Charge of the 'chowkidar'

What a pity American standup comic Hasan Minhaj didn’t wait a few more days to film the latest episode of his Netflix show, Patriot Act. A hilarious take on the upcoming Indian elections, the show, which went on air recently, missed spinning comedy gold out of the Game of Chowkidars being played in the country right now. Minhaj is drawing flak online for presenting the ruling party and its mighty leader in a less than flattering light. But comedians are a brave lot, and one can imagine Minhaj ruefully shaking his head at a lost opportunity as he contemplates the eye-popping absurdity of the Prime Minister of India making the chowkidar chant the bulwark of his election campaign at a time when the country is beset with problems such as widespread job loss and rural distress. 

So how did the humble chowkidar or watchman get catapulted onto the centre stage of Indian politics? It began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who refers to himself as pradhan sevak and chowkidar — the country’s prime servant and watchman. Lately, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has tried to turn Modi’s self-proclaimed epithet on him by coining the slogan “chowkidar chor hai” — a not-so-subtle dig at the PM, implying that he was complicit in the alleged scam in the Rafale jet deal. 

Now Modi has hit back. He has reclaimed the chowkidar narrative and decided to retool it into a glowing certificate of his calibre as a leader. Last Saturday he launched his Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign on Twitter, saying: “Your chowkidar is standing firm and serving the nation…Today every Indian is saying #MainBhiChowkidar”. At once, most of Modi’s devoted ministers appended the word “chowkidar” to their Twitter handles and posted lofty (and fictional) videos where ordinary Indians commit acts of virtue and declare themselves to be chowkidars. Millions of Modi supporters have embraced the hashtag too and are probably thumping their mythical chowkidar chests even as we speak. 

Hence, it isn’t just Modi — all “righteous” Indians are being portrayed as guardians of the galaxy that is India. If everyone is a watchman, who can call the chowkidar a chor? As if this elaborate online fandangle weren’t enough, Modi is trying to co-opt real life security guards into the campaign and has praised them as symbols of patriotism and honesty. This week the BJP claimed that the PM had reached out to 25 lakh watchmen through an audio message. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did his bit to stoke this theatre of the absurd by declaring that people should vote for Modi if they want their children to become watchmen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter profile

What does the Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign have to do with the Modi government’s performance over the last five years, or its vision for the next five if it is voted back? Absolutely nothing. Indeed, Modi’s mythologising of chowkidars, his using these exploited and ill-paid workers as a trope for his self-professed probity and vigilance over the nation, is not just a lot of hokum — it also indicates a low regard for the intelligence of the electorate.

Guarding the nation against internal and external dangers is part of the job profile of every head of state. But some seem more keen than others to project themselves as their nation’s chowkidar-in-chief, the strongman who keeps the “others” out or throws them to the wolves. US President Donald Trump, who is hellbent on building a wall on the country’s border with Mexico, is a case in point.

Last week, we witnessed another kind of guardianship from the leader of a nation. Shortly after the horrific terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch in which 50 people were killed, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke ringingly of the need for the country to stand together. “They are us,” she said of the Muslim community that had been targeted; hand on heart, she comforted the victims’ families and promised them support; and this week she banned all types of semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles in the country to prevent violent hate crimes in future.  

Can’t we have such a chowkidar for our country? A chowkidar without bluster, at once compassionate and resolute, a unifying rather than a divisive force, and one who cares for the safety of everyone on her watch.

Shuma Raha is a journalist and author based in Delhi @ShumaRaha