Dear Sri Narendra Modi,
We, the great middle class of this country voted for you. Overwhelmingly voted for you. Gave your party its biggest ever mandate. We trusted you with our destiny. We also laboured hard to increase the voting percentage by a significant 10 per cent and put you on the throne in Delhi. But what have we got in return?
Only ideas like Swachch Bhaarat. Only schemes like the Jana DhanaYojna. Coal auctions. Pah! Fall in inflation; an economy undergoing repair. Oh apparently, you’ve managed to put our foreign policy on track. Big deal!
All of these things are really, really no big deal. The really big deal Mr. Modi is this: what have you done for me? I took the trouble to open the newspapers. I reflected on the Congress misrule. I watched prime time news for weeks to update myself about the impending doom. Then I wasted my one full day to vote for you and this is what I get in return?
Where are my income tax exemptions? Where are my subsidies? Mr. Modi, you are a smart man who stays in touch with directly with the people via social media so let me make you some home truths. Even if you have not done anything for me, I am benevolent enough to give you advice about your very survival as PM. Free of charge. So please hear me out.
I must tell you that you are getting carried away by personal glory with all these nonstop tours abroad. We ordinary Indians do not think much of leaders who talk about the resurgence of India on the global stage. We regard that as stark arrogance.
Didn’t you know that countries like China and Pakistan take offence to such an aggressive stance? For nearly seventy years, we’ve been used to our leaders walking with their tail tucked between their legs, drooping shoulders, and sporting wimpy attitudes, who have surrendered our interests at the feet of terrorist nations and bullies of the world.
Why should you offend so many sensibilities by attempting to make the world invest in India sir? What will happen to our peaceful neighbours if you rob them of all FDI? No sir, we do not approve of such selfish leaders. Neighbours are more important than our national interests. I think it’s about time you rolled back your aggressive economics. You will be hailed as a true Indian leader if you get back to doing lip service to FDI and let our glorious neighbours prospers.
My next advice to you is about a personality trait that you have displayed throughout your political life but it has escalated uncontrollably recently. You wore a Rs.10 Lakh suit when you met Obama. I know there isn’t consensus on the cost of the suit but lest you forget, we are a nation which dances to the tunes of juicy media narratives without bothering to check whether the media is lying through its teeth. I mean, imagine— aRs.10 Lakh suit! With your name printed on it. Now that was height of narcissism. We are a nation which loves to sing praises of Chaacha Nehru and Indira Gandhi and their progeny and doesn’t question the billions spent on Rajiv Gandhi yojnas for this or that .
But a Rs.10 lakh suit? Blasphemous in a poor nation like ours. Take my advice dear sir and get back to Khadi Kurtas. That is so touching. We just love our leaders in Khadi. It helps. It’s how the nation was robbed with a smile. Do wear Khadi sir.
You don’t believe me sir? See how we punished you for your arrogance? We reduced your party to three seats in Delhi elections because of your high-headedness.
Now you get the drift of what I am saying? You see, you dared to get personal about our beloved revolutionary Kejriwal and his vast army of armchair intellectuals. We just love our revolutionaries. You see, this is how we get rid of our moral burden of not doing something for the poor and also get invited to posh clubs with premium memberships. Win win, all the way!
I repeat sir, you had no business getting personal about a self-proclaimed anarchist trying to change a rotten system no matter that the same rotten system allows me to live in my cozy four bedrooms flat, driving my favorite SUV and educating my children abroad.
You should have allowed him to bring his Dharna culture to the Capital along with the proven Leftist economic model of freebies. Why on earth should you attempt to create wealth when we Indians have our mighty government to suckle us till eternity? Why should you add to the stress of the hard working middle class citizen?
Please Mr. Modi, learn your lessons and embark on course correction before it is too late. My last advice to you is on the budget.
It was a disaster for the middle class. No raising tax slabs, no relaxations in taxation structure, not even a symbolic fall in the prices of cars. Of course we want a superb infrastructure, we want jobs, we want the economy to be robust but will you make the US pay for all these things? We of course can’t live without our annual tax exemptions and the rest so we can’t pay for all of this. Is this the ‘achche din’ you promised Mr. Modi?
Sorry but this is not why I voted for you. In the end, I would suggest you take inspiration from the dynasty that you despise and threw out in such style. Stop bothering about fiscal discipline and start throwing freebies to the middle class, which is your core constituency. Don’t bother about the macroeconomics of freebies—these things usually take care of themselves—learn from the Congress.
Besides, now that coal blocks and spectrum are going to bring in billions, you can surely spare us poor middle class. We must have our comfortable life. Of course we do care about the poor and the deprived sections of our society. But then the Indian socialist state has always taken care of its weaker sections. That job is doesn’t belong to the middle class Mr. Modi. You see, we are doing our bit by going to the monthly meetings of Lions club and annual Rotary functions. And don’t you forget our occasional cheque to CARE India. You can’t really expect us to do more than this. That is purely your job.
Mr. Modi, you will do well to take lessons in humility from the great middle class of this nation and express constant gratitude to us for electing you. The gratitude must be expressed both in words and actions. Else please get ready for a repeat of Delhi in Bihar.
