What a difference a fortnight can make. When I was invited to write this article on a mid-term assessment of the Narendra Modi government two weeks ago, the picture looked very different. Today, it is clear that things have changed dramatically, but it is far from clear as to what the exact direction of change is and where things will come to rest eventually. The demonetisation move is so bold, so sweeping in its ambition with so many long-term implications that any assessment of Modi today must necessarily be subject to many caveats.
The story before the demonetisation is, however, easier to characterise. The Modi government made a tentative start, with its early days being marked by a timid approach to the economy, leading to disappointment even among hard-core supporters.
The skewed weightage given to its cultural agenda, egged on by its fire-breathing support-base, worked against the government, for it gave an impression that it had nothing more substantive to offer by way of governance. Its handling of the media too was ham-handed, and the overall picture that emerged was not the most flattering.