Sometimes the casual utterance by a leader can take on a life of its own. It can trigger reactions, criticism, demonstrations and even arrests as we have seen in the case of the remarks made about pakoda sellers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A throwaway remark made in a TV studio during an interview became the take of Modi Pakodas and even resulted in 10 arrests being made. Here is what happened.
It was an ‘exclusive’ interview by Sudhir Chaudhary of Zee News that was largely bereft of any searching or uncomfortable-making questions; marked more by fawning than by any appreciable journalistic feints. The one question that could be termed as mildly asking for accountability was this one – about the promise about the creation of 1 crore jobs each year if elected to office.
In response to the ‘searching’ question, the Prime Minister quoted numbers form a report and then went to make the rather outrageous suggestion that the pakoda seller outside the studio is also employed and the fact that the is able to take home Rs 200 at the end of the day is apparently because there has been an enabling atmosphere conducive to his generating an income.
Not only was the PM’s comment seen as taking credit where none was due, it was also seen as callous and removed from ground reality. It was pointed out that the PM seems quite comfortable with someone working a full day earning less than minimum wage.
This tweet speaks about the nonissues that tend to engage our attention and divert it from real issues such as spiralling fuel prices, unrelenting unemployment, inadequate public spending on education and health care facilities etc.
While some were making jokes, others were differentiating between the creation of proper jobs and poor people eking out a living any way they can.
Some of the Tweeple were asking serious questions about inadequate irrigation being a hindrance to optimal potato cultivation (and hence pakoda making). However, others had glib, facetious questions about too many pakoda makers and not enough pakoda eaters.
The PM’s comment was also seen as insensitive to the nation’s needs for educational and high educational facilities as well as the plight of highly qualified individuals being unable to find jobs currently. The NSUI staged protests with members dressed in graduation robes frying and selling pakodas.
The PM was in Bangalore to attend a BJP rally at the Palace Grounds when outside on the streets, protestors in graduation caps and robes were frying and selling pakodas. Ten of these protestors were detained by the police.
It is common for small traders such as pakoda sellers to be harassed and removed from the pavements and other areas they operate from, pointed out one tweet. It was also pointed out that hawkers are routinely removed for security reasons during VIP movements of visits; thereby further hindering their enterprise. One tweet also wanted to know whether selling Modi pakodas (with or without GST) is antinational; whether this was the reason ten arrests were made?
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