Modi’s Pinstripe Suit: When PR Becomes ALBATROSS AROUND NECK!

New Delhi: In a popular poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a man on the ship kills an albatross that is hung around his neck in order to show that he has brought bad luck with the killing. The phrase earned credit across the world as the time elapsed.

But, what’s the point? Perhaps, you are not reading between the lines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi donned a bandhghala suit with his name (N A R E N D R A D A M O D R A D A S M O D I) printed in long columns athwart the length of the glistening fabric, when the US President Barack Obama visited the country last month. As is the case with Modi, in whatever he does controversy builds a case prior to other.

Lampooning followed through words and caricatures by our so-called pro-poor intelligentsia that adores baking the cake on hot fire, with glasses filled with red one in one hand - reading hardcore-socialism on the surface.

Eventually, we are a poor country, isn’t it? Who else to support the rationale of the ignored strata of society, if not these armchair activists? Anyways, Modi committed the transgression, and dropped Delhi as a corollary. At least our highly straightforward and unprejudiced media claims such.

He was no more a poor chaiwallah earlier but elite now, they say. People, they say, found their Aam Aadmi in Kejriwal now.

Modi is colossal now. His Public Relations (PR) exercise no more charms anyone who’s not a corporate.

Questions are also being hoisted against the fund-intensive public relation exercise employed by Modi and his aides - whether it really delivers or just a mere waste of money....

Armchair journalists like me felt no fretfulness in prophesying that PR only delivers for a political party when "winds of change" are already driving the voters. PR helps to emerge as the best possible option in a setting that lacks a feasible option. A meager ‘catalyst" is how a PR exercise can be illustrated at best.

For Modi his pinstripe suit became an albatross hung around his neck leaving him option less, without choices of what to do with it.

Then one sunny morning, an angel tip-toes to the Prime Minister and whispers something in his ears. Life strikes once again! Eureka, he called…..

One of his trusted lieutenants counsels him to part way with this contentious designer jacket that smells nothing but narcissism, to stop further denigration.

He clears out - nothing would help more than carrying out an auction, whose proceeds should go to Clean Ganga Mission. The man from Gujarat picked the latter. And once again, PR came to rescue.

Now, either Ganga will clean his sins or otherwise, is still to be seen. Staunch loyalists claim it a masterstroke… surely it is and the first one was selection of Kiran Bedi as Delhi Chief Minister designate ….But, why was the auction scheduled in Surat, Gujarat? Puzzling....This time even Anandiben Patel joined him. It’s fascinating.....

Note: If all gifts valued over Rs 5000 each received by those on public-posts should be deposited with ‎Toshakhana. In case person having received the gift does not deposit, then he has to pay for the additional amount (above Rs 5000) of total value of the gift along with the Rs 5,000.

So, why didn’t the Prime Minister follow the established rules in the first place?.......

Had the rules been followed, a lot of humiliation could have been avoided. Isn’t it?........

But, it’s always good to learn from experience than advisory - PR can be a double edged sword – Beware Mr. Modi!!

By Ashish Pandey

The author is a business journalist based out of Delhi