Purushottam Agrawal on the mysteries of AAP: Error In The Machine?
AAP was not just another party. It came not as a regional force or a lobby, it
deigned to be a universal alternative to everything. If the promise is fading,
it must examine the mirror, not just the EVM.
the Indian media has most certainly
entered a ‘new’, ‘never-before’ phase of its existence. Most of it has
willingly turned into a less-than-docile mouthpiece of the government and
ruling party, but more dangerously, into an instrument for distorting the very
nature of social and political discourse. Real issues are almost totally barred
from TV news; debates are spun around artificially manufactured issues in a
quarrelsome, even rowdy fashion—a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Municipal elections
are usually dull city-page affairs, scarcely known to generate the kind of
excitement we witnessed this week over the one in Delhi. The results are intriguing, yet on expected lines. Why intriguing? Because, really, no objective
assessment can ignore the good work done by the AAP government in education and
health. On the other hand, not even the most diehard BJP supporter can defend
its dismal performance over the last ten years in the civic bodies. Moreover,
the BJP itself implicitly accepted the validity of non-performance and
corruption charges by not repeating its sitting members. So, what lies behind
this perplexing situation of non-performance being richly rewarded?
In the
characteristically simplistic, in fact motivated discourse so dominant in the
media, it’s just Modi magic all the way. The fact, however, is that this magic
is not based on any performance miracles, but is a joint venture of the BJP and
large sections of the media. Many TV channels are openly working as BJP
channels, some of them going to the extent of ‘analysing’ the new UP CM’s
papaya and drinking water, while completely blacking out initiatives and
decisions taken by, say, the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab. The Congress
returning with three-fourths majority in Punjab and AAP coming second (even if
with only 20 seats) might as well have never happened. Nor was there any
probing of the ways through which the BJP retained power in Goa. In all
fairness, the BJP must never forget to thank these sections of the media, which
have left L.K. Advani’s old quip about bending and crawling far behind and have
been enthusiastically contributing to the making of cult Modi, and now lately
also cult Yogi.
We are now often told
about ‘New India’; the Indian media has most certainly entered a ‘new’,
‘never-before’ phase of its existence. Most of it has willingly turned into a
less-than-docile mouthpiece of the government and ruling party, but more
dangerously, into an instrument for distorting the very nature of social and
political discourse. Real issues are almost totally barred from TV news; debates
are spun around artificially manufactured issues in a quarrelsome, even rowdy
fashion - a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. AAP or other blocs might
have failed to offer an alternative style of politics, but sections of the
media have certainly evolved an alternative concept of their role. Whoever
deserves the credit for inventing this ‘never-before’ avatar, it is important
to remember this disturbing ‘turn’ in any political analysis—not only in the
context of AAP or the current political establishment, but for retaining the
very possibility of a critical-analytical stance vis-à-vis any regime.
At its core, the ‘Modi
magic’ consists in coupling the seductive fantasies of ‘development’ with a
holistic narrative of ‘nationalism’. One might agree or disagree with the RSS
version of Hindutva-based nationalism, but the fact is that it has
successfully blended the popular obsession with ‘development’ with emotions
evoked by the idea of ‘nation’ under external and, more importantly, internal
threats. The curious story of demonetisation is indication enough of people
being coaxed into ‘temporary’ sufferings in the ‘larger interest of nation’,
for a better future. Actively supported by the media, and with the PM’s
effective communication strategies, coupled with super-efficient social media
and troll management, the RSS/BJP has really been able to conjure a spell with
Modi in the role of pied piper. Other parties have
failed on this crucial front. In fact, AAP generated a lot of hope precisely
because of the implicit promise of articulating an alternative narrative that
defined nation in terms of justice, dialogue and fairness.… read more:
