- 4 months ago
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 75th birthday.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today. This is your prime time destination. News, newsmakers, talking points. Our big talking point tonight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned 75 today. As the Prime Minister's birthday now become a national event, we look at Mr. Modi's secret source of dominance with those who've tracked his politics for decades.
00:26That's going to be our top talking point. But there's plenty of news on the show today. So let's get cracking with the nine headlines at nine to nine.
00:35High drama in Dubai at the Asia Cup after Pakistan first threatens to boycott the Asia Cup, but then comes out to play its match versus UAE with a one hour delay.
00:48Despite no acceptance of its demands by the ICC, a fallout of the tangle between India and Pakistan during a match a few days ago.
00:59World leaders wish Prime Minister Modi on his 75th birthday after Trump. Vladimir Putin dials Prime Minister Modi to extend birthday wishes.
01:12Prime Minister asserts India ready to make all possible contribution towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Ukraine.
01:20Patna High Court directs the Congress to remove a controversial AI-generated video of the Prime Minister and his late mother circulated by the party's Bihar unit from all social media platforms.
01:37Home Minister Amit Shah now launches a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over infiltrators.
01:43Another controversy ahead of the Bihar elections. Congress claims Bihar government leaves 1,050 acres of land at the rate of 1 rupee per year to Adani power.
02:08Industry's Minister Nitish Mishra hits back, says due process was followed.
02:17AI-171 pilot Sumit Sabarwal's father writes to centre seeking fresh probe in Air India crash case.
02:27Claims selective leaks led to speculation tarnished his son's image.
02:32Shooters involved for firing outside actor Disha Patani's Bareli home are killed during an encounter in Ghaziabad.
02:44Both accused fired 8 to 10 rounds outside actor's house.
02:48Logistics tech platform Blackbuck moves out of Bengaluru, saying the long commute and potholes have made it very hard to continue in Bengaluru.
03:00Other leaders of industry also say that infrastructure is a serious problem.
03:06And India's javelin champion, Neeraj Chopra, comfortably secures a spot in the World Athletics Final.
03:18Neeraj chasing a third successive medal at the World Championships.
03:21But let's turn right at the very top to the big breaking news that's coming in.
03:38There's been high drama this evening at the Asia Cup cricket tournament with Pakistan threatening to pull out,
03:45but eventually playing a match that has been delayed against the United Arab Emirates.
03:51Andy Pycroft, over whom Pakistan made objections as match referee, will continue to officiate the Pakistan vs. UAE toss.
04:02There's no clarity about reports that Pycroft has offered an apology to the Pakistanis.
04:08ICC sources denying the Pakistani media claim that Pycroft has apologised.
04:14Nikhil Naaz, who tracks cricket and sports for us at India Today, now joins us.
04:19Nikhil, I'm just getting a message from the editor of Pakistan, Jio, claiming that the matter was resolved at the last moment because Pycroft apologised.
04:29Is ICC confirming that? What is the backstory here? And was the threat of a boycott real? Or were the Pakistanis simply posturing?
04:40Well, Rajdeep, I've got breaking news for you and that relates to the two versions that you're getting at the moment.
04:46Let me just put out all the facts in front of the viewers.
04:50This is fresh that we're getting here and breaking first in India today.
04:53There was an official statement that has come out from the Pakistan cricket board and they have said these things and I'm just going to quote those things.
05:01One, they've said that Andy Pycroft has apologised. That's why he's allowed to continue his match referee today.
05:08He's apologised to the Pakistan cricket team's manager and captain.
05:13They say that the Pakistan cricket board had strongly reacted to Pycroft's action.
05:17They further go on to say that ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate a breach of the code of conduct during the match on 14th September.
05:27So two things that the PCB are claiming at the moment is that Andy Pycroft has apologised and that ICC is ready to investigate this matter further.
05:38Now, this to me is half truth. Now, I'll confirm to you the official version that I'm getting from the ICC.
05:44The ICC says, yes, Andy Pycroft has apologised to the PCB, but he has not apologised on the handshake.
05:52There is no question of an apology on a handshake because as far as ICC is concerned and they make it very clear that he has been given a clean chit in the handshake matter.
06:03They have not found Andy Pycroft guilty.
06:05The only thing that Andy Pycroft has apologised for is if any miscommunication would have been there on the match day.
06:13And if PCB feels that some things were not communicated to them in time, that's the only thing that Pycroft has apologised for, not for the handshake.
06:22Pycroft maintains that the handshake is completely up to the captains.
06:26Match safety has nothing to do with it.
06:28And also the ICC, after investigating the matter, has given him a clean chit.
06:32The second bit for which the PCB are saying, or in their press release, they say that ICC has shown its readiness to investigate the matter further.
06:42The ICC say, no, that's again half truth.
06:45ICC has not shown its readiness.
06:47The PCB, they say, insists that you must look at this matter again.
06:51ICC has said, we've already seen the matter.
06:53We've given him a clean chit.
06:54But if you have any fresh evidence, if you have anything more to add, do send it to us.
