Opp CMs are stealing a march with their interactive strategies vis-Ã -vis the handout briefings of the Centre
In the beginning, it seemed like a genuinely cooperative effort, the decision to fight COVID-19 in the Indian context and within our set of challenges and resources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known for his muscular approach, did enforce a nationwide lockdown in the world’s most populous democracy, overriding any other concern except that of saving lives and arresting the spiral of the disease. There were several rounds of discussions with Chief Ministers of affected States, experiences and lessons were shared and an all-party consultation held. Modi himself did set aside politics on the shelf and even consulted his predecessor Manmohan Singh on the economic fallout of the disease. Then the reverse migration of the daily wage earners threw everybody off guard and the humanitarian crisis of returning labourers, wanting to escape the forced lockdown, the big city disease and work in their own fields for whatever it paid added another front in the battle. And now that everybody is up to the gills in trying to assess the trajectory of the problem, they are coming apart yet again. Although Central despatches talk about a peak in May/June before a petering out, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he doesn’t expect the curve to flatten before September. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed concerns over the phased and gradual easing of lockdowns, saying the disease spiral was such that an opening up decision could go either way. Now as the nerves are fraying at the edges, both ruling and Opposition parties have begun whataboutery and mutual blame games at a time when we are just about reining in the disease and need to choke and chase it away. The Maharashtra BJP is blaming the Shiv Sena alliance Government of Uddhav Thackeray for mishandling the migrant issue. The Bengal BJP is blaming the Mamata Banerjee Government for fudging death figures in cases of co-morbidities and the Delhi BJP is in a war of words with the Aam Aadmi Party Government over access to medical gear and testing. Now there’s a raging war over whether we are testing enough, although the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is confining tests to hotspot clusters, claiming the penetrative approach, and not wasting kits. Of course, the rapid antibody tests have just landed. Perhaps the distancing between the Centre and Opposition States is becoming more pronounced over issues of transparency.
It is a fact that apart from his national addresses, rallying his citizen soldiers for a big fight, the Prime Minister hasn’t exactly held a press conference or been talking to the media, except for some confabulations with newspaper barons on sectoral concerns. His Health Minister, too, is missing from daily briefings, leaving that job to the Health Secretary. In comparison, Chief Ministers of all Opposition States have been interactive on a daily basis, keeping their people abreast of developments and spelling out strategies according to the evolving situation. This spontaneity and hands-on approach have not only struck a chord with the people, they have made the Chief Ministers look taller than they were before COVID-19. Politically, the success of Chief Ministers like Gehlot in Rajasthan with the Bhilwara model or Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala has given them a doer-deliverer image that will last for a while. No BJP Chief Minister is being seen as proactive, continuing to be just under Modi’s shadow. Even Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, only ridiculed these days without any political capital, has emerged as a mature version, something which he could have done long before. He, too, held an impromptu press conference and though provoked, refrained from attacking the Modi Government over crisis management. Truth be told, he did raise an alarm about the possible COVID-19 impact as early as February, has been harping on early testing to save lives and pleading for an economic package. However, he was pooh-poohed by not just the BJP’s IT cell but its senior leaders. Still, at the press conference, he emphasised how all parties should work together in a united fashion to face the crisis. Rahul, who had paid dearly for personally attacking Modi, has been mature in his approach. In fact, he just insisted on making “constructive suggestions” to the Government, calling for direct cash transfers to migrants and rushing the overstocked foodgrains in a disciplined manner. He is taking the moral high ground and at least started to make sense. And with his press conference, he is just pointing to the vacuum in communication from the other side. Communication dissolves panic and fear. Everybody is using the COVID-19 scenario to reap dividends later on. The Prime Minister has stepped up no doubt, but needs to build a credible and constructive talking point, too. And be seen as a deliverer rather than speech-maker.