PM Modi needs a Consigliere

Governing in the cesspool that is Delhi is markedly different from governing at a state level.  For that matter, Delhi itself is vastly different from say DC or Beijing or any other prominent political capital.  The crooks in those capitals play by a set of rules.  Rules that are only occasionally violated.  And when violated the punishment is severe.  A “Watergated” Nixon being a prime example.

Delhi on the other hand takes no prisoners.  It has been the capital of intrigue much longer than any other city.  Governing a populace and geographic foot print larger than any other capital in Human history.

More importantly, Delhi has seen it all.  Rulers and Dynasties have come and go, but good old Delhi chews them up and spits them out eventually.

It is this swamp of pimps, hos and assassins which Narendra Damodardas Modi has made it his life’s mission to reform and transform. 

What we’re witnessing today is a silent but lethal (may be even fatal) struggle between Delhi and PM Modi.

Only a man with NaMo’s courage, sagacity and wisdom could attempt to reform this city and bring her to her knees. 

But much like ABV, PM Modi is missing a key component in the political arsenal he has assembled.  That piece is an Amit Shah like figure within the government.  No not someone like Ahmed Patel.  Patel after all was a product of Delhi. 

What I’m describing here is a political mind who would guide and position NDA’s every action in the optimum political framework.  In fact it would help if such an individual was allowed to vet every government policy initiative before making it public.

It is the lack of such a Consigliere which has made NDA look like a one-step-forward-two-steps-back government.  Given the PM’s immense popularity and the relative youth of this government, none of UPA’s allegations are sticking.  But the Teflon may start wearing off around mid-2016.  When govt policies are more work-in-progress with little to show in terms of results.  Finding and recruiting a politico-government senapati at such a late juncture would prove ineffective and worst still, counterproductive.  Time for installing said Consigliere is now.

Moreover, BJP is interacting with the outside world, much the same way Congress did:

• Declare a policy or program
• Engage prime time news anchors in a nightly wrestling match
• Come back bruised and live to fight another day.

This tactic worked for UPA-1.  But once corruption charges started piling up, the very act of engaging non-Congress, non-UPA channels resulted in Sonia digging an even deeper hole for her brood and herself.

The Xmas controversy, Ghar Wapsi damp squib, are merely symptoms of this flawed, listless ‘strategy’ if indeed there’s one.

What it suggests is that opposition ranks, through their well nurtured assets in media, NGOs, etc. are sniffing around, probing to find a chink in NDA’s armor.

With Sonia’s corruption still fresh in people’s mind, this sniffing has yielded little.  But a few more months of a perceived drift and BJP will spend more time firefighting than governing and before you know it campaign 2019 will be underway with little to show for 3.5 years of governance.

By 2017, PM Modi will no longer be measured against performance of his predecessor but the vision of his former self i.e. CM Modi.

Given these variables, a Chief of Staff, Senapati, Consigliere within the PMO is of vital importance.

What would his/her resume look like and what would be the mandate?

Mandate:

1. Coordinate between various wings of the government on the correct message to be given to the larger public
   1. Do this without slowing down decision making
2.  
3. Pre-sell every policy by creating a ‘teaser’ campaign in the media
   1. Test the waters by feeding ‘inside’ info to non-state actors such as economists, journalists not associated with the BJP
   2. Keep a distance from these campaigns so ‘plausible deniability’ is seldom sacrificed
4. Dig up dirt on every Sonia asset in the media and NGO network.
   1. Tranquilize these assets by sending a subtle message without causing any public exposure or loss of face to them
5. On an ongoing basis anticipate and monitor fallout of government policies
6. Keep the NaMo Army engaged and equipped to confront future challenges
7. Game NDA’s policies to ‘predict’ their likely outcome
8. Conduct a political ROI of Govt programs
9. Collect and document data to establish NDA’s superior performance
10. Channel data/results back to government to help improve performance of various policies
11. Channel feedback from social media into various government initiatives so as to create a sense of partnership
12. Ensure that valid suggestions find their way into policies and programs

Resume:

1. Unknown face
2. Immersed in Sangh’s ideology
3. Someone who understands and can predict political fallout of government programs and policies
4. Committed to a ‘Congress Mukht Bharat’
5. Experienced in media management
   1. Not friendly or acquainted with any media outlet
   2. Has no history of interaction with media or NGO channels
6. Needless to say, completely non-corrupt
7. Tough, uncompromising and ruthless
8. Ability to engage a diverse section of BJP supporters – from board rooms to the political akhadas

In short, NDA needs a Sicilian consigliere.