07:00If we see any fresh evidence that comes to light, then of course, as is protocol, we'll look into the matter.
07:06But there is no guarantee of another investigation.
07:08So what you read between from what ICC is saying and what PCB, there is a middle ground.
07:14But what I'm being told, according to again the Pakistan media, is that the ICC has agreed to investigate violations by Surya Kumar Yadav for making political statements after the game from an ICC platform.
07:32Is that true?
07:33Or is this again a half truth by the Pakistanis?
07:35No.
07:36So, as I said, at the moment, the only thing that the ICC has conceded, that they are not going to investigate any matter.
07:44Because for them, the investigation was done on all things.
07:47And they have given a clean chit to Andy Poycroft.
07:50And the reason, Rajdeep, they've given a clean chit to Andy Poycroft is because one is the handshake.
07:55And of course, those political statements, which is also the lookout of a match referee.
07:59Clearly, the ICC found him not guilty on that.
08:02That's why they've given him the clean chit.
08:03All they are saying is that if you have any more grievances, we'll look at it if you come up with any fresh evidence.
08:10Now, as far as those political statements are concerned in the handshake, I don't think that's fresh evidence.
08:15That was on display on the ground.
08:17So, I don't think they are going to reinitiate those investigations.
08:20But again, that we'll have to wait and watch.
08:22What is it that the PCB present to the ICC?
08:25And from there, they'll take the matters forward.
08:27Clearly, lots of posturing going on, all of which has cast a shadow over the Asia Cup.
08:37India and Pakistan in that proxy war of sorts over cricket.
08:41Appreciate Nikhil Nas joining us.
08:43I want to turn to some more breaking news that we are getting at the moment.
08:47Because the criminals who fired shots outside actor Disha Pattani's house killed in an encounter.
08:55That's right.
08:56This is in Bareilly.
08:57Accused have been identified as Arun and Ravinder.
09:01They belong to a U.S.-based gangster group.
09:04The Roid Godra Goldie Brar Gang.
09:08And were history shooters.
09:09Arvind Oja, who tracks crime for us, is joining us.
09:13Arvind Ji, tell us that Disha, the actor, the shootout after his house, the shootout, has been encountered.
09:20This encounter, both gangsters were killed.
09:23What happened in the encounter?
09:25What happened in the encounter?
09:27A few years ago, there was a joint operation in Gajibabad in Gajibabad.
09:31Joint operation in Gajibabad.
10:01And he said, strict action will be taken.
10:03After that, the CCTV footage of the shooting, the two shooters, the Haryana-based shooter, had been eliminated.
10:10And when today, this information was found in Gajibabad, their movement, was tracked.
10:15Both shooters had fired on the police party, because they had sophisticated weapons.
10:23Jigana and Glock pistol both had fired on the police, and they had fired on the police.
10:29right arvind roja joining us with those details appreciate you joining us there so those two
10:42pieces of breaking news coming in i want to turn to our top focus tonight prime minister narendra
10:47modi prime minister for the last 11 years and before that gujarat chief minister for a dozen
10:52years turned 75 today it was a day where across the country bjp workers celebrities and a host of
11:02world leaders were busy greeting the prime minister offering him birthday wishes on his milestone
11:08birthday the prime minister himself was in dhar district of madhya pradesh where he launched a
11:14series of welfare and development programs the big question of course is has mr modi's birthday
11:20now turned into a national event critics say it's an example of psychophancy and a personality cult
11:28his admirers say modi is the most towering figure in indian politics and therefore deserves all the
11:35birthday wishes he can get take a look at this report and then we look at the modi formula back in a moment
11:42as prime minister narendra modi turned 75 his party his colleagues his supporters pulled out all the
11:53stops to make a splash almost a show of strength newspapers greeted readers on wednesday with
12:00advertisements wishing prime minister modi a happy birthday the bjp launched a fortnight long
12:08sewa pakwara to mark the occasion
12:14a nationwide blood donation drive was held which saw urine ministers and chief ministers donate blood
12:21state governments led by the bjp have lined up social welfare events till october 2nd
12:30modi himself attended a rally in madhya pradesh where he launched a health scheme for women
12:37a national event who made theute and women and guards and the fruits of the
12:54public.
13:04I joined all my 145 crore fellow Indians in wishing our Prime Minister a happy birthday.
13:19Prime Minister Modi, my best wishes to you on your 75th birthday.
13:25Social media was flooded with messages posted by industrialists.
13:34Our Pradhan Mantri Shri Narendra Modi ji ki 75th birthday ke mauke par hunne dhir sari shubkaamna hai.
13:43Superstars and sports stars.
13:51Hashtag My Modi story trended with eminent personalities sharing their encounters with the Prime Minister.
13:59The celebration don't end here.
14:01The Ministry of Education has directed all Kendra Vidyalya's, Navodhya Vidyalya Samiti and CBSE schools to screen the movie Chalo Jete Haen, inspired from Prime Minister's childhood.
