In Indian politics the only thing that comes close to the excitement & anticipation of an 'election results day' is a union cabinet reshuffle. Nervous netas & MPs keep their fingers crossed amidst hectic lobbying; journalists speculate & calculate even as the common citizen is in awe of the entire exercise.
The recent Modi government cabinet reshuffle has thrown up quite a few surprises and shocks. So, for the sake of our netas who are either trying to get into the cabinet in the future or trying to save/upgrade their ministerial chair, here's a quick guide on how to survive and succeed in the Modi cabinet.
(i) Love corporates (especially Adani). This is absolutely essential. Prakash Javdekar- the only person who got a promotion in the reshuffle, got it within 48 hours of cancelling Adani's Rs.200 crore green penalty. He did everything he could in the last two years to make 'environmental issues' the last thing the big businesses would have to worry about. From abolishing mandatory environmental clearances to removing limits on mining in protected areas, Javdekar, it seemed, was Minister of Corporate Affairs functioning from the Environment Ministry office! The PM absolutely loved it.
(ii) Keep your mouth shut (also your dad's). The PM likes speaking. A lot. However, he doesn't like hearing other people do the talking. Unfortunately, Jayant Sinha realises this only now as he sits in the Civil Aviation ministry. Perhaps, he spoke too many times to the media or was it his...father? Yashwant Sinha's criticism of Modi's Pakistan policy could have led to his son's undoing. Whatever the case, the PM will punish the son for the sins of the father and no Harvard Business School degree will help. So, zip it if you want to become or remain a mantri that matters.
(iii) "You have a right to work only, not to the fruits there of", The Gita 2:47. The likes of Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan & Nirmala Sitharaman worked as much as the PM travelled. But, they didn't get a promotion. Their only consolation: chapter 2, verse 47 of the Gita. All claims of the government that performance was the only criterion of the reshuffle fell flat. All fears that the PM prefers only a small and exclusive coterie as his Cabinet now seem true.
(iv) Have a healthy vote-bank balance (especially caste vote). If you're from a state that is poll-bound, your chances of becoming minister go through the roof. Apparently, the PM believes that people will vote for the BJP if their region/state or caste/community is represented in the union cabinet. Interesting. By that logic all Gujaratis and all people with the surname 'Modi' will vote only for the BJP- after all the PM heads the cabinet! If you're a caste leader, good for you! You dont need to do much to get a berth either. Whether you're suitable for a portfolio or not doesn't matter. Some ministers get work done. Others are appeased to get votes on the ground.
(v) Avoid an overdose of controversies. A few controversies are good for publicity and propaganda. So, the likes of Giriraj Singh and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti survived the axe. But, an overdose of controversies will ruin your mantri career. Eg. Smriti Irani. A controversial statement here and there is not a problem for the PM. But, when your every action generates a controversy, no amount of RSS appeasement or saas-bahu style theatrics in Parliament will help you. SorryDear Smriti Irani ji.
Keep these in mind and hope for the best! And always remember the classic line from 'Yes Minister': "the prime minister giveth and the prime minister taketh away."
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Follow: @theworldlymonk
The recent Modi government cabinet reshuffle has thrown up quite a few surprises and shocks. So, for the sake of our netas who are either trying to get into the cabinet in the future or trying to save/upgrade their ministerial chair, here's a quick guide on how to survive and succeed in the Modi cabinet.
(i) Love corporates (especially Adani). This is absolutely essential. Prakash Javdekar- the only person who got a promotion in the reshuffle, got it within 48 hours of cancelling Adani's Rs.200 crore green penalty. He did everything he could in the last two years to make 'environmental issues' the last thing the big businesses would have to worry about. From abolishing mandatory environmental clearances to removing limits on mining in protected areas, Javdekar, it seemed, was Minister of Corporate Affairs functioning from the Environment Ministry office! The PM absolutely loved it.
(ii) Keep your mouth shut (also your dad's). The PM likes speaking. A lot. However, he doesn't like hearing other people do the talking. Unfortunately, Jayant Sinha realises this only now as he sits in the Civil Aviation ministry. Perhaps, he spoke too many times to the media or was it his...father? Yashwant Sinha's criticism of Modi's Pakistan policy could have led to his son's undoing. Whatever the case, the PM will punish the son for the sins of the father and no Harvard Business School degree will help. So, zip it if you want to become or remain a mantri that matters.
(iii) "You have a right to work only, not to the fruits there of", The Gita 2:47. The likes of Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan & Nirmala Sitharaman worked as much as the PM travelled. But, they didn't get a promotion. Their only consolation: chapter 2, verse 47 of the Gita. All claims of the government that performance was the only criterion of the reshuffle fell flat. All fears that the PM prefers only a small and exclusive coterie as his Cabinet now seem true.
(iv) Have a healthy vote-bank balance (especially caste vote). If you're from a state that is poll-bound, your chances of becoming minister go through the roof. Apparently, the PM believes that people will vote for the BJP if their region/state or caste/community is represented in the union cabinet. Interesting. By that logic all Gujaratis and all people with the surname 'Modi' will vote only for the BJP- after all the PM heads the cabinet! If you're a caste leader, good for you! You dont need to do much to get a berth either. Whether you're suitable for a portfolio or not doesn't matter. Some ministers get work done. Others are appeased to get votes on the ground.
(v) Avoid an overdose of controversies. A few controversies are good for publicity and propaganda. So, the likes of Giriraj Singh and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti survived the axe. But, an overdose of controversies will ruin your mantri career. Eg. Smriti Irani. A controversial statement here and there is not a problem for the PM. But, when your every action generates a controversy, no amount of RSS appeasement or saas-bahu style theatrics in Parliament will help you. Sorry
Keep these in mind and hope for the best! And always remember the classic line from 'Yes Minister': "the prime minister giveth and the prime minister taketh away."
Like: facebook.com/theworldlymonk
Follow: @theworldlymonk
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