Vande Bharat vs Bharat ke Bande: Is Modi losing his political touch?

PM Modi's pandemic messaging has been mostly directed at the middle class and elites and there's little empathy for the poor millions. Is he losing his political touch?

The Narendra Modi government has no rival in its “change the headlines” approach to politics and the brilliance with which it can move. The latest example is this ‘Vande Bharat Mission’. A new excitement has been conjured up in the most glum air.

Coronavirus has broken the back of economic activity the world over. Almost every country has large numbers of citizens employed abroad, and students, tourists, and families stuck across the world. Most have run some operations to bring them back.

Only India has turned it into an event. As you’d expect from the Modi playbook, an event like