14:31The movie which first released in 2018 will be shown to students till October 2nd.
14:43Birthday bash or personality cult.
14:47With five decades in public life, 13 years as Gujarat Chief Minister, 11 years and counting as Prime Minister, Modi is still going strong.
14:57Bureau Report, India Today.
15:01So let's raise the big questions.
15:05What is Narendra Modi's secret sauce of political dominance?
15:10Modi at 75.
15:11Is his birthday now a national event?
15:15Is the Modi personality cult simply on show in a display of psychophancy as critics allege?
15:21What is Mr. Modi's biggest success and failure?
15:25Those are the big questions.
15:26Let's get straight to our talking point.
15:28And joining me now, our special guests, people who've tracked Narendra Modi and as a leader for years.
15:38Joining me now, Swapandas Gupta, senior political commentator, author, someone who's been a BJP politician.
15:44Also joined by Ashok Malik of the Eurasia Group.
15:48He too has tracked Mr. Modi for years.
15:50Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay joins me.
15:52He's an author who's written a well-written biography on Prime Minister Modi.
15:57And we hope to be joined by Bhavan Verma, author and politician also shortly.
16:02I want to come to you, Swapandas Gupta, breaking each question one by one.
16:07What is Narendra Modi's secret sauce of political success and longevity?
16:12That he hasn't lost an election in more than two decades.
16:16What is the secret sauce of Mr. Modi at 75?
16:22Well, Rajiv, I don't think there's any secret about what explains Modi's success.
16:26I think one of the first things is that there is an image of complete dedication, which he exudes, which is very, very important.
16:36And secondly, and I think this comes across sharply in various of his election campaigns, is that he rarely fights on small issues.
16:49It's always the big picture which he's concerned with.
16:53So his positioning is that of a leader who is above the petty squabbles of either regional politics or national politics.
17:07It's these two in my mind, which actually explains why he retains a consistent appeal over the decades.
17:16And that's something which I think he is slightly unique in India for that.
17:28You're saying he rises about petty issues.
17:31Critics would say that he started off as a Hindutva hero.
17:34He was seen as this Hindu Ride Samrat post-2002.
17:38That's how he built...
17:38No, no, Rajiv, that's not a petty issue.
17:41That is a larger...
17:43No, no, his critics see it as a divisive...
17:45I didn't say petty.
17:46His critics might see it as a divisive issue.
17:48Is he seen today in that?
17:51Yes.
17:51No, no, his critics might see it.
17:54Fair enough.
17:55His critics might see all that.
17:56I am explaining it that as far as I see it, Narendra Modi's ability to articulate the Hindutva idiom, sometimes explicitly, sometimes more symbolically, is also symptomatic of his ability to address the larger issue.
18:19Hindutva is not something which is linked to the local drains or local compulsion.
18:28It's something which is a larger, which spans the whole state or whole nation.
18:34And that's really what I'm talking about.
18:37Modi is not a local leader.
18:40It's more...
18:40You believe he's seen as a symbol of a kind of nationalism.
18:45Am I correct?
18:46A muscular nationalism.
18:47He is seen certainly in a national...
18:50He's seen as a national figure.
18:52He's probably seen as the only national figure in India today.
18:57There is no other parallel to him.
19:00And therefore, particularly when it comes to national elections, where Lok Sabha elections, where the question is who is going to govern the country,
19:07I think Mr. Modi has a natural and a clear advantage, which often leads to the BJP getting a majority.
19:17And when he doesn't get a majority, I mean, you'll obviously ask yourself the question, 2024.
19:232024 was one occasion where it was some of the local issues which diverted, which made him lose that cutting edge, which made the BJP lose that cutting edge.
19:36Whenever he presents itself as a national figure, that's an interesting perspective.
19:47Nilanjan Mukhopadhyaya, Swapandas Gupta saying Modi at 75 has managed to transform himself into this national cult figure.
19:56What, according to you, is there a secret sauce to it?
19:59Well, we have to look at how Mr. Modi started out first in 2001 from that time onwards as Gujarat Chief Minister.
20:11He was able to project two definite facets of his personality.
20:15One is somebody who knew the development mantra and was able to sing it in the manner that the people wanted it.
20:23And the other was that he was able to utilize the sentiments which were arisen by the Godra carnage.
20:29And thereafter, the reaction to that, the Gujarat riots, you know.
20:33So he pursued both these issues very systematically right from 2001, 2002 onwards till 2013, 2014,
20:43when he was actually campaigning as, you know, for the 2014 elections.
20:47Thereafter, as Prime Minister, he has further taken these two factors forward.
20:54And the development mantra has actually transformed into a kind of a governance platform,
21:00which is heavily dependent on welfare.
21:03You know, basically it is, you know, project-oriented, you know, programs which he has pursued,
21:10which has actually delivered a lot of, you know, deliverables to the people in terms of food after COVID,
21:17various other manners in which it was given.
21:20And besides that, there has been this recurring, you know, the theme of Hindutva, which has always been there.
