On Tuesday, at 8 pm as has become the norm, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s went on television for the fourth time in recent months to talk about the novel coronavirus pandemic. Modi emphasised the need for India to be “self-reliant” and announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic package to help the country battle the economic crisis that has followed the nationwide lockdown to slow down the spread of Covid-19.
Modi sad that rules about an extended nationwide lockdown would be announced well before May 18, when the current phase of restrictions ends.
Like his previous speeches, Modi’s Tuesday address – his longest about the pandemic so far – was met with jokes and jibes.
The cartoonist Manjul drew attention to the fact that all announcements of Modi’s television addresses make Indians anxious.
#PMModi addresses the nation
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) May 12, 2020
My #cartoon for @firstpost
More: https://t.co/d7EQajd4JI#mitron pic.twitter.com/OB4yAVF9B5
Conversations before the 8PM address 📞 pic.twitter.com/VEjsx0zAKT
— Danish Sait (@DanishSait) May 12, 2020
Among the expected targets for humour was Modi’s proclivity for taking too long to come to the point.
This speech could have been a text message
— Veena Venugopal (@veenavenugopal) May 12, 2020
By the time he gets to the point we would have found the cure for corona.
— Sayantan Ghosh (@sayantansunnyg) May 12, 2020
Modi’s repeated emphasis on India’s need to become “atma-nirbhar” (self-reliant) and his declaration that Indians should be “vocal for local” products invited chuckles.
Atmnirbhar means we’re on our own in this guys.
— awryaditi (@awryaditi) May 12, 2020
"Local ke liye vocal" sounds like an amazing NCR rap song title.
— Venkat Ananth (@venkatananth) May 12, 2020
Local is vocal is a good description of an aunty in my neighbourhood.
— Deepu (@deepusebastian) May 12, 2020
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra found similarities between Modi’s call for India’s need to be self-reliant economically, and the “juche” ideology of Kim Il-sung, North Korea’s first Supreme Leader.
Listening to the Hon’ble PM
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) May 12, 2020
Is it just me or strong shades of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il’s “Juche”?
Juche- A core idea that North Korea as a country must remain separate & distinct from the world, dependent solely on its own strength and the guidance of a near-godlike leader
Here’s what Twitter users had to say about the highlight of today’s speech: the Rs 20 lakh crore package. Some expressed suspicion about the way the package would be rolled out, while others noted the numerological significance in Modi’s announcement.
Will the 20k crore package reach India before the 15 lakhs reach every Indian's bank account?
— Omair Ahmad (@OmairTAhmad) May 12, 2020
Discuss.
20 minutes to tell you financial package of 20 lakh crore because it is 2020
— Jairaj Singh (@JairajSinghR) May 12, 2020
Someone took a dig at how Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman might not be serious about the exact size of the package.
Nimmy : Shall I add one more zero to the to 20 lakh crore ji ?
— Savukku_Shankar (@savukku) May 12, 2020
Modi : It's just an announcement. Add as many you want. pic.twitter.com/wlOG8sLi3M
The Sanskritised Hindi that Modi chose to use in his speech found its share of critics.
Modi's speech strategy seems to be, when there is nothing good to say, say things that nobody will be able to understand anyway.
— Edgar Allan Poeha (@vaniIlaessence) May 12, 2020
Who swapped the PM with a Sanskrit Prof?
Modi realised people from some states are not able to understand him because he speaks in Hindi so now he has started speaking in the kind of Hindi absolutely no one would understand.
— keyur (@Fletcherlad) May 12, 2020
There are perks of not knowing Hindi.
— Hari Iyengar (@hariiyengaar) May 12, 2020
You are spared of Modi’s pointless speeches.
One Twitter user made a note of how predictable Modi’s speeches have become.
I feel like next speech on we should all play a Modi Speech Bingo. pic.twitter.com/SNPdQCfaf3
— Wash Hands/Panic Carefully (@Vaishnavioffl) May 12, 2020
Modi’s declaration that India was poised for “quantum leap for growth” caused eyebrows to be raised.
A quantum jump is the tiniest jump a particle like an electron makes from one energy state to another.
— Omair Ahmad (@OmairTAhmad) May 12, 2020
It is the SMALLEST possible change.
If you don't understand physics don't murder its language.
So did his decision to identify the country’s “vibrant demography” as one of its in its quest to be self-reliant. One Scroll.in contributor used the phrase to allude to the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who are on India’s highways, attempting to walk back from cities in which they are stranded without work or food to their home villages, some of which are thousands of kilmetres away.
Our vibrant demography ... is walking down the highway...
— anjali mody (@AnjaliMody1) May 12, 2020
Some concluded that the speech, just over 30 minutes long, was much ado about nothing.
modi's thesis will be like
— git checkout crapthot (@drunksputnik) May 12, 2020
preface: 40 pages
introduction: 59 pages
result: 1 page
conclusion:
lockdown 4.0 is happening... but first hit like and subscribe and make sure you tune into my channel daily until 17th for more details. cheers!✌🏻
— Arshad Wahid (@vettichennaiguy) May 12, 2020