Hope PM Modi can find such a person.  Would help reduce the noise and allow government to function more smoothly and deliver 2019.

 

PM Modi and his Internet Hindus

PM Modi is gradually losing support from a section of his core constituency i.e. Internet Hindus.  

Since taking office several small incidents have rocked this group to the core.   What has led to this rising anger against BJP’s govt is not so much the incident itself but the fact that top leaders of the BJP are now openly consorting and fraternizing with the same enemy who till a few months ago was hell bent on preventing NaMo from taking office.

BJP’s own ministers find it more appealing to ignore the right wing agenda and break bread with discredited, corrupt, compromised media pimps.

Moreover, this army of dedicated supporters took up arms against and defeated an enemy that BJP itself was never able to vanquish.  This may sound like a bombastic statement, but BJP’s own resources lacked a critical weapon in this war i.e. credibility

Sonia’s carefully cultivated media pimps had successfully countered LKA’s bid for PMship in 2009.  But with little more than an internet connection and shear resourcefulness this army of Internet Hindus went to fight on behalf of the PM.  Sonia’s efforts to spread lies against NaMo through her paid channels – media, AAP, etc. were neutralized largely due to the efforts of these Internet Hindus.

With no personal agendas, this group carried far more credibility than any BJP spokesperson or friendly media face.

Sonia’s media peddled a lie about NaMo – his performance as CM of Gujarat, Gujarat’s development model, etc.  Internet Hindus researched facts and presented them to the larger internet community.  These facts were repeated and reinforced across social media, blogs, comments sections, etc. and media’s black ops strategies were neutralized.

News anchors were check mated such that they could no longer host evening programs without taking cognizance of these facts.  If they ran a news items and omitted facts highlighted by Internet Hindus, outrage on social media would lead to a loss of credibility.  Unlike 2009, media was unable to peddle lies in an unending loop to paint NaMo as a ‘marketing phenomenon’ or a ‘communal monster’.

Sonia’s media was neutered and their attacks on NaMo boomeranged. 

On the flip side, without a clean, honest, proven leader like NaMo, none of this would have worked.  Fighting for NaMo was vastly different from fighting for LKA.  But even NaMo would acknowledge the contribution of his Internet Hindus.

Sadly, their emotions are blinding Internet Hindus to ground realities.

a.       PM Modi cannot control every leaf that falls from every branch of every tree.  He has taken complete control where it matters most as evidenced by his insistence on appointing key babus in every ministry.  He cannot micro manage down to a point where his generals revolt or sulk.  Pushing them to account for every minute of their lives would engender resentment and have adverse consequences on their performance

c.       While NDA2 may seem like appeasing minorities the ground realities are a bit different.  Actions which till April of 2014 were unimaginable are now routine.  Example:  clearing slums established by housing illegal Bangladeshis, reconversions, introduction of Sanskrit, etc.

a.       This suggests a careful carrot-and-stick strategy.  Appease minorities but affect a deeper social, economic and demographic change on the ground

d.      A massive military buildup across Indo-China border

e.      A smash mouth response to Paki provocations

f.        Dawood on the run

g.       A rapid scaling up of infrastructure development

h.      Controlling inflation

i.         Forcing Congress out of its strongholds

Moreover, the PM has seldom taken decisions without careful consideration.  His greatest quality is that he’s a brilliant listener and takes decisions after carefully considering all sides of the issue. 

Swatting a media mosquito or a small time babu is not a PM’s job.  He has much bigger dragons to slay.

Sonia has gifted him a patient with stage 4 cancer.  He has to first stop the cancer from spreading, heal the patient, reinstate her health and finally prepare her for battle.