21:27If we actually go back from 2014 onwards and track it, you know, page by page,
21:33you will find that every now and then he has returned very strongly to the Hindutva pitch.
21:39The latest being in the 15th of August Independence Day speech, you know,
21:44talking about a high-powered demographic mission, something which is for the last nearly four decades,
21:50the Sangha Pariwar has been campaigning, especially in Assam,
21:53when Balasai Devras first coined the idea that the refugees have to be separated from the infiltrators.
22:00You know, it's a completely different way.
22:03The Hindu is a refugee and the Muslims are the infiltrators.
22:07Same lot of people coming, possibly for the same reasons,
22:11but they get different labels by a majoritarian political platform.
22:15You know, that is the way it has been done.
22:17So it has continued way and Mr. Modi has actually very successfully normalized this majoritarian idea
22:24under Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani, more so Mr. Advani and less Mr. Vajpayee.
22:29It got an entry, but both of them did not think that alone itself is going to be a sustainable political idea.
22:39Mr. Modi believed in it right from the beginning and he has been able to establish it.
22:44As he turned 75, he's actually turned out to be the most powerful leader.
22:49At the moment, it does not seem to be any imminent challenge faced to his political standing.
22:55So has he normalized the rise in a way, Ashok Malik, of the political Hindu?
23:05With Narendra Modi at 75, as I said, dominant figure now at the national level for a decade,
23:11but even in the state of Gujarat prior to that, has he normalized the rise of the political Hindu?
23:17If you permit me saying this, to assess a political life which has been so long, so rich, on a milestone day,
23:28I don't think we are being fair by limiting it to a few nouns here, a few episodes there.
23:34There is a larger picture which we are missing.
23:37I would say there are three attributes to Narendra Modi which stand out
23:40and which have helped him stay on top of his game for years and decades now.
23:48Number one, Mr. Modi has grown older.
23:50He has grown in years.
23:53But his politics has not grown older.
23:56His politics has continuously and continually evolved.
24:00He is a gifted politician and a very dedicated man
24:04in the sense that he has taught himself new things.
24:07He has taught himself new subjects, new idioms.
24:12The Narendra Modi, who is a grassroots worker, did not know international economics
24:16or the importance of semiconductors.
24:19The prime minister does.
24:21He has learned.
24:23The Narendra Modi, who started off with the Iktayatra,
24:25probably did not know foreign policy to the way.
24:28The prime minister, Narendra Modi, does and has taught himself to be a sure-footed diplomat.
24:32He has continuously evolved, continuously added to his quiver of arrows.
24:40And he has been receptive to changing public aspirations.
24:47That is what has helped him.
24:49He has not imposed his politics, his ideas on the people,
24:54on his, in a sense, his consumers or his voters.
24:57He has drawn from them and responded to them.
25:00That is his number one calling card.
25:03Second, for all his faults, even his worst critics say,
25:08this man is hardworking, dedicated, sure-footed.
25:11He is the three-o'clock politician.
25:13If there's a problem, I want him there.
25:15Even his critics say that.
25:17In a time of fairly frivolous politics, not just in India,
25:21but many parts of the world, look at the politics of the United Kingdom.
25:24And, you know, prime ministers going off for parties in the middle of COVID.
25:28In that sort of an atmosphere, we're seeing that in the West,
25:31we're seeing that in other democracies.
25:33Narendra Modi comes across as a serious person.
25:36A serious person, serious with his job.
25:38You may not agree with his politics, but you don't doubt his seriousness.
25:43I believe those are his strongest calling cards.
25:45Pavan Verma, therefore, do we look at Mr. Modi at 75 well beyond just seeing him
25:55from the traditional way he was seen, let's say, even a decade or two ago,
25:59as I said, the rise of the political Hindu,
26:01that he's evolved according to Ashok Malik
26:04and thereby has been able to change and adapt to the aspirations
26:08of a new India, as he calls it.
26:11Do you agree with that?
26:19Thank you, Rajdeep.
26:20I first would like to congratulate the prime minister on his 75th birthday.
26:26He has certainly emerged as a figure of history
26:29in India's democratic politics.
26:33Now, if we have to assess him in terms of his personality, persona,
26:39and his achievements, I will quickly give to you what I think are his five pluses
26:44and the five minuses, which I believe in some way have dented
26:48the image he came with in 2014.
26:53In terms of the five pluses, there's no doubt that we have rarely seen a leader
26:58in recent times with the kind of will to power he brought,
27:03rising from the chief minister against great odds to become the prime minister
27:07and the relentless energy which he has invested in that pursuit of power,
27:14which is visible.
27:15He works 24-7 a day.
27:17That's a plus for him.
27:19Second is his eloquence,
27:20his ability to be able to address any subject and speak in a manner
27:26which has an impact on his audience.
27:28We have rarely seen leaders of that kind.
27:32I think perhaps after Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
27:36Thirdly, he has built,
27:38he has built a rapport which is based on popularity with the masses.
27:43Otherwise, no leader would have got two absolute majorities largely on his strength.
