How social media has come back to bite Modi

Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi facing a huge loss in credibility? In barely 19 months after he assumed office amid a rush of expectations, has he reached a situation where a "crime" is wrongly attributed to him, does not evoke a similar derision or reaction if another leader is fund to have been guilty of similar "misdemeanour"?

These questions come out of a news that the Press Information Bureau photoshopped not just PM Modi's image but his predecessor, Manmohan Singh's images as well. Yet, the former prime minister did not become an object of ridicule the way Modi was. It may be recalled that PIB issued a statement on December 4 regretting "inconvenience caused" by the "merging of two pictures" it had shared a day earlier of Prime Minister Modi visiting flood-hit areas of Chennai. These pictures which had been tweeted too used a photo initially of Modi looking out of a blank helicopter window. Later, this was skillfully photoshopped and an aerial shot of marooned colonies of Chennai was neatly inserted into the blank window in the first picture.

On Monday, it emerged, after diligent "research" by exponents of social media that a similar tactic had been used for Singh when he had been prime minister. It surfaced that PIB had similarly photoshopped his picture when Singh went to have a close look at flood-hit Assam during his tenure. But while Modi became an object of mockery, such a fate did not befall Singh.

In the string of offensive tweets that were posted after the over enthusiasm of PIB, there was one that showed Modi taking a selfie with the flooded streets of Chennai as backdrop.

It led to media reports recalling how a photoshopped image during the 2014 parliamentary campaign showed American President, Barack Obama, with his officials watching a Modi speech on the computer screen.

The problem for Modi is that he who lives by the sword dies with the sword. Because Modi is largely a creation of social media and a carefully constructed publicity campaign, he will face greater scrutiny on the same medium than his peers. Because the social media can be a roller coaster, one can be at a high point one moment and come down crashing at the next instant. The incident could not have come as a more depressing year ender for Modi in an action packed 12 months which has seen battle more woes than joys. While 2014 was all about Modi scaling new heights on social media in terms of record followers and friends, 2014 has seen more Modi jokes than ever before.

In the run up to the 2014 elections, the Congress had created the #Feku hashtag and the BJP used #Pappu to run down Rahul Gandhi. After his election, the enthusiasm of those who denigrated Modi was dampened but in recent months this section has been revitalised.

Because Modi's criticism is at its most vitriolic in social media, when compared to mainstream media where even critical commentaries are bound by professional ethical norms, he and his spin doctors cannot turn around and blame anyone. Because Modi decided to establish a direct communication link with the people, circumventing established channels used by most governments and leaders internationally, he has no one to turn to for support, and the backlash is immediate. In contrast, because Singh is invisible on the social media, he is not a target of ridicule.

The reasons for Modi's mockery is a result of cumulative sentiment that Modi has made too many promises and did not back this with deliveries in his tenure so far. Large sections of people who voted for Modi, lured by the hype surrounding his campaign of hope, do not see the prime minister as a sincere leader any longer. In the eyes of common people, his visits abroad are viewed negatively as is his way with words and excessive use of alliterations. He promised the moon to people and the social media campaign projected him as a leader who had a magic wand with the capacity to fix every problem. Modi, in fact, is a victim of his own machinery and his plight has a lesson for all politicians - during campaigning, one should stay within realistic limits and remember that the more difficult part will begin after securing a mandate.

In India, Jawaharlal Nehru is the only political leader who did not squander a massive mandate. Indira Gandhi's "Garibi Hatao" is comparable to Modi's "Acche Din". The numbers that Modi secured in 2014 is nothing short of what Rajiv Gandhi bagged in 1984 if we place these figures in the context of circumstance under which they were secured. But, Indira Gandhi lost the script two years after being hailed as Durga by a Jan Sangh leader (not Atal Bihari Vajpayee as popularly believed) and by early 1974, she was battling a rejuvenated opposition ably backed by disgruntled students and youth.

Modi does not have time on his side and as the scorn he has been heaped over his image being photoshopped, while being no fault of his, shows that people will look for the slightest opening to pillory him. The PIB howler and its repercussions must be blamed in the "sikular media" campaign but should be seen as a symptom of a greater malaise. If care is not taken, Modi will falter like others with historic mandates, be it Indira Gandhi, her son or even Vishwanath Pratap Singh in 1989. Modi still has the time to decide if 2014 shall remain his highest peak or if there is one ahead and higher!