We Internet Hindus in our anger over BJP leaders hobnobbing with media personalities are missing this larger picture.  PM Modi is clearly working to a plan.  He cannot possibly go public with it.  So give him 3-4 years and then judge his performance.

Given his track record, I’m certain he will exceed even our lofty expectations. 

How to Impress PM Modi

Oh the heartburn! An entire battalion worth of PM Modi’s army is disappointed.  Not because he won’t kowtow to their chosen right wing expectations, but because he won’t acknowledge their (genuine) efforts in helping get him elected by kowtowing to their preferred right wing leanings.

Some are expecting a piece of the action, others would like their ideological preferences reflected in his government’s policies and actions, still others would prefer government appointments to be made along sharp ideological lines.

Based on observing (almost obsessing over) the PM over the past 12+ years, what follows is a primer on how to impress the PM (if you wish to snag a place in the new dispensation)

• Don’t ask for it
  • Nothing annoys the PM more than individuals who demand a position.  Any position.  With the exception of a few top BJP leaders, few have had much success with lobbying for a position.
  • An indirect attempt won’t make much headway either.  Getting your flunkeys to raise a din will only annoy the man and push you further up his shit list and off his short list
  • Let your work speak for itself. 
• Toil in silence and obscurity shunning the limelight
  • Despite targeting by MSM Amit Shah has kept away from hogging the national limelight
  • CMs Khattar and Fadnavis elicited a ‘Khattar/Fadnavis who?’ when they were mentioned as front runners
  • NaMo prefers the old Sangh sanskar ‘Work without bothering with the fruits of your labor’.  He himself was a virtual unknown when BJP brought him to Gujarat as CM. 
• Lead a simple lifestyle
  • Mr. Modi is an ascetic, leading a no-frills lifestyle.  Living the good life doesn’t go down well with him.  Right through the recent state polls, his right hand man Amit Shah sought and maintained accommodation in 3 star hotels as a mark of austerity
  • DM Parrikar similarly leads an uneventful life
  • Ditto with CM Fadnavis
• Don’t speak to the media.  Don’t speak. Period
  • CM Modi always preferred making the his case directly with the people
  • His suspicion of the media may have been muted since taking office as PM, but it remains alive and kicking behind his politically correct pronouncement
  • His disdain for MSM is reflected in the use of DD and AIR as the primary channels for govt expression
  • Bottom line:  Don’t talk to the media or patronize media personalities
• Focus on your job
  • You may have great ideas.  Surely you should share them with the man.  But the responsibilities assigned to you are Job #1.  Getting distracted by side projects or political games is guaranteed to put you on his $%@&# list
• No job is too small
  • For a pracharak who toiled across the length and breadth of India in service of the nation, what attracts his attention is doing the little things.  Doing them well, with the same enthusiasm and passion as if it were a high profile undertaking.
• Produce Results
  • ‘Excuse’ is not a word in PM Modi’s dictionary.  Delete it from yours.  NDA has a mere 36 months to complete key projects.  It will take 18 months for results to register within and another 6 months to market these accomplishments across the country
  • Without results, you’re out.
• Have no personal agenda
  • There’s a very good reason why PM Modi can ask even his most ardent supporters to take a hike.  He has no personal agenda.  No family to ‘feed’, no friends to impress/enrich, no women to keep.  When a man’s only mission is the mission, he can afford to be ruthless.  Leaving your personal agenda at home will get you one step close to impressing the man.
• Finally suck it up and be prepared to work your tail off.  When the boss works a 80 week, 2 hour lunch breaks and extended weekend getaways are a luxury only UPA ministers and the first family could afford
• Eschew the temptations to put your hand in the cookie jar
  • This is a no brainer.  Nothing pissing him off more than public servants who treat people’s wealth as their own piggy bank.  Witness how none of the usual suspects have been allowed anywhere close to the ATM ministries. 
  • But this revulsion extends to even those fringe indiscretions which have become accepted behavior across govt bodies.  When the man himself donates every gift he receives what does that tell you?  Just stay away from even a hint of graft taking.

Hope these insights help you in snagging that much coveted position.  Best of luck.

The Aftermath - Why the imminent demise of Sena should worry all Hindus

As we observe Balasaheb’s 2^nd death anniversary all right wing Indians must also mourn the imminent demise of Shiv Sena.