27:49Fourthly, in terms of his pluses are his project of targeted welfarism,
27:57although there is a great deal of corruption at the lower level in its implementation,
28:01but the targeted welfarism has made an impact in the building of his what you call the personality cult.
28:09And fifthly, I think he's made a contribution to the much expanded digitization of the Indian economy.
28:18Now, as against that, if you ask me, objectively,
28:23in terms of his minuses, I would put five quick things very quickly.
28:28I think he, the hopes that he brought in 2014,
28:32that he will take economic reforms, ease of doing business,
28:38to a point where India would look different in 10 years,
28:43that hope has not been fulfilled.
28:46They have been, his measures have been half-hearted.
28:49With two absolute majority, he could have done much more in terms of that, point number one.
28:56Point number two, he has injected, in my view, for the worse,
29:02the greater communalization of the social fabric and of Indian polity,
29:09far more than it was before, and in a far more pervasive sense.
29:15Third, he has brought, unfortunately, because the first thing he did in 2014
29:20was to bow before parliament, in fact, he knelt before it,
29:24a certain kind of authoritarianism, which has in a partisan manner weaponized
29:34otherwise institutions which were meant to be autonomous and independent
29:39under the constitution, such as the CBI, the ED,
29:43and I would say the election commission.
29:45Fourthly, I think that the falling standards of discourse in Indian politics
29:51ultimately take their inspiration from the leaders at the helm,
29:56and Prime Minister Modi could have been more careful in ensuring that that remains
30:01because he is the Prime Minister of the whole country.
30:04And I think there he has fallen short of expectations.
30:07And finally, in terms of the economic benefits, in spite of the welfareism,
30:11there is a certain degree of alienation because of growing inequality
30:19and rising unemployment, a lopsided economy where there are more billionaires
30:26being produced than anywhere in the world,
30:28and more people falling beyond the levels of acceptable poverty.
30:33So I would say that if you look at the balance sheet,
30:38he is a figure of history, but you have to see it in perspective.
30:42And then judge him in his entirety.
30:48Let me then turn to the second question I am raising today, Swapandas Gupta,
30:53that we have seen the way the birthday has been celebrated.
30:56Every celebrity, every minister putting out tweets, putting out photographs, large ads.
31:02Is this the culmination of the personality cult that Modi has become?
31:07Critics will say this is an example of authoritarianism.
31:10His supporters will say this is an element of adoration and admiration that people have.
31:16Does the truth lie somewhere in between?
31:18Or are we seeing an instinctive politician who is domineering
31:21and therefore a personality cult has grown around him?
31:25Look, Rajdeep, there is no doubt that Modi today is the tallest political leader.
31:34And a person whose landmark birthday is being celebrated in this generous fashion.
31:43It's not that every birthday of Mr. Modi has been celebrated in a similar way.
31:50Today being 75 is obviously something.
31:53It's the landmark birthday.
31:55The location has demanded it.
31:57And secondly, the point is, at a time when for a very long time, India lacked a towering figure
32:09who was a cementing force as well.
32:12Narendra Modi fulfills that role.
32:15And at 75, in 75, 2025, he is very different in stature from the Narendra Modi, which was elected in 2014,
32:33despite the opposition of the people, the types of which Pavan Verma articulated.
32:39Articulated, you know, those very same criticisms were levelled.
32:42Today, he epitomizes something more.
32:46He epitomizes a certain power that India actually represents in the whole world.
32:54He represents the fact that not only has he modified his Hindutva, has come of age,
33:02it's the fact that he has also managed to alter Indian aspirations quite substantially and make India think very big.
33:12And I think because of all these reasons, Narendra Modi has a very special status in the minds of Indians.
33:21At a time earlier, Jawaharlal Nehru was celebrated quite generously.
33:25How is that different?
33:27How is that?
33:29But how is that different from, let's say, Devkanth Barwa in the 1970s saying India is Indira, Indira is India.
33:35Today, the BJP is saying the same.
33:37Isn't this much like India than the emergence of this personality cult?
33:41How is Modi's personality cult?
33:44You would want someone to say it, but the point is no one has said it.
33:48The fact is, Mr. Modi's birthday is being celebrated quite generously, but not in the same slavish manner as the time when Devkanth Barwa said what he did,
34:03when India was, when civil liberties had been removed and when emergency was in front line.
34:09Today, you can say that this is cultism.
34:12Others will say, no, it's not.
34:15Modi is really quite something special in India.
34:19So these are various points of view.
34:21I believe that while certain people may have celebrated his birthday, put out tributes partly because they want the attention of the powers that be,
34:31there is a genuine feeling that Mr. Modi stands for something special.
34:36And he has managed to take India to a status which was far not, which certainly wasn't expected in 2014.
34:47Yes, there are shortcomings, but that has got nothing to do with the fact that Modi's own personality is today not only national,
34:57but to a very large extent, he is a commanding international figure.
35:01Of course, there is work.
35:02These are all work in progress, etc.
35:05And it is also a fact that the BJP supporters will celebrate it far more robustly and vociferously than will a lot of other people.
