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“The Login Name For The Modi Government Is Development, But The Password Is Hind

Scholars and professionals discuss the 'Hindutva' PM in one of Hyderabad's hippiest joints.

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“The Login Name For The Modi Government Is Development, But The Password Is Hind
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The early-bird professor hollers out a greeting as he nestles a cup of foaming coffee at Heart Cup Coffee House on Road No 45, Jubilee Hills. “Nice place this,” he says, as a cuddled-up couple in the corner wonder what to make of a rights act­ivist and famous author of Why I am Not a Hindu at one of the town’s hippest joints.

Taking a sip of his honey-laced coffee, Kancha Ilaiah alleges that a Narendra Modi aide was behind his column being stopped in a leading newspaper of Hyderabad. He is warming up to a discussion on black pepper beef and why Modi should have had some in China when the other charcha members troop in. Each of them shoots Ilaiah a guilty “Sorry, I am late” look though they are actually on time.

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The conversation shifts to the terrace garden as the sun sets. Ilaiah starts off by talking about Modi’s electoral slogan of providing a non-corrupt, job-churning BJP government. “After the election, Modi has two completely different agendas—one is Swachh Bharat and the other Make in India. Can cleaning streets and drains be the agenda of a government? And in his 18 foreign trips, Modi is going around with a begging bowl asking MNCs to ‘make in India’. How many investments have actually come in?” asks Ilaiah.

Young playwright and co-founder of theatre group Samahara, Anjali Koda, joins in, saying the Modi government is all about headline-making, tweeting and selfies. “All this is fine for 24-hour news channels but what about the actual things that people have voted him for—jobs, economic growth, crystal-clear policies? There appears to be a lot tinkering but no implementation,” says Anjali, distracted by a passing police car.

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Software professional Subhadra Goda, who says she has indeed seen achhe din, not just in TCS, where she works, but in the overall HiTec City map, is in no mood for Modi-bashing. “Make in India has indeed created jobs indirectly and he made it clear soon after taking over that IT is the first step to a developed India. In supply-chain consultancy, we don’t expect delivery of a five-year project in the first year,” says Subhadra, ordering tea.

Breast cancer surgeon and recent Padma Shri recipient Dr P. Raghuram is quick to jump to the BJP’s defence as well. The doctor states that the PMO is much more receptive to suggestions. He talks of how a letter to the PMO about breast cancer screening in rural areas elicited a response in 48 hours and he had a meeting with the health secretary.

Meanwhile, Dr G.V. Ramanjaneyulu is itching to dig out the truth of bure din for the Indian farmer. The agricultural scientist reels out statistics in rapid fire manner. Referring to the recent bus operators strike in Telangana and Andhra, he says, “Employees in RTC are getting 43 per cent fitment hikes but farmers in India don’t get even 10 per cent. The BJP, which spoke of the UPA harming farmers, is now pushing for the land acquisition bill.” 

Ilaiah promptly pushes his favourite topic—beef. He says that the beef ban in Maharashtra has actually affected farmers and cattle rearers, who cannot now sell cows for hide during times of drought.

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Karri Sriram, tech brandeer and author of the recently released Autobiography of a Mad Nation, appears amused by the impassioned arguments about Modi. “Let’s be clear about one thing. Narendra Modi is a Hindutva PM who wants to make the country Hindu and everyone who votes for him is not really calculating the funds coming from Japan or China. The login for the Modi government might be one of development but the password where one sees stars is ‘Hindu’. However, if one were to assess to the first years of Indian PMs, none of them did anything great,” says Sriram.

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The techie-author says that the only difference between Modi and Rahul Gandhi is that the latter opens his mouth and looks foolish. “But Modi knows when to keep quiet and let others think he is wise.”       

Focus shifts to “mini-Modi” as Rahul Gandhi recently termed Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Ilaiah again points out the difference between the pre-poll and post-election agenda. “Before elections, KCR spoke of KG to PG English education, three acres for landless poor such as Dalits and tribals and two-bedroom houses. Now, he wants to build high-rises in Hyderabad, shift the secretariat, clean Hussainsagar and has his officials descending on Hyderabad with a broom,” says Ilaiah.The premise of bifurcation was that the Telangana agrarian economy was lagging behind. But it has been forgotten, agree all the panelists. “The Indian farmer is the most hated entrepreneur because he possibly makes for bad selfies,” says Sriram.  

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Anjali and Subhadra discuss state IT minister K.T. Rama Rao’s initiative to bring in Google’s largest campus in Asia to Hyderabad. “It is really happening you know,” says Anjali in excitement. Ilaiah, who has been talking of 80 per cent of farmers in Telangana depending on loans from private sahukars, has no interest in Google chatter. Like a true professor, he stands up suddenly and announces that he is done for the day. Everyone shuffles out. The class is summarily dismissed.

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