Here’s why.

Mumbai of the late 80s and early 90s was witness to a fierce battle between India’s most well-funded and organized criminal gangs.  Mumbai’s phenomenal growth had turned it into a city of gold, a beacon for starry eyed gunslingers willing to sacrifice life and limb to earn their place in Mumbai’s sun.

Around this time Subhash Ghai released his mega hit ‘Saudagar’.  The much awaited opus broke box office records.  Arun Gawli issued the following diktat: any individual doing business with D Company would have to pay his gang a ransom of Rs. 1 crore; The collections to be used to construct a replica from the movie at one of his Ganapati pandals.

The stratagem was designed to achieve a slew of goals.  Put D on the back foot, Established Gawli as Mumbai’s top underworld boss and humiliate the D company.

Success of this strategy was illustrated by a story doing the rounds in those days.  Gawli’s men walked into the heart of Bhendi Baazar (D’s home turf) to collect the ransom from Tiger Memon (who would later become one of the chief perpetrators behind bomb blasts of 1993). 

For members of a rival gang to waltz into your den and walk away with several suitcases worth of cash, in broad daylight was unheard of.  The D company, despite its enormous resources was hemmed in by Mumbai’s two ‘Hindu’ gangs.  Gawli and Amar Naik.  And they were humiliated.

When the Shiv Sena took office in 1995 it declared elimination of these 3 gangs as job #1.  By this time, D was safely ensconced in ISI’s lap i.e. beyond reach.  Using a combination of encounter killings and brute political force, Sena was able to eliminate the Gawli/Amar Naik outfits and usurp their fiefdoms.

The same strategy did not work against Dawood.  Partly due to geographical limitations and partly due to the tremendous force multipliers Dawood had acquired via ISI’s terror network.

Mumbai settled into an uneasy detente between Sena and D company.

Both had their respective turfs with an unwritten agreement not to trample on each other’s territories.

By eliminating the ‘Hindu’ underworld, Sena had shot itself in the foot.  State and political outfits could  never attract or safely nurture the type of individuals needed to counter a D company or ISI.  The only remaining ‘Hindu’ outfit of Chota Rajan was too weak to take on Dawood.

Once Sena lost power in 2000, D took over as Mumbai’s de facto king and has remained so ever since.

There’s a lesson in this for the BJP.  When (it is no longer a matter of ‘if’) extremist Muslim elements rear their ugly head (as witnessed at Azad Maidan last year) only a Sena type of organization can counter them.

An Owaisi cannot be countered by a Suresh Prabhu or Venkahiah Naidu.  You need an Anand Dighe or Sartpodar to counter them.

The ordinary Shiv Sainik is a bulwark against marauding muslim thugs.  Only he is willing to grab that sword and charge up a hill….full speed ahead…damn the torpedoes.

By eliminating Sena, BJP may be winning a political battle, but it may render Hindus vulnerable to a much bigger threat. 

One which Hindus may find increasingly difficult to counter.

Black Money and Its Political Implications

Supporters of PM Modi (and I’m perhaps the biggest one) are making a fatal error in assuming that the current brouhaha vis-à-vis black money is a storm in a tea cup and its political impact on the Modi Govt. will be minimal.

Allow me to explain why this assumption is flawed and how this issue threatens the very core of everything PM Modi has constructed over his 40 plus years in public life.

Despite an absolute majority, despite successive victories at the state level, Black money can and will derail NDA 2 and render it ineffective in presenting a strong case in 2019.

1. PM Modi’s appeal rests on three pillars
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Personal Integrity
      
      
   
   
   
   2. His performance as CM of Gujarat
      
      
   
   
   
   3. His humble antecedents
      
      
   
   
   
   

Of these three, Personal integrity is without doubt, his strongest virtue.  In fact, it his armor.  Sans personal integrity all else gets diminished.  To put it another way, even if he performs miracles on the economic front, even if he delivers a Swachh, Surakshit Bharat, any blemish to his reputation will allow Congress and its media pimps to get a foot in the door.  A Priyanka Gandhi led Congress or a Kejriwal led UPA could then step in and ensure a hung parliament in 2019

1. One way to counter BJP was always to equate it to Congress on every issue.  From communalism to economy to corruption, once media and Congress were successful in creating this impression of ‘Congress-BJP-same-same’ the voter was confused and perplexed.  Lack of action of Black Money can have the same effect
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Congress doesn’t need to prove that it is clean.  Even the Gandhis know that is no longer possible.  All they have to do is paint BJP with the same brush.  Engender doubts (in public perception) of both parties being corrupt.  One more than the other.
      