35:16That's only true to be expected.
35:18He's the man who's taken them to three victories.
35:21So that is only true to be expected.
35:23Swapan, I take that point.
35:26But it's, sure, BJP supporters celebrating is understandable,
35:30but there is a sense, Nilanja Nubukopathy, and if you go through Modi's life,
35:34and you've been as one of his biographers, you've seen Modi likes the idea of a public spectacle.
35:39You know, his critics will call it narcissism.
35:42But there is this obsession with the self.
35:46Is that true or not, that optics matter, the idea of a public spectacle matters to Mr. Modi and his followers' supporters?
35:53No, I would not want to, you know, fix any label from my side,
36:02but I would like to remind everybody that Mr. Advani, who possibly knew him the best,
36:07especially when he was making a mark and emerging from being a state leader to a national leader,
36:13he called him a very good event manager.
36:15So I think that says it, you know, that Mr. Modi has actually known the benefit of using events.
36:23And let us, if we actually go back to 2013-14, when Mr. Modi was, you know,
36:29making a niche for himself permanently in the national platform,
36:32you know, it was a very well-crafted product which was publicized in a very organized kind of manner.
36:39You know, he was among the first Indian political leaders
36:42who sensed the advantage of the social media got onto it, you know,
36:46also got about this entire and organized publicity campaign, you know,
36:51learned so much from the Obama campaign, you know, of the first Obama campaign.
37:00So from all that, he really learned so much.
37:03So we have to understand that, you know, we are talking about birthdays and events,
37:08you know, say a few years back, Mr. Modi's birthday was celebrated,
37:13you know, when the Cheetah project was launched.
37:15So always in the last 11 years, there has always been some big synchronization
37:21of some national event with Mr. Modi's birthday.
37:24So it is not that, you know, it is just some ordinary people doing something
37:28and, you know, it has happened on its own.
37:31It's a very well-planned manner.
37:33I am not saying that it is not to be done.
37:35It used to be done even, I remember, as a very young, you know, child,
37:40Indira Gandhi's birthday.
37:41It's done across the world.
37:44I do remember a few occasions.
37:46We live in a multimedia age.
37:50I think Mr. Modi has been...
37:51We live in an age where political choreography does matter.
37:56So I am just trying to understand, Ashok Malik,
37:59do you believe that the personality cult is now even bigger than the party?
38:04That today people vote for the BJP, not necessarily because of the BJP,
38:08but because of Mr. Modi, that he's become larger than life
38:11in the truest sense of the term?
38:13Rajiv, three points.
38:15One, Mr. Modi is certainly more popular than the BJP is today.
38:20There's no question of that.
38:21He has not just added to the BJP's permanent vote,
38:24but he's also given it a temporary bump which is individual and, you know,
38:29particular to him.
38:31But broadly, he's left the BJP much stronger institutionally than when he began.
38:38It's got a much wider electoral base today.
38:41Second, is politics...
38:44So today, is politics in India today over the top?
38:47Of course it is.
38:48But politics was over the top before Mr. Modi arrived.
38:51It will be over the top after he leaves.
38:54You know, Dilanjan Mukhopadha has spoke about the Cheetah event
38:59being commemorated along with Mr. Modi's birthday some years ago.
39:03You know, many years ago, Children's Day was commemorated
39:06on Pandit Nehru's birthday.
39:08It is a characteristic occasion, but it was commemorated.
39:10Mahatma Gandhi, no less, delayed the start of the Gandhi March
39:16till enough international press had arrived.
39:19It's there.
39:19It's recorded in history.
39:20And I'm not blaming anybody for that.
39:22He was maximizing the moment.
39:24And that is what politicians do.
39:25That is what intelligent statesmen do.
39:28There's nothing wrong with that.
39:31We need to realize that a milestone birthday of such a popular leader
39:37will see a certain choreography, some of it organic, some of it inorganic.
39:43We need to also recognize this epoch for what it is.
39:47In my estimation, the two most popular politicians in India, the two prime ministers in India,
39:54I'm sorry, the two prime ministers with the greatest mass appeal and all India popularity
40:01were Pandit Nehru in the 1950s and Narendra Modi in the past 10 years.
40:07I'm not making any comparisons.
40:09I'm not going into who was better, who was worse.
40:12I'm not going into that.
40:13I'm just saying in terms of mass appeal and all India popularity, these two epochs stand out.
40:21That is what is special about this movement politically.
40:24Interesting, the way you're putting it, Pavan, Verma, do you therefore see that we have arrived
40:33in this Moditva era?
40:34We are still very much in it.
40:36The prime minister is 75.
40:37He shows no signs of retiring, no going into any Magdarshak mandal,
40:42is energetic as ever, traveling across the country.
40:45Are we in a Modi era and how would you contrast it with what was once described as the Nehruvian era,
40:51the biggest difference between that era and today?
40:57No, I've already given the reasons why I believe that at least on the front of the preservation
41:05of a more or a less authoritarian democracy, there's a difference.
