My ‘Mann Ki Baat’ to PM Modi

Senior journalist Bhupendra Chaubey shares his ‘Mann ki Baat,’ in an open letter to PM Modi

Dear Honourable PM Modiji,

I must say that I applaud your style of communicating directly with the people of the country.

Your critics say your Mann ki Baat is a lift from the world of South American politics... so be it. Since you have started the policy of direct communication, I thought what better way to reach out to you than in your own style.

So here is my Mann ki Baat, straight to you.

Your last address was to the farmers of the country.

You argued that not all farmers want their children to follow in their footsteps. Like their urban counterparts, they too want their kids to be working in cushy corporate jobs.

You were also right to point out that India needs to grow, villages need to grow, so land acquisition is a must. You have committed that the land on either side of an industrial corridor will be acquired by the government and shall stay with the government.

However, just around the time when you were expressing your Mann ki Baat to farmers across India, came a news flash that a farmer in Banda, Uttar Pradesh had shot himself.

His family claims he was indebted to a bank. He could not pay off the loans and was being hounded by bank authorities. A day later, on Monday, there was news of another farmer from this region who consumed poison and killed himself. He was upset with the loss of crop due to unseasonal rains and did not know how to get himself out of the mess.

I wonder exactly how the very poor, marginalised farmer, that last man in the queue, would have responded to your Mann ki Baat.

Imagine this scenario. A farmer is caught in a debt crisis, probably because of flawed policies over many years. He is looking for immediate relief. But he is being sold a story which will play out over 10 years. That’s where I feel your latest edition of Mann ki Baat missed a trick.

In fact, it reminded me of what your predecessor Manmohan Singh once did. A couple of years ago, when the economy was in a tail spin and inflation hitting abnormal highs, like you he decided to have a Mann ki Baat with the people. He went on Doordarshan. But while explaining reasons for hardships being faced he said, “paise ped par nahi ugte” (money doesn’t grow on trees). He was roundly criticised for not providing a healing touch to those in distress.

Now, at a time when farmers across the country are struggling in the aftermath of unseasonal rains, your address missed their immediate crisis. Instead it focussed on scoring political points over the opposition.

So sir, here are my 4 pointed questions for you to address in the next edition of your Mann ki Baat:

1. We are still in distress. India as a country, not just farmers. People across sections, need some steps to help them in the short-term. Can you specify those steps?

2. Can we have a Mann ki Baat from you reaching out to religious minorities, who may be feeling uneasy with events across the country?

3. Christians or Muslims, you are the PM of the entire country. Will you please, once and for all, muzzle those members of your party who make statements like “a mosque is a building that can be demolished”?

4. Will you sir, also reach out to those who are all caught in the EMI trap? Like farmers, this group often called the middle class, needs your attention too! Can we look forward to a low interest regime anytime soon?

I hope my questions will be addressed by you just like you have been attempting to answer those who write to your Mann ki Baat.

Yours sincerely,
Bhupendra