      
   
   
   
   



2. With an absolute majority and the complete backing of the party and the larger Sangh parivar, PM Modi may seem politically invincible.  But if media is able to perpetuate the impression of ‘Congress-BJP-same-same’ in that UPA had a clean PM who could do little against the corrupt and NDA has the same situation, every decision taken by the NDA govt will be seen in the light of crony corruption where NDA is taking decisions not to create jobs or improve the economy but to ALSO benefit its corrupt benefactors.  The Ambanis, Adanis, Birlas, etc.
   
   



3. Once this impression gains ground, non-political NGOs, leftists, etc can be deployed to derail and/or delay key infrastructure and policy initiatives.  If enough people are angered by lack of clarity on the Black Money issue, we could witness agitations not seen since Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare held center stage at Ram Lila grounds.
   
   



4. Another suggestion made by fellow Internet Hindus is that the NDA govt will time its attack on Gandhis and Congress closer to key elections.  For instance, Vadra could be targeted once Priyanka decides to take the plunge.  Using the Vadra card too early will ensure dilution of its efficacy as a political tool.  Moreover complete annihilation of the Gandhis would create a vacuum allowing likes of Kejriwal to step in.  Better to keep Pappus on the back foot but at the crease instead of getting them out and allowing a better batsman to take the crease and ensure a draw or a comeback.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1. But this argument has several flaws.  Yes logically it makes complete sense.  But delaying action on Vadra and timing it closer to Priyanka’s entry will allow her to play the victim – the long suffering Indian wife standing by her corrupt husband – now being targeted by an equally suspect NDA regime.
      
      
   
   
   
   2. Going after the corrupt in a timely manner is key to winning in 2019.  The cases can be expedited and delayed in accordance with a political calendar, but any delay would cause immense harm to BJP’s image as a cleaner of corrupt politics.  Initiate cases, even if conviction is many years away.
      
      
   
   
   
   



5. There may be genuine road blocks to revealing names of foreign account holders.  For instance an Ambani may be included in the list.  So how should the Modi Sarkar counter this road block. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Perhaps NDA should learn from the genius that was Dhirubhai Ambani.  In 1987 when VP Singh led the first anti-corruption crusade, he had Dhirubhai squarely in his sights.  There was no escape.  Or so political pundits of the day predicted.
      
      
   
   
   
   2. But Dhirubhai deftly side stepped that battle and turned it into a VP Vs. Rajiv war.  Surely Reliance suffered significant collateral damage with Rajiv losing the election and VP taking over as PM.  But Dhirubhai was able to keep his weapons intact and when the time came he stationed himself at the Ashoka Hotel with bags of cash to take down the VP Singh Govt.
      
      
   
   
   
   3. PM Modi will have to do something similar.  Even if it means sacrificing some key figures from his ecosystem.  Be they leaders of Industry or members his own cabinet. 
   4. Bottomline:  Release all names to the SC court and let this be a battle between the People of India and the SC of India.
   
   
   
   
   
   

What is of primary importance, what is non-negotiable in the ongoing political war is PM Modi’s personal Integrity.  Nothing and I mean nothing is more valuable. 

The PM’s Dilemma

It is said that the ability to delay gratification is a mark of maturity and equanimity.  Though it was fairly easy to predict that the army of Internet Hindus would need a new war once 2014 was won, none could have predicted the deep sense of despondency and disappointment which has crept into our ranks.

Even more surprising is the alacrity with which this fierce backlash has spread across PM NaMo’s core constituency.

What follows is an attempt to defend the PM and explain the constraints that have informed his many decisions.