41:11I'm not saying there were not personality cults then.
41:13But talking of personality cult, Rajdeep, you see, you can't separate the man from what
41:20actually made the man.
41:22He is a man who revels in authority.
41:26Please see his tenure as chief minister of Gujarat where he broke little opposition.
41:33In fact, he hardly ever gave enough importance even to the assembly.
41:38So when he became prime minister with such a massive mandate,
41:43it is but natural that his personality cult was then at its peak because he had created history,
41:50but he also reveled in that personality cult.
41:54And what that has led to, and that is an observation which I see from sometimes real
42:01and sometimes apocryphal feedback is that it has reduced the BJP,
42:08which was otherwise a very active collegium,
42:13Advani, Murli Manor Jorshi, Vajpayee, in discussion,
42:18and sometimes holding a different opinion.
42:23It has reduced the BJP to a fairly inert conformity, which I believe is a consequence of that cult.
42:32So you benefit from it and then there are some consequences that follow from it.
42:37As far as whether we are in a Modi era, you see, India is a country of a varying hue of political possibilities.
42:47And as one line in Urdu says,
42:50Every pinnacle has in its own genes, its own descent.
42:57So at the moment, he is certainly the most power-towering and powerful figure.
43:02But I don't believe that we can call any particular period of history as a Modi era,
43:08in identifying it only with an individual.
43:11And there are other dangers to also a personality cult.
43:15For instance, in foreign policy, where you take personal chemistry with a leader
43:20to be in a way sometimes a substitute for careful strategizing.
43:26Now, these are consequences of that, but that is what has made the man.
43:30If you didn't have this will to authority, who would imagine a chief minister of a smaller state than other than Gujarat
43:39making it to the prime ministership against stalwarts like Advani?
43:43I think you've all given us plenty of food for thought.
43:52Hopefully, as Mr. Modi cuts his birthday cake, if he at all cuts the birthday cake this evening,
43:58he listens to some of these varying thoughts.
44:01I think from all of us, we can only wish him a very happy birthday.
44:05He has been, like him or not, whichever side of the divide, you are a very gifted politician,
44:12a consummate politician when it comes to power politics.
44:16And that can be divisive, and he has been a divisive figure,
44:20but he's also been a figure who has to be understood at different levels.
44:26You need to understand Narendra Modi, and therefore, he remains a figure of enduring fascination.
44:3475 not out, Mr. Modi, and we only wish you a very happy birthday.
44:42Ashok Malik, Pawan Varma, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, and Swapandas Gupta for joining me here.
44:47Thank you very much.
44:54Okay, let's turn from there to another, sorry, our top story.
44:59It's Andra versus Karnataka.
45:01That's right, the fight for business between the two southern states could heat up once again,
45:07because Bengaluru is finding that its crumbling roads and clogged drains have meant
45:11that more and more businesses could be looking for options.
45:15The latest today is digital trucking giant Black Buck,
45:19which vacated its office or its headquarters,
45:22saying that it was just not able to function effectively in Bengaluru.
45:27Even as the BJP blamed the Siddharamaya government,
45:30Andhra Pradesh's leader, Nara Lokesh,
45:33immediately stepped in and said,
45:36Black Buck should shift their base to Andhra Pradesh.
45:40So you have now a war within.
45:42Karnataka versus Andhra Pradesh.
45:45Take a look at this story.
45:47It's Andhra Pradesh versus Karnataka,
45:55the high-stakes battle for business and investments.
45:58And the fallout could reshape the economic landscape of southern India.
46:03Bengaluru's crumbling infrastructure,
46:07broken roads,
46:08potholes,
46:09clogged drains
46:09are no longer just civic nightmares.
46:13They are now a full-blown business crisis.
46:16Digital trucking giant Black Buck has announced plans to vacate its office in Bengaluru's Belandoor,
46:22citing pothole roads,
46:23traffic mess,
46:24and poor infrastructure.
46:26The company stresses it's not leaving Bengaluru entirely,
46:30but this move sends a strong warning to the Karnataka government.
46:34There are huge potholes,
46:35and this is the kind of infrastructure the people get.
46:39And that is one of the reasons that Black Buck Company,
46:43which is planning to move out of Belandoor area,
46:47they will be moving out of Belandoor,
46:48but they will not be moving out of Bengaluru.
46:50But they are looking out for an alternative place in and around Belandoor.
46:55No matter which party comes to power,
46:58the IT companies in the Outer Ring Road are suffering every single day.
47:02While the Sidramaya Sarkara played down the impact,
47:06the BJP has slammed the Sidramaya government
47:09for driving away business and pushing the state into decline.
47:14Bengaluru is a global city.
47:1650% are the local people.
47:1750% of the people, our children from various states,
47:20come here for work and study.
47:22And expats and other people to work in the companies.
47:26So these are this one.
47:27And our deputy chief minister is already in this one.
47:30He has made a statement and we are going to address it.
