(Sunetra Choudhury is Associate Editor, National Affairs, NDTV 24x7)
Is there much point in covering the PM's trips abroad, asked a couple of senior journalists, when I was readying to cover 2/3rd of his tri-nation tour to France, Germany and Canada.
They were referring to the fact that I wouldn't be on his plane, that I would have no access to him, that I would have no access to most of his aides - as these are some of the key objectives one usually has when setting off for Prime Ministerial assignments, this was an exercise in banality was the suggestion. Reporters who went on earlier journeys did not just come back with duty-free goodies, although there was that too! They came back on familiar terms with key officials who would make good sources, they came back with precious anecdotes, and most importantly, they came back with a better understanding of the Prime Minister.
Obviously, Prime Minister Modi does not want us to get to know him better. Even those that are on the plane with him say that unlike previous Prime Ministers, he never pops his head into the media wing of the plane, not even to say 'Hi'. There were just a bunch of us at all the numerous stops that he made in all these countries; on many occasions, he was close enough for us to have personal contact, but he would look through all of us, saving up all his greetings for the ever-ready crowd of desis who mobbed him at every stop.
But even from my limited/zero access, here's what I learnt about the 64-year-old who never misses an opportunity to take a dig at our tribe. First of all, what was a revelation for me is his confidence in English. I know that he's started giving many speeches in English now, but what amazed me was that the PM was confident enough to indulge in banter. I have family members who can speak the language, but they are of Mr Modi's generation, which always feels a bit self-conscious. So for instance, they would never initiate conversation in English.
At the town council office in Hannover, we all waited while Modi and the Mayor walked in. It was a relatively small room and although the PM wasn't mic-ed up, we could hear him chit chatting away with the Mayor. How old are the youngest and oldest council members, how many political parties, and then he went on very evocatively to describe the Madhubani painting he brought as a gift from India.
At the next event of inaugurating Gandhi's statue behind Rathaus, or then walking the Hannover messe with Chancellor Angela Merkel, there was a confidence about him that is not usually seen with other political leaders. Photo-ops are usually very awkward in reality. The photographers keep shouting while the leaders awkwardly cling on to each other's hand, their face looking as if they're thinking, "How long do I have to keep this physical contact going? The other guy's hand is too sweaty." But somehow, our Prime Minister kept it easy - from the Europeans to the Canadians, he moved smoothly, never really at a loss for words, and never, never looking out of place or awed.
I guess that's one of the factors behind his popularity. They drove for 12 hours, they came from Poland, from Netherlands and other places to Germany, got scarves knitted in the tricolour, just so they could hear one of his marathon speeches. When all of us were slumped in our seats with jetlag, he was regaling the audience at Ricoh with funny anecdotes about how things used to be for so many of us - encountering the grumpy bank clerk, being over-awed by well-dressed sophisticates, etc
It is with this understanding and a newfound respect that I have to say the following to Mr Prime Minister - Please Sir, stop doing these so called 'Madison Square Garden' type shows which was Ricoh Coliseum in Canada. I wasn't there at MSG, so I don't know what that was like, but attending Ricoh Coliseum, was frankly, a little embarassing. Here's the thing- as the daughter of a sarkari babu, I guess I am programmed with protocol. So the idea of crowds eating popcorn and wolf-whistling to some dancers as the opening act of your speech doesn't sit well. We say no to VIP culture, but you are our Prime Minister, so how could you accept people munching on margerita pizzas and M and M's while listening to your heavy speech? I could see Delhi's political reporters, who are usually stripped of everything when they go to see the PM, stuffing their face just for the novelty of the experience.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think a road show, to really display political prowess, has to also be a test of endurance. Why give them an indoor stadium which isn't even the most popular venue like MSG? Isn't a central park more romantic? Won't visuals of people braving the chilly Toronto air, with kids perched on their shoulders, queuing up despite the cold, be more romantic? If I was the spin doctor, that's what I would do instead of being part of a show that has Sukhwinder, great singer that he is, as the only star. The show at Ricoh took me back to when I was a teenager in London and my father got my friends and me tickets to the Wembley arena to see Shah Rukh Khan and other Bollywood stars perform. I remember how we all dressed up in traditional clothes and went and danced and had a great time. On Wednesday night, that's what it was for the 8,000 Indians there - a fantastic night out which we forgot soon after. I don't think that's what you are going for.
Finally, here's another observation which maybe the PM's aides could look out for. While I stood chatting with your fans who had come from very far, waiting to interview them in my next live report, a confident looking gent walked up to us. "I wanted to tell you all that you must convey that it is very important to support the government, all this land acquisition bill that the opposition is talking about, it is wrong."
"Are you part of the overseas BJP cell?" I asked, since the land acquisition bill was the farthest thing on everybody else's mind. "Why not?" the gent said, smiled and walked off. A few seconds later, one of the boys who had ardently driven a long way to see the Prime Minister said to me softly - "It's wrong. They are giving the wrong impression that we are motivated. We just love Modi, we are not political. They shouldn't do this."
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