One hopes that these explanations would trigger an internal dialog and prevent the centrifugal forces threatening to turn some Internet Hindus into permanent rebels.

1. Rehabilitation of D4

BJP wasn’t born in 2001 with NaMo’s takeover of Gujarat.  Apart from its formal birth, BJP’s antecedents inextricably link it to the larger Sangh parivar.  By association the PM is straddled with cumulative sins and virtues of this larger Sangh Ummah.  But this is a fair bargain.  If he benefits from Sangh’s foot soldiers, its vast and entrenched organization in every nook and corner of India, he must bear the suboptimal behavior of some of its associates.

Any attempt to divorce himself from the parivar will backfire in a big way.  No one understands this better than the man himself.  And so does D4.  D4 has formed the core of BJP’s decision making apparatus for over 2 decades now.  They know where the bodies are buried and skeletons are stored.  Heck, it’s possible they are the ones who buried said bodies and skeletons in the first place.

Even more damaging is the well-oiled ecosystem D4 has cultivated over their tenure in the corridors of power.  An ecosystem that extends from the Judiciary to the media, from business tycoons to middle men of every stripe.

No doubt Congress and the first family are an integral part of this ecosystem and both D4 and the family look out for each other.  But as we will see, confronting much less defeating such a formidable adversary is fraught with incalculable risk for a fledgling government.  Even for as formidable a political warrior as the PM.

In coopting D4, NaMo is following the sage advice of one Vito Corleone “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

D4 stripped of power could become a nuisance or worst an alternate power center within the NDA.  D4 could unleash a-scandal-a-day scenario which in turn could feed a TRP hungry, anti-NaMo media and turn the new government into a pathetic political circus.  If minor incidents such as anti-Sania statements of a small regional BJP leader can be fill airwaves for 2 days, imagine what real scandals could mean for the PM.

A hopeless D4 could commit hara-kiri and take the new govt. to the gallows with it.

Much as Obama harnessed the Clinton network by coopting Hillary as Secretary of Defense, the PM has countered D4 by giving them a place in the government which ensures a respectable presence in the eyes of the public.  Scratch the surface though and you can see that PM Narendra Modi has left them with little discretionary powers.  From the babus they select to key decisions, all are controlled by the all-powerful PMO.  The non-political godfathers of this ecosystem aka Mota Saheb, Chotta Saheb, etc. have all endured the taste of an unyielding PMO.

As we shall see, rehabilitation of D4 is at best a stop-gap measure with little wiggle room conceded.

Lastly, as Amit Shah stated in his recent profile in India Today cover story “He’s only relevant to NaMo as long as he can deliver”.  If as close an acolyte as Mr. Shah is dispensable, where does that leave known frenemies like D4.  Given time, Mr. Modi will fix them too.  Patience my fellow Internet Hindus. Patience.

1. White paper on a gutted Indian economy

Some Right wingers have bemoaned lack of a white paper to set a benchmark for the new NDA government.  Such a white paper would have highlighted the abysmal state of Indian Economy.  It would further ensure a valid excuse for BJP to use in the run up to the 2019 elections, much as Obama had done in 2012 by (rightly) blaming Bush for America’s economic woes.

But there’s a vital difference between India and America.  If the PM of India tells the world that India’s economy is in dire straits, the costs would be devastating.  Rising borrowing costs would hurt the already precarious state of Government’s balance sheet. Higher interest rates would have a negative impact on the aam middle class aadmi – NaMo’s core constituency.  A weakened Rupee would raise import costs, further fueling inflation.

 Granted that there’s some merit in this (white paper) strategy, but when weighed against associated economic costs, the PM has done the right thing by allowing his ministers to selectively highlight sorry state of India’s economy, eschewing the temptation to publicly blame UPA for India economy’s pathetic state.

Moreover, people already know how Sonia screwed India over the past 10 years.  Whining about it serves little political purpose.  Getting on with the herculean task of pulling India out of the throes of economic debacle is a better strategy to adopt and the wise PM has done just that.

1. Destroying Dynasties

Anyone who believes that electoral defeat has rendered Sonia vulnerable is living a fool’s paradise.  An Italian village girl, who ruled India for 10 years with an Iron fist, won’t relinquish power so easily.  Her imbecile son may render her electorally unviable for a few more years, but have no doubt, that she has left many a trap doors to trip and counter NaMo.

