May 30 marks the second anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi›s second innings, when the Modi government is going to complete its seven years. Due to the Covid-19 shadow on the 7th anniversary of the government, there would be no big jalsa, and no ceremony is being organised by the government. Prime Minister Modi will address “Mann Ki Baat” on the radio on 30 May. Bharatiya Janata Party workers and leaders have been told go to Covid centres across the country and serve the needy.
This time, no report card will be issued by the government, and no attempt will be made to showcase any achievements. In fact, the Central ministers are also worried about giving any interviews at a time when Covid has hit people hard.
Prime Minister Modi is regarded as a big showman. But this will be the second consecutive year of his second term when the government will not indulge in any celebrations. For any Prime Minister, the second term in India is more challenging. In the second term of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, all the allegations of corruption were made, and the Congress lost the 2014 elections badly. So seems to be the case with PM Modi and his government.
PM Modi came back to power with even bigger mandate. The kind of mandate he got, it clearly showed how much the country had expected from him. And this second stint has seen several momentous and historic decisions and moves–from the abolition of Article 370 to laying the foundation stone of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Even the triple talaq decision was quite bold. Even PM Modi’s handling of China in eastern Ladakh and the first wave of Covid-19 was praised worldwide. But then came first the farmers’ protests and then the second wave of Covid-19, which has threatened to take away everything PM Modi and his government built so assiduously over the years.
Even after 11 rounds of talks with the farmers, the government could not make any headway, and farmers are still protesting at Delhi’s borders for the past six months. And, then came the second wave of the pandemic, which saw the country’s healthcare infrastructure crumbling like never before, giving the Opposition a big handle to target the government. The government has never been so defensive on the allegations of the Opposition.
Although India has put more than 200 million vaccines to its citizens, and this is also a big achievement, considering the country’s large population, this number is minuscule. At this juncture, PM Modi and his government would not like to be seen in any celebratory mood. They want to be seen to be working with the people, among the people, and for the people. And this explains why the Modi government’s seventh anniversary won’t be celebrated.