Dear Sri Modi. We Indians are great at giving unsolicited advice. Not to be left out, here are a few from your once upon a time admirer turned into your humble critic - some one who has left his mother land for long, PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI (still an Indian at heart).
Right now we are in the middle of a huge, unprecedented Covid pandemic. It may not have entirely been prevented, but the damage could have been contained if you would have procrastinated Kumbh Mela and elections. Both things are now past. Elections are over. Covid has won.
However, I am not going to dwell over the past. In Odia we always ponder about EITA HEITHILE, SEITA HEITHANTA (If this would have happened, that could have taken place). At this point, that's besides the point. Now let's see what you can do going forward. Still there is time to recoup and recover.
The first step towards the solution to a problem is to admit that it exists and own it. So far we see GALUs after GALUs being pushed (a literal transliteration of the phrase GALU PELIBA in Odia, which loosely meaning stubbornly defending own action). Deflecting the problem to every one on earth except you and your government - from blaming it on Kejriwal messing up in Delhi (the current focal point of the Covid crisis) to Joe Biden not sending assistance on time is going to alleviate the nation's woes.
You can come on TV exactly at your favorite prime time slot of 9 PM and do exactly the following - "Apologize to the Nation". You don't have to use the word apology, your spech writers can put choicest of Hindi words to convey the message appropriately to the Billion plus people. Being awesome at histrionics, you can shed some crocodile tears on TV and show some empathy. Your buddy Trump was too stubborn to demonstrate empathy at the time of similar Covid crisis and ended up losing the election. You should learn from the history unless you volunteer to repeat it.
We Indians are an emotional lot. I can bet they will not only appreciate your apology, but gracefully accept it. You won't lose anything by shedding some of your egos off your 56 inch chest. Rather you stand to gain a lot.
Start fighting the war against Covid on a war footing basis. Impose shut downs,
clamp down on those who break the rule, convert stadiums, marriage halls and spare buildings to make shift hospitals. Don't spare perpetrators of profeetering, price gouging and black marketing of oxygen and life saving drugs. You have the majority at center and in majority of the states, not to mention having prior experience of handling an earthquake of epic proportion when you were the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I am sure you can handle this crisis of epidemic proportion.
Please allow me repeat my quip from Amitabh's movie HUM released in the year 1991. In a scene Anumam Kher who plays a crook cop, delivers a very meaningful monologue - BAGAWAT MEIN TIN KISAM KE ADDMI HOTE HAIN (There are three kinds of people in a mutiny), ATYACHAARI (the tormentor), KRANTIKARI (the mutineer), AUR UN DONO KA JHAGDE KA FAIDA UTHATE HUE HAMARA JAISE BYAPARI (Taking advantage of their rivalry are our kind of businessmen). Covid is the Atyachaari and the army of countless volunteers, healtcare workers are our Krantikaris. Don't just tighten the noose on those Byaparis trying to make a profit out of the situation. Hang those scoundrels.
Politics is a matter of perception. Even if you achieve a Pyrrhic victory over Covid, (which I believe we eventually will after the dreaded disease takes its toll), you won't be blamed for your best and trying hard. Public memory is short. They may forget everything, could very well forgive you. You could be politically rewarded for your religious effort.
If you end up doing all the above, you will be my Mahaprabhu. I will volunteer to be your PARAMBHAKT - more than ever Hanuman was to Lord Ram.
Your Sincerely
A prospective
Parambhakt.
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