Unity Day Vs Mock Parliament: Why PM Modi Won The Narrative Battle  

It is learnt that former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar (2009-2014) was very reluctant to preside over the so-called INDIA bloc session of the Mock Parliament held on October 31. Having once presided over the august office, she had problems about it even being called the “Mock Parliament”. It was apparently at her instance that Congress leaders agreed to recast it as a “People’s Impeachment” (Jan Mahabhiyog) at 10 Rajaji Marg, the New Delhi residence of Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge. Being daughter of Congress stalwart Jagjivan Ram, Meira Kumar may have been an ideal choice for the Opposition to preside over its meeting but did it help the Opposition win the narrative? Not quite. PM Modi simply proved to be leagues ahead. It was in the manner in which National Unity Day was celebrated at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat this year.  A major highlight was a theatrical presentation on Naxal Mukt Bharat by the National School of Drama, featuring around 2,000 artists drawn from 126 districts that had witnessed armed Naxalism. Through their performances, the artists portrayed the struggles experienced by communities when armed Naxalism threatened their lives and property. The parade featured an estimated 10,000 personnel drawn from the Police and Paramilitary Forces. A key highlight was participation of 144 women commandos of the District Reserve Guard, specially deployed on the Bastar front, who had proven their bravery in anti-Naxal operations. However, the icing on the cake was vintage PM Modi all over again as he took on the Opposition. On the back of a World Bank report lauding India for reducing poverty from 26% to 2% and lifting 50 crore Indians from poverty, Modi thumbed his nose at Gandhi siblings saying Garibi Hatao wasn’t just a slogan for him. Meanwhile the buzz is cousin Varun Gandhi– Sanjay Gandhi’s son– could possibly join the Congress at the Ram Leela rally.