Some very syrupy eulogies have appeared in the media last week on the big event — Narendra Modi’s appearance at an educational institution in New Delhi known as the Sri Ram Commerce College. This is apparently the first time Modi chose an audience of university students in Delhi.
It seems he cut a nervous figure initially but regained his poise. What made him nervous we don’t know. Nor do we know how he overcame the nervousness.
What we are being told is that an epic war has begun this week for the minds and hearts of India’s youth and in this war too, there can only be one winner — Modi or Rahul Gandhi.
Frankly, my mind goes back to the 1980 American western romantic drama film Urban Cowboy. Modi reminds me of ‘Bud’ Davis (played by John Travolta) who moved from the small town known as Spur in Texas to the outskirts of Houston known as Pasadena to make it real, real big in life.
Bud swiftly adapts himself to the nightlife in Pasadena… And the story takes many a romantic turn. That’s it. What lingers at the end of it are the fantastic dancing abilities of Travolta — and the chip-kicker hangout known as Gilley’s Club on the outskirts of Houston where he dances during a hard day’s night — and nothing else.
We won’t know whether Bud realized his dream, whether the urban cowboy ever made it big in life in Houston. At a certain point, let us say, it ceased to matter anymore. The film becomes one hell of a country music version of Saturday Night Fever. Got it? Yes, Sir, it carries no tales. It simply showcases Travolta’s incredible ways with his great body.
What is Sri Ram Commerce College on India’s political landscape? From what one can make out, it is apparently a pocket borough of the BJP’s student wing. Modi was destined to have a stupendously successful show there.
However, now that he’s gotten rid of his shyness in that campus as an urban cowboy who’s newly arrived in Houston, will Modi make an appearance on the campus of, say, Jamia Millia or the JNU? He should. For, Rahul Gandhi will.
There is no real plot in the little episode of Modi addressing the girls in Sri Ram Commerce College. No epic war here, nor was there any enduring moral to be drawn. Don’t try to discover one where none really exists.
The defining moment comes when Modi decides to connect with the inscrutable Indian peasants. They await him and they number a few hundred millions.
But they merely watch and listen, squatting on the dust. When Modi finishes, they’d just get up and leave without even saying ‘Thank you’. Won’t they unnerve Modi? He is so used to being adored.
leaving aside whether Modi got nervous or not, his cyberwarriors get easily …
“kehna kya chahte ho kuch samajh nahi aaya????” says it all..
Mr.Bhadrakumar either you are dumb are acting too smart.The speech at SRCC is not different from many different speeches he has given his non constituencies.He gave similar speech at chennai in 2008,that too a small gathering which was not covered by any mainstream media or regional channels or media.
And let me tell you what is the effect of his speech at SRCC,it’s been discussed by common man in remote North East villages.That is the impact of Modi.You are a fool living in fools paradise like Javed Akhtar(Who talks about free speech but when it comes to Sujata Patil he mysteriously shuts his mouth) calling Modi as Regional leader. Have you ever heard a CM being invited by EU.
I am not sure about your credential, but before you wrote you could have gone on something called “youtube” and you would see if he was nervous!!!….what kind of blogger we have to keep up with and irony is they get printing space as well!! and I am not sure who has paid for this article
Modi has the won the electorate three times inspite of vicious campaign from congress and cunning articles from you. The people of his country have decided to move on, only people like you keep writing the same nonsense about Modi
Did this author watch the youtube videos that are widely available? How can he say that Modi was nervous to begin with? Certainly did not look like it to me.
Also, please note that this was a extempore speech - can the author imagine our Prince giving an extempore speech? For that matter, our Holy Mother or MMS, our Holy Ghost?
Finally the author ends with saying “defining moment comes when Modi decides to connect with the inscrutable Indian peasants … When Modi finishes, they’d just get up and leave without even saying ‘Thank you’. Won’t they unnerve Modi?”
Does this author think that Modi is a political newbie? He could say that for our Prince but Modi who has won 3 state elections in a row?
You are thoroughly confused and need immediate help.
If filmi analogies are all the writer can offer, we’re truly bereft of real analysts. The sudden discovery that SRCC is an ABVP bastion may or may not hold water, but the writer’s none-too subtle dismissal “what is it on India’s political landscape?” carries unmistakable overtones of his ideological leanings. What are JNU, Jamia Millia or Stephen’s, for that matter in India’s political landscape, except the bastions of a virulent anti-Hindu and anti-Indian credo, besides being peddlers of a decadent ideology? If the dynasty’s Amul baba chooses to make those as his platform, let him. Coming to the peasants - whose sole messiah these Leftists pretend to be, never mind that India’s peasants and farmers have never cared a dime for them - their condition in Gujarat is better than in other supposed workers’ and peasants’ ‘havens’ the Leftists have been pretending to create all the world. from the gulags to the boondocks of havan and the starving masses in Pyongyang, humanity’s seen - and seen off - their little utopian ‘heavens’. The writer may be welcome to his delusions that holding a successful durbar at and winning the approval of the Leftist-Nehruvian-jholawala crowd at these ‘chosen’ hangouts the benchmark of acceptability to lead the country, but what makes him think the rest of India subscribes to the Stalinist-Maoist standard?
Jaganniwas Iyer
Come on, Bhadrakumar,
Where did you find Mr.Modi ‘nervous’ ?
He wasn’t at all !
He is so sure of himself, fully knowing what he speaks, does.
So there is no scope for any nervousness.
He wasn’t even nervous while effectively dealing with dreadful allegations from opponents!
You know, it is his opponents who are nervous.
They did everything from giving pictures of hungry, underfed Srilankans, misleading the people that those pictures were from Modi’s Gujrat, to bribing police officers to speak against Modi.
I don’t think Modi can ever be nervous.
Useless anatomy of the events……paid article !
kehna kya chahte ho kuch samajh nahi aaya????
Badrakumar seems to be a Rahul’s bootslicker. Let him get real.Modi is heads and shoulders above the nitwit Rahul.
“But they merely watch and listen, squatting on the dust. When Modi finishes, they’d just get up and leave without even saying ‘Thank you’ . Won’t they unnerve Modi?” First question, why should they unnerve him, after all he is not a novice in the field of politics and “public speaking”. Remember he has been in public life for decades, and has won 3 consecutive state elections. As for the snide remark ” He is so used to being adored”, wow, thats a new one in the world of politics. And how does this compare to the abject flattery that is deemed the divine right of just one family
This Bhadra Kumar is a retired Diplomat, who occassionally appears in T V discussions. He has proved time and again that he is a coward. When there was a tension at Indo Pak border and some analysts suggested that India should go for limited war with Pakistan by attacking terror camp alone in PoK, this former Diplomat almost pissed in his pants. He said : ” I have children and Grand Children. Pakistan is a Nuclear State and if India provokes, Pakistan may use nuclear weapons against India ” and he further said : ” I want to live rest of my life with my children and grand childern and I don’t want to die”. Shame on him. He wants to live and hence India should tolerate Pakistan’s adventure against India ! This is the mindset of this Brave Former Diplomat ! India will do well if such brave hearts are sacrificed.