President Trump and Prime Minister Modi As Different As Chalk and Cheese?

In Chaplins ‘The Great Dictator’, the scenes between Dictator Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin) of Tomainia and Dictator Benzino Napaloni (Jack Oakie) of Bacteria are a classic portrayal of large egos clashing. Each Dictator tries to outdo the other in being more of a narcissist ego-tripper while simultaneously trying to diminish the other.

One is not sure whether Prime Minister Modi’s and President Trump’s meet on the 26^th of June will be Chaplinesque. In their context it is easy and safe to discard and discount similar traits between them. What is beguiling is not only their common traits but the manner of manifestation and therefore the course they have chosen for their countries.

In their election campaign Trump and Modi vociferously asserted their status of being outsiders to the politicking and horse trading in the capitals of their country. They also swore that they would ‘drain the swamp’ if elected. Trump used the aforementioned term while Modi was more specific he said ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’. They emphasised the size of their body parts, Modi his chest and Trump his hands, as proof of their capability and capacity to lead their country to new heights of glory.  Both these men spewed venom and ridiculed their opponents. Both were unrepentant for their past acts of commission and omission. They had a retinue of apologists defending them and rationalising their actions.   

Interestingly Trump does not belong to any particular ideology, he is an opportunist who saddled the most amenable horse. Modi, on the other hand, belongs to the Right Wing Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On coming to power, both began dismantling and replacing policies and institutions that had strong socio-economic rationale. Modi began replacing the heads of institutions with people aligned to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Right Wing Hindutva philosophy or were RSS products. Trump corralled together billionaires and millionaires with no experience or with expressed desire to reduce government control to head various departments in his government, he rescinded policies that protected minorities and walked out of international treaties.

Trump and Modi, and for that matter even their supporters, dislike dissent or opposing views.  They do not have a good relationship with the media. During their election campaign both claimed that the press did them wrong. This led to Trump labeling the liberal media ‘Fake News’ even as he reached out and promoted conservative and alternative and conspiracy fed news forums.  In India today, Modi has got most of the media wrapped around his little pinky. This has been enabled by his supporters viciously trolling journalists and his government and BJP spokespersons and other Right Wing espousing individuals labeling the media ‘pseudo-liberals with an agenda’. One of his ministers, who also happens to be the former Chief of the Army, coined the term ‘Presstitutes’. The situation is so vituperative that Indians and the few news channels that question the government are branded as anti-nationals. They face government ire in the form of reduction in government advertisements, harassment by authorities and appearance boycotts. Today, most Indian media have joined the governments jingoistic, saffron hued nationalism without much ado.

For individuals with so much power and who tout to be Men these two love to be the centre of attraction. Can anyone forget Modi pushing Zuckerberg aside or Trump doing something similar to the Duško Marković, the Prime Minister of Montenegro? Even as their actions went viral and created internet memes, they and their votaries remained unaffected, it was water off a ducks back.

Both love to talk to the people they rule. Trump uses his thumbs to communicate with the Americans and infact the world. Modi, uses a monthly radio show - ‘Mann ki Baath’ - to wax eloquent on topics that are not necessarily burning issues of the country but are programmed to indicate his concern for the public. The outcome of both these forms of communication is that people feel that they are directly connected with the person in power. Americans believe that Trump can be trusted because he speaks his mind - ala tweets. While for many Indians still unwilling or unable to shed the shadow of feudalism, Modi ‘directly’ speaking to them harks back to the era of a benevolent king holding a durbar. These ultimately result in a cult like following where the person in power can do no wrong. This becomes justification enough for Trump and Modi to continue on their course.

Though it was the Trump administration that seeded the term ‘alternative facts’ in the global psyche, it was the Modi government and their cohorts that perfected this arcane art. Indians have had to bear a steady onslaught of alternative facts. Some of which are - Modi proclaiming that genetic engineering was prevalent in ancient times in this land, a minister claiming that cows exhale oxygen and a high court judge piously saying that the peacock is India’s national bird because it does not mate. Trump and team use ‘alternative facts’ as a defense while Modi and his squad use them to create narratives which instill religio-nationalistic pride. This is the grease that eases the implementation of their grand schemes. It should come as no surprise therefore that both men and their administrations are constantly trying to undermine democracy and social cohesion. The most recent case is the law that prevents the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets in India and the travel restriction order in the US. The argument for the former is prevention of animal cruelty and for the latter is keeping America safe, interestingly both these laws target minorities.  

Trump is veering towards isolationalism and reduced international responsibility while Modi seeks global recognition for India’s Hindu-cultural history. But the desired outcome of their design is the same, Trump wants to ‘Make America Great Again’ while Modi fantasises of making India into a Hindu ‘super-power’. The path they have chosen demands that minorities be ignored,  media be curtailed and those with opposing views be given short shrift.

Given their similarities and personality types will these two navigators of their country’s destinies put themselves before their nation when they meet on the 26^th of June? Will Trump try to use his handshake to put Modi in his place, or will Modi sidestep the proffered hand and go for a bear hug to indicate that he is equal to Trump? Will this Mano a Mano impact the outcome of the deliberations between India and the US? We know what happened after Trump returned from Europe. We wait with bated breath.