47:32I think it is high time for the ruling party
47:35to see that for employment generation,
47:38for the development of our country,
47:41all these development activities should be given priority
47:45and they should take care.
47:46Meanwhile, across the border,
47:48Andhra Pradesh is ready to capitalize on Karnataka's missteps.
47:52Just hours after Black Buck announced his exit from Belandoor
47:55due to poor infrastructure,
47:57Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh took to X with a bold invitation,
48:01asking the logistics company to shift base to Andhra Pradesh,
48:04promising better infrastructure and safer cities.
48:07I think with a company who's name cannot be disclosed by me officially,
48:13they're going to build one of India's largest data center
48:16in Vishakapatna.
48:18It's going to be a one gigawatt data center.
48:22We started with some ground up.
48:26That conversation, I think, happened around August
48:28where I drove them personally, showed them the land
48:30and got them excited about Vishakapatna.
48:34And this isn't the first time Andhra has seized such an opportunity.
48:39Back in July, when Karnataka failed to give land for industrial use,
48:42Andhra had made a similar pitch to porch business away from the state.
48:46Will Karnataka fix its crumbling infrastructure and time?
48:51Or will Andhra Pradesh steal the show quite literally?
48:55With Sagair Raj in Bengaluru, Bureau Report, India Today.
49:03Let's turn to tonight's Get Real India story.
49:05Public health in Chhattisgarh is once again in a crisis.
49:09Nearly 16,000 National Health Mission workers are on strike,
49:13locking up health centers and leaving patients stranded.
49:18From sanitation workers bandaging wounds to guards giving injections,
49:23the strike has taken a heavy toll on patients desperately seeking treatment.
49:28It's tonight's Get Real India story.
49:30Nearly 16,000 National Health Mission workers in Chhattisgarh are on strike for a month now.
49:47And services at primary health centers across the state are in a limbo.
49:51The employees on strike who include paramedics, nurses and technicians have a charter of 10 demands.
50:06These include regularization of service, great pay with 27% hike,
50:1310 lakh rupees family insurance cover and better working conditions across centers.
50:18Where in our country, like in Meghalaya and in Madhya Pradesh,
50:23there has been a lot of work and a lot of work and a lot of work done.
50:25The ratio of 40 and 60 is going to be near-and-true.
50:29For this reason, Kendra has also started to do this.
50:32If the state people want to regulate their own karma,
50:34they want to regulate their own salary,
50:35they want to regulate their own salary or they want to give a healthy salary,
50:37then the budget of Kendra will be near-and-true.
50:40They have started to do this.
50:41The government is watching, but they don't have a difference.
50:44The government is watching, because the government is seeing that the health effects are so much effect.
50:48The children are dying, they are dying, they are dying,
50:52but they are getting rid of things, and they are saying that they don't have any effect on the health effects.
50:58The Vishnadeo Sai government says it has accepted some of the demands.
51:05The strike is taking a toll on the ground.
51:29This particular health center in question is located in Bhatagao,
51:34which almost treats 200 to 300 patients on an everyday basis.
51:39But right now, as you see, it is isolated.
51:42There are no patients, no doctors that are available here, except for a few.
51:47In fact, this particular health center operates with only 35 staff members.
51:54That has now reduced to 6 to 7.
51:56The Matpurina Health Center is deserted.
52:18It has not been functional for nearly a month.
52:21The effect of the strike is being felt across the state.
52:48state. With NHM staff missing, others are pitching in.
52:53in at a community health center in Ambikapur a sanitation worker was seen
53:15bandaging a patient's wound and at the Garia Bandha district hospital security
53:23guard was caught on camera administering injections to patients from Bilaspur to
53:35Ambikapur from Raipur to Garia Bandha the story is the same health centers locked
53:41up patients forced to go to private hospitals Chhattisgarh's health network
53:48is in a coma with Sumi Keval Patel and Rajesh Mishra Bureau report India today
53:54okay from Chhattisgarh let's turn to the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh which
54:03brings our good news today's story and it's a story from a small village in MP
54:07called Simapur which is rewriting the story which could become a positive story for rural India
54:13with nearly one in ten residents here working as teachers five of them presidential awardees this
54:20is no ordinary village here teaching is not just a profession but a proud legacy good news today's
54:27story comes from Simapur take a look
54:30welcome to Simapur village in Madhya Pradesh here every household has a teacher well almost in this
54:45village in a singhpur district with a population of around 5,000 nearly 500 are working as teachers
54:52here in 2013 since 2013 I am studying here in English and here my father and my grandmother and my mother and my mother and my mother all have studied here in this school
55:10so you should say that this school is not a heritage
55:13five people from this village have been conferred the president's award so far
55:40usually children want to take up professions like medicine engineering management but in
56:09Simapur teachers claim they are seen as role models and their profession is the most sought after
56:19with Anuj Mamar bureau report India today
56:25that's all that we could pack in on the show today let's hope that what Sihapur thinks today in
56:29Madhya Pradesh the country will think tomorrow on that note thanks for watching stay well stay safe
56:35good night Shubratri jai hind namaskar
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