Sonia achieved two major objectives in her 10 years at the helm. 

1. Weaken India’s military
2. Destroy India’s economy

Her mistake lay in the hubris that set in after the 2009 victory.  With a compromised D4 doing her bidding and the threat of a ‘communal’ NaMo keeping minority votes in her pocket she rightly analyzed the situation to be in her favor for at least the next decade.  As elections drew closer and a NaMo led government gained widespread acceptance we all witnessed her scorched earth policy.

The series of naval accidents (Naval blockade of Pakistan is a key strategic lever), botched international relations, questionable bills passed in parliament, etc. suggest a carefully crafted strategy to keep the next government on its toes, incapable of delivering any semblance of good governance.

With staggering levels of loot witnessed during UPA 1 and 2, it would be safe to assume that D Company is well entrenched within the secular political structures cutting across party lines.  From Congress to SP to even TMC.

Most importantly, it is also safe to assume that Sonia has indirectly acquiesced to the proliferation of covert ISI cells across India.  Remember the intelligence agency reports from a few years back: Key UPA ally and CM of major state was an ISI sympathizer.

Without benefits of a POTA/TADA like law, these cells could be easily activated to cause immense harm to India’s economy and keep its forces occupied in managing domestic conflicts.

Sonia could activate these carefully nurtured Black Ops assets to make life a living hell for the new government.

In this atmosphere if the PM launches an all-out war on the family it could backfire.  We should allow 1977 be our guide.  The newly elected Janata Govt. made ‘Get Indira’ its core strategy.  Hounding her became a national pastime.  With very little delivered in terms of governance, despondency quickly set in.  Granted, that experiment was a hodge-podge of egos and parties.  NDA2 is blessed with an absolute majority.  Nevertheless, the best way to hurt the dynasty is three-fold:

1. Deliver on key promises to create a feel good factor
2. Defeat dynasty at every state and local level so that Dynasty supporters are convinced that sticking with the Gandhis will only bring diminishing returns
3. Declare war on the Dynasty around 2017

Making anti-Sonia noises this early in its tenure will make her larger than life, unite the Congress/UPA behind her and engender sympathy for a widow who has ‘sacrificed’ so much for her family and adopted country.

1. NDA's support for vote against Israel

There’s no doubt that Israel and India share a common DNA.  May be it stems from the non-proselytizing nature of Primary religions of the two countries.  May be it’s because peoples of both nations have suffered (and continue to suffer) grave persecution at the hands of Jihadi tyrants.

So why, ask India’s right wingers, has the new NDA government failed to support (if not protect) Israel’s interests on the international scene.  Why, despite Israel having supported India in her times of need (Kargil, Kashmir, etc.) have we turned our backs on our dear friend?

Well the answer is fairly simple.  There are two reasons:

1. Indian expatriates working in Muslim countries
2. Arab oil

Israel’s sworn enemy Iran has been a friend of India.  Not to the same degree but a friend nevertheless.  Iranian oil supply can be counted on in an event of a war with Pakistan.  The same cannot be said about the Saudis and other Arab states.

Indians form the largest block of foreign works in the Gulf States.  With sectarian conflicts erupting and spreading cross the Middle East, as has happened in Iraq in the past few months, more Indian workers will come in the line of fire.  Any public demonstration of support to Israel will paint India as an enemy of Islam on the Arab street.  Even if sagacious elements within these conflict zones want to support India, they may not be able to. 

India’s strategy of being Israel’s friend in private and an ambivalent, neutral nebulous, confused, prevaricating nobody in public, suits India just fine.

For real evidence of NDA government’s commitment to Israel look for the burgeoning cooperation between the two nations in fields ranging from military hardware, agriculture and software development in the near future.

1.  Reforms, where the heck are the reforms

If Right wingers could have it their way, the NDA government would jettison all left wing programs from NREGA to JNURM and replace them with free market alternatives.

