being viewed with suspicion across the country and termed as an invasion of privacy. The exercise is being seen as an attempt to create a database to be used for non-academic purposes by the state.
For those who were confused whether it was children's day or teacher's day, the answer is it was neither. It was a day of Narendra Modi. more
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Can AAP follow Machiavelli's plan? Prof.Yogendra Yadav can reflect on this. (Below is a simplified copy-paste article from the internet.) Machiavelli associates humanity with being good law-abiding citizens, and bestiality with raw force and power. Because rulers have to sometimes bend the law a little, they have to use their animal sides. Everyone knows that, but Machiavelli can prove it. He writes, In ancient times writers used fables to teach their leaders this lesson: they tell how Achilles and many other leaders were sent to the centaur Chiron to be fed and brought up under his discipline. This story of having a teacher who was half-man and half-beast obviously meant that a ruler had to be able to draw on both natures. If he had only one, he wouldn't survive. (18.2) Machiavelli has even chosen your animals for you already. The ruler should be like the lion and the fox. See where he's going? Lions are all proud and regal. They are in your face and they will eat you all up. Foxes, on the other hand, run things behind the scenes. They're slick, tricky and suave. You want to be as sly as a fox, right? But why does a ruler have to be both the lion and the fox? Well, "the lion can't defend itself against snares and the fox can't defend itself from wolves. So you have to play the fox to see the snares and the lion to scare off the wolves". Teamwork: it works better when it's just two sides of your personality. Like always, Machiavelli gives us a real-life example of what he means:- Septimius Severus, the Roman Emperor, was a pretty foxy lion: He was feared and respected by all parties and he managed to avoid being hated by the army. It's hardly surprising, then, that despite being a new arrival he was able to hold so much power: his enormous reputation always protected him from the hatred people might otherwise have felt as a result of his pillage and violence. In other words, he used his awesome power to stun everyone into submission and then his foxy slyness to avoid being hated. Perfect. But his son, Antoninus, couldn't get past being a lion. He was so war loving and cruel that "after endless individual murders, he wiped out much of the population of Rome and all the people of Alexandria. At this point everybody really hated him and even those close to him began to get nervous so that in the end he was killed by a centurion while among his soldiers". Looks like he got caught in a snare. more
Sep 11
Yes but AAP doesn't have to strive to be as corrupt, dishonest & double faced. Today all disqualifications are miniscule as compared to corruption, inflation, atrocities on women & befooling the public which this & other parties are doing. The moment we realise this we will be a much better country. We need zero tolerance towards cancers like corruption, inflation, atrocities on women. A party cannot be ignorant about punishing its own people who commit such crimes. After elections expectations were high but unfortunately we are back to square one. This country now can no more tolerate cases of open bribery that too by party's senior leaders such as VP of Delhi unit. Big shame on BJP who shouted hoarse on corruption against congress. more
Sep 11
Hello Mr.Seth! There is a saying, every country deserves its police. India must have deserved to have a PM like this man, therefore he is. We, as a population must be racists or haters or sycophants, blind believers or illiterates or of low IQ or a combination of these. AAP also has to strive for that 35% of 66% votes.... Not as daredevils, but with restraints and stratagems. more
Sep 11
NM is being projects as God (perhaps after Shri Ram) & he can do no harm. This much sycophancy is not good for the country as BJP had got only 35% of 66% votes polled all over India. As it is in April Times magazine poll NM was declared as the most hated person in the world against AK49 being most liked person. Yes since BJP has come to power let him do his job but his talks & actions do not match. Plus he is double faced as has been proved just in 100 days. He promises big things only to project himself & to garner votes. How can one ignore the big changes in 67 years. Where is India today & what position it occupies today in the World. Are we still zero? Why BJP is now following most of the same policies as that of congress? We have open our eyes & see reasoning. On teachers day broadcast how many crores have been spent? How many benefits announced for teachers? The same amount would have utilised for betterment of lakhs of poor schools. But the main aim was to project NM at Govt's cost. How are the children gaining by making NM as their idol? Teachers & students would have gained if something positive & concrete was announced or done for them & their schools. Are we aware how many schools in Gujarat do not have ladies toilets? Whom are we befooling. Lastly even one individual instance of bribery or corruption or a rape case reflects the intention, quality & culture of the party. How many of such instances by partymen have come to the fore in just 100 days, but unfortunately we ignoring them just because NM has won & he is PM. What a shame on the country. more
Sep 10
Well said John Kerketta. Power has to be grabbed. BJP was given the mandate to run and govern the country. To bring about changes which could never happen in last 67 years. The first PM selected was not elected by the masses. The first PM was articulated in a manner which today the people and the youth have understood finally. Give power to the leader who has only one mission : My country and my poorest country men, women and children Honestly something is missing in our AAP followers and supporters ........ NO NO NO something is missing in the attitude of AK49 and his team ....... they are not prepared to see the drastic change in the BJP's attitude, latitude, gratitude, etc. in the leader NM who has become our PM. organising sting ..... good .... go on ..... individual cases .... hang them ... but we must be compassionate enough towards ourselves to understand our weakness and not go on making comments ..... sab chor hai ....... poor oratory because of poor conviction public speaking is best when the person speaks from his heart and not the brain. TEACHERS DAY It was a wonderful experience from the students point of view and definitely from the parents perspective. All saw how the PM related to his student days. Millions of poor students were inspired and they have made PM Modi as their Idol. more
Sep 10
