The political Pied Piper: Modi’s hypnotic slogans and the reality they conceal

From the moment Narendra Modi came into power in 2014, he has wielded sloganeering as a tool to shape public perception—leading millions like a modern-day political Pied Piper. Every election cycle, every economic crisis, and every governance failure has been met not with accountability but with a new slogan—a new tune promising a utopian future while reality deteriorates. Acche din, sabka saath sabka vikas, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Amrit Kaal, and Viksit Bharat—these have functioned not as policy roadmaps but as hypnotic totems, designed to distract and pacify the public, steering them away from the struggles of the present.

In 2014, Modi rode to power on the tall promise of acche din and a pledge to rescue citizens from Mehangai Ki Maar. By 2019, however, those days remained elusive. Instead, the country was grappling with the aftershocks of demonetisation, a poorly implemented GST, and a slowing economy despite tall claims of reform. Yet, rather than addressing these failures, Modi framed them as necessary steps toward a resurgent India.

As India limped through the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020–21, Modi once again shifted the narrative. The focus was not on economic recovery, healthcare preparedness, or the loss of millions of jobs; he spoke of Amrit Kaal, a grand 25-year journey leading up to India’s centenary in 2047. It was a clever ruse. As people reeled from the pandemic’s impact, they were urged to ignore the present turmoil and fix their gaze on an abstract, distant promise.

Meanwhile, in the government’s own language of Thalinomics, the average cost of a vegetarian thali has risen by 50% over the past decade. Inflation in housing, healthcare, and education continues to climb—housing rents have surged by 12%, healthcare expenses by 6.5%. The services sector growth hit a two-year low last month, with Purchasing Managers’ Index for services declining to 56.5—the lowest since November 2022.

The idea of entering Amrit Kaal while marching toward a Viksit Bharat raises deep concerns. There is no clear roadmap to achieving a $30 trillion economy by 2047, and data suggests that India is far from being on track. The real GDP growth rate has declined to 6.4% from 8.2% in 2023-24, falling below the 6.5-7% range projected by the Economic Survey in July 2024.

In the recently presented budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that the fiscal deficit had improved from 4.9% to 4.8%. However, this was achieved by cutting capital expenditure, with the Centre and states cutting a combined Rs 1,83,569 crore. Significant cuts were made in health, education, social welfare, agriculture, and rural and urban development, exposing the stark gap between rhetoric and reality.

The FM outlined six principles for Viksit Bharat: zero poverty, quality education, comprehensive healthcare, meaningful employment, inclusion of women in economic activities, and farmers’ well-being. However, the budget allocations suggest otherwise. The allocation to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare saw a Rs 3,905 crore cut, while allocations for the PMFBY were reduced by Rs 3,621 crore. Critical schemes like PM-KISAN and Ayushman Bharat remain stagnant at their 2024-25 revised estimates. The allocation for MGNREGS, a lifeline for millions, remains at Rs 86,000 crore—unchanged from the previous year—while 20% of that budget is earmarked for clearing past arrears. The social sector has once again taken a hit. Budget allocations for education, health, and social welfare have either stagnated or shrunk when adjusted for inflation. 

Modi’s grand plans for industrial resurgence—Make in India, Startup India, Skill India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat—have largely remained slogans. Manufacturing, which was supposed to constitute 25% of GDP, has shrunk from 15.3% in 2014 to 12.6%—the lowest in 60 years. Since 2014, manufacturing growth has averaged just 5.9%, far short of the promised 12-14% annual growth.

The government’s pledge to create 10 crore new manufacturing jobs has been replaced by the loss of 2.4 crore jobs between 2017 and 2021. Meanwhile, the MSME sector, the backbone of India’s economy, has seen over 61,000 closures since 2020. Despite the Rs 20,000 crore Startup India Seed Fund promise, only Rs 454 crore has been disbursed—meaning just 1.58% of recognised startups have benefitted. Under Skill India, only 20% of the one crore trained individuals have found employment since 2015.

Despite Modi’s projection as Vishwaguru, global economic and social indicators tell a different story. The rupee has hit a historic low of Rs 87.95 per US dollar. Foreign investment in India is at a 12-year low, with FIIs pulling out over $11 billion in 2025 alone. A staggering 20 lakh Indians have renounced their citizenship in the past decade. In the last five years, over 50,000 HNIs have left the country. Between October 2023 and September 2024, approximately 10 Indians were arrested every hour while attempting to cross US borders. This exodus speaks volumes about the growing despair—something Vishwaguru’s slogans cannot conceal.

Modi’s grand proclamation of Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga has also rung hollow. He has remained conspicuously silent on India’s biggest corruption scandal—the opaque electoral bonds scheme—and the selective reprieve given to opposition leaders facing corruption probes. Since 2014, at least 25 opposition leaders under investigation have crossed over to the BJP, 23 of whom have subsequently received relief.

In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), India ranked 96th out of 180 countries, signalling a troubling decline in transparency and accountability.

While Modi’s government revels in grand slogans, it has steadily eroded the rights of states. In the past year, the Union government’s transfers to states were cut by Rs 79,631 crore. Karnataka, despite being the second-highest tax-contributing state, received only Rs 51,876 crore in tax devolution. When Karnataka protested these cuts, it was dismissed as “petty thinking.” Federalism, once a pillar of Indian democracy, is being steadily undermined in favour of centralised control. The share of southern states in the divisible tax pool has declined over time—Karnataka’s share has shrunk from 4.98% in FY02 to 3.6% in FY26.

Modi’s political strategy has been clear—create totems, rally the public around unattainable visions, and divert attention from present crises. He has played the role of the Pied Piper with remarkable dexterity, luring the people with promises of acche din, Amrit Kaal, and Viksit Bharat. The longer we remain enchanted by these slogans, the closer we march to the edge of the cliff. The nation must break free from this illusion before it is too late.

(The writer is the minister for rural development, Panchayati Raj and IT & BT, Government of Karnataka)