When a person is stabbed with a sharp pointed object, doctors advice bystanders not to remove the knife.  Interestingly enough, the knife acts as a dam, slowing down the rate of bleeding.  Thus buying precious time till medical help has arrived.

Indian economy is in a similar dilemma.  Whether we like it or not, large sections of India’s most impoverished citizens have come to depend on Sonia’s deeply flawed economic policies.  The handout policy initiatives must end.  But doing so without nurturing alternate sources of employment/livelihood would cause a massive disruption in lives of an already marginalized section of society.

Already, the PM has given us a glimpse of the innovative ways in which he plans to leverage these flawed schemes to build long term public assets. 

As he always does, PM Narendra Modi is turning a curse into a blessing.  Gujarat was transformed by two key initiatives – Joytigram and check dams.  Both these being implementable at a national level.

Funds allocated to NREGA can be easily used to build long term rural assets.  Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has laid out a simple scheme where poor in each village will be given a section of the road to plant trees.  These trees will be nurtured by these ‘owners’ and their fruits, wood, etc. sold each year to earn valuable income.

Another use of NREGA would be to use this labor to build check dams to capture and save rain water.  Gujarat implemented this scheme to trigger a mini green revolution in arid outposts of Kutch and Saurashtra.  NaMo can do the same for rural India.

Suddenly NREGA is no longer a “Sonia Gandhi Congress ko khilao Yojano” but a force multiplier.  Moreover, as these assets grow in value and value addition based agro industries take root, availability of cheap labor will be reduced.  The meager dole handed out by the govt. as part of these schemes will be unable to compete with wages and benefits offered by the private sector.

Handout, mai-baap schemes like NREGA will die a natural death.  Patience my friends patience.

1. Banning Cow slaughter

Why hasn’t NDA government banned cow slaughter as Candidate NaMo had promised on the campaign trail?  Again, economic woes explain the reluctance.  Cattle constitute the last asset left in hands of India’s beleaguered farmers.  With farmer suicides spreading to more states – sale of cattle remains the only source of income for these god forsaken farmers.

One has to only hear their gut wrenching stories (check any regional channel) to understand the pain these farmers bear as they send a “family member” to the slaughter house.  This is not an easy decision for them.  But if the choice is between committing suicide and buying a few more days with their young families, most farmers are choosing the latter.

Banning cow slaughter may or may not end cow slaughter, but it will most certainly devalue the prices of cattle, dealing a further blow to India’s marginal farmer.

Once the economy improves, have not doubt, that PM Narendra Modi will roll back cow slaughter and end it for good.

1. Friendship with Pakistan and China

India’s military is operating with one hand tied behind its back.  Countering an all-out border row with China is unthinkable at this juncture.  Another 26/11 will mandate a quick and lethal response from the new govt.  A depleted military and potentially compromised security apparatus (as evidenced by the series of naval accidents) can ill afford a direct confrontation with either of these countries.

The PM’s actions suggest a strategy to buy time as he rebuilds India’s overt and covert capabilities.  These will take time.  Certainly a decade or so, but India should be able to acquire strong defensive preparedness by 2017.

Till then, keeping Pakistan and China happy will remain the centerpiece of his foreign policy

1. Why persist with Aadhar

At first glance, scrapping this white elephant seems like a no brainer.  But dig deeper and it seems like a gift inadvertently dropped in NDA’s lap by Sonia and her NAC.  Stripped of illegal immigrants, Aadhar can be a powerful tool to circumvent state governments and deliver services directly to the people.

With key parts of Aadhar’s infrastructure already in place, the PM could use this scheme to target key constituencies across India without fear of leakages and pilferage.  From food stamps and coupons to direct deposit of pensions, Aadhar could do for the new PM in Delhi what Garib Kalyan Melas did for the then CM in Gujarat – deliver a more efficient mai-baap government.

Aaadhar’s central flaw is that it does not differentiate between residents and citizens.  By addressing this loophole, the government can help identify illegal Bangladeshis and systematically weed them out of the country.

So folks 2 months are too little a time to evaluate any outfit, much less the labyrinth that is the Indian Government.  Let us wait for 12 to 18 months before we analyze and score this government.  We have elected a man who has delivered at every level.  Given time and support he won’t let us down.