Broom Vrooms: Reflection on Brooms day

The visit of the Prime Minister to USA turned more to be a media event with “who is who” of the Indian media in full attendance in New York. New phrases came into Hinglish circulation such as Namoste, Namomerica,  Namobama  to  complement the Namostuti  of the frenzied NRIs gathered in the M(o)dison  Square Gardens to meet the new Rockstar. The coverage was not without drama as the media revelled in the slapgate episode involving the rockstar of Indian media, Rajdeep Sardesai.  For one whole week, the desi Indians back home had practically no home news(even the IPL faded into oblivion) as the entire newshour was devoted to Namodiji in USA.  It seemed as though his visit to USA( and certainly not a maiden visit) was like a visit to the mars or the moon or any other planet. One newspaper had eight pictures of the Prime Minister’s different sartorial get-ups for different occasions. Every word that he uttered, every gesture he made, every step he took , every handshake  and every embrace he made were vividly captured by all channels to demonstrate that Modi wave has crossed the pond and that too so well as to eclipse the Obama wave of yesteryears. In fact the Indian media felt that this vast contingent of NRIs would outvote Obama in favour of Modi in popularity. The media’s raptures can best be reflected in these lines adapted from Shakespeare’s Richard II when the reigning monarch felt uneasy about the way his rival, the future Henry IV courted the people:

Observe his courtship of the NRIs;
How he did seem to dive into their hearts
With humble and familiar courtesy,
What reverence he did throw away on his admirers,
Wooing them  with the craft of smiles
And patient underbearing of his fortune

of his rise from a lowly chaiwala to esteemed Prime Minister,
As 'twere to banish their affects with him.
Off goes his hands in Namaste to the gasping crowd
men,women and children  bid God speed him well
And had the tribute of his chappan-inch chest ,
With 'Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends;

Join me to make your motherland Swaccha Bharat”
The NRIs in ecstasy wished their adopted country was in reversion his,
And Modi their hope if ever they contemplated

 a return to the native land.

Modi did not wield his broom in USA. His voice vroomed and mesmerized the NRIs living thousands of miles away from unswachha Bharat and who admired and worshipped him as he spoke of cleanliness is next to godliness. Nothing was expected of the NRIs to lift a single finger(leave aside the broom)  to cleanse Modi’s Bharat( not theirs) and everything was offered to them- a hassle free welcome for their yearly jaunt to Bharat for the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas(Non-resident Indian Day).

Back home, Modi took over the broom and made the broom do the talking on the dirty roads and lanes of Delhi. Nine stars were requested to join his campaign that included the Bharat Ratna Tendulkar and two of the celebrated Bollywood Khans.  Brooms vroomed on Gandhi Jayanthi putting to shame the whole battalion of Municipal workers whose undone work affirmed Gandhiji’s famous quip that India is one big latrine. The media squad that had accompanied Modi to US was still sleeping off the jetlag and those at the helm of the TV studios highlighted the new photo-op of many leaders along  with Modi with broom in their hands , much to the consternation of the AAP Party whose symbol had been usurped by Modi  for the day. Gandhiji on his birth anniversary was not remembered or eulogized for peace, nonviolence, harmony, tolerance, forgiveness and pluralism. As Radhakrishnan’s birthday is observed as Teachers Day, Pandit Nehru’s as Childrens day,Indira Gandhi’s as National Integration Day, Gandhiji’s was tobe known as the Cleansing(Brooms) day. The silent Modi with broom exemplified that the broom is mightier than the word.

Post Gandhi Jayanthi, the brooms have fallen silent. The roads that had been twice cleaned the previous day -first by municipal workers  and later by celebrities  are back to their original state. The silence of the brooms is shattered by the vrooming of the bikes and cars, the honking of buses and scooters. The broom wielding celebrities have gone away and Swachha Bharat has been left to the Municipal workers till the next Gandhi Jayanthi or the next Cleansing(Brooms) Day.