Modi should have apologized instead of forgiving
What does the Prime Minister's midnight reel signify?
It is expected of the Prime Minister to speak in Parliament, be present there, and answer the questions being raised. However, it is amusing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is unable to reach the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha, is posting reels on social media at midnight. Perhaps he has been told that people nowadays prefer watching reels at midnight instead of reading books or spending time with family, so there is a higher chance of his message reaching their mobile feeds at that time.
He is the Prime Minister, and whatever he says, regardless of the platform, will be heard across the country and the world, so views are guaranteed. But it is ridiculous that the views were celebrated after the first reel!
In the video released late last night,
the Prime Minister first expressed sorrow over being abused, remembered his mother, and then forgave the 'children'. Naturally, social media was filled with praise. His large-heartedness was lauded, and social media was filled with the usual flattery.
Looking at the entire sequence of events, two questions arise.
The first is, who was harassing these youths, who are being referred to as children to trivialize the matter? Who was leaking their personal information? Who was trolling them? Who was filing FIRs against them? All these were the people who are supporters of the government. The FIRs were filed by BJP members. The so-called national media, considered government-supportive, was displaying their pictures. Then why couldn't the Prime Minister directly address them? Or why couldn't this be said in Parliament? A 15-year-old girl was harassed to the extent that she released a public apology video. This was a national shame. The Prime Minister's video came after that, and hence it seemed more like a threat than an apology.
The second question is, when interviews of the families of police personnel are being conducted, is it not a game to hide the brutal repression of students/youths by the police? Were the interviews of the families of those youths who were victims of police batons and pellet guns aired on this media? When the police's excesses, from pellet guns to stone-laden trucks, have come to light, the government, headed by Narendra Modi, should have apologized. Despite being in Parliament, if Home Minister Amit Shah did not come to the Lok Sabha to answer the Leader of the Opposition's question about who authorized the use of pellet guns and lathi-charge, an apology should have been sought for this.
- An apology should have been sought from these youths for the continuous paper leaks. Even after this movement, incidents of paper leaks have surfaced from Gujarat and Assam.
- An apology should have been sought from the families of those students who committed suicide due to paper leaks.
- An apology should have been sought for not fulfilling the promise of providing two crore jobs every year.
- An apology should have been sought for the loot of public offerings in the Ram Temple.
- An apology should have been sought for the character assassination of the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.
- An apology should have been sought for the bulldozers as well.
In reality, the government is frightened by this youth movement. Although it started due to the NEET paper leak, at its root is the frustration and despair among the youth and the country that has arisen due to government policies over the past 11 years. Unemployment, inflation, and open loot and corruption in the name of development have exhausted people, with the narrative of Hindu-Muslim being used to suppress it with the help of IT cells and friendly media. The dreams shown of a developed India are all shattering. The hollowness of the narratives of India's global acclaim has been exposed.
In any civilized society, there should be no place for abuse, but who were the ones who perpetuated the era of abuse on social media after 2014? Why did the Prime Minister continue to follow those on Twitter who abused Gauri Lankesh after her murder? When a Muslim MP was abused inside Parliament, why did the Prime Minister remain silent? The Prime Minister's late mother is honorable, but are the mothers, sisters, and wives of those questioning the government not honorable, against whom no action was ever taken for abuse? Is the late Pandit Nehru not honorable, for whom a BJP member used derogatory words in Parliament?
The public is now demanding answers to these questions. People will not speak out of fear of the police. The media will create an illusion that everything is fine. Government officials will report the ineffectiveness of the movement. Concrete will be laid at Jantar Mantar. Everything will happen, but history tells us that from the protest site, the youth take a Jantar Mantar in their hearts, and its flame does not extinguish for years.
If only this truth were understood, instead of forgiving, you would have apologized to the youth of the country, Mr. Modi!
