OPINION | A sign of shifting winds? Ramdev’s criticism exposes growing discontent in Modi’s India
OPINION | A Sign of Shifting Winds in India
Indiadailyupdate.com – OPINION | A sign of shifting winds is now unmistakable in Indian politics. Baba Ramdev, the yoga guru who until recently stood as one of Prime Minister Modi's most vocal allies, has delivered a sharp rebuke of the current administration. In his remarks he described a nation drowning in "hungaama"—a cacophony of grievance. Schoolchildren, he said, find classrooms without teachers, without electricity, without running water, and without functioning toilets. Where a teacher does exist, textbooks are absent; examinations are riddled with cheating and paper leaks; and government job selections are, by his estimate, ninety per cent corrupt. He called the situation an assault on democracy and justice.
Ramdev's Break and the Independence Day Backdrop
The timing was pointed. Ramdev spoke shortly after Modi's Independence Day address at the Red Fort in Delhi, in which the prime minister labelled his detractors "dimaaghi Naxals"—intellectual terrorists—and catalogued statistic after statistic in service of a vision of a prosperous India by 2047. Modi also castigated the pre-2014 era, conveniently omitting that Jawaharlal Nehru's government laid the groundwork for heavy industry, built engineering colleges, spread schools and colleges across the country, extended education to girls, dismantled the zamindari landlord system, and enacted landmark reforms such as the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, which ended polygamy among Hindus, and the Hindu Succession Act of 1956.
"The movement of the wind indicates a change of the season. Other flowers will now bloom; the songs of the bulbul bird will be less. The nature of rectitude will change in the eyes of the world; those who were full of pride and arrogance will fall to the lowest." — Akbar Allahabadi
The Wind Changes Direction
Despite the government's growth narrative, India sits at 130th out of 193 nations on the Human Development Index. Even granting that GDP figures show expansion under Modi's rule—and recalling Mark Twain's wry observation about "lies, damned lies, and statistics"—the pressing question remains: who actually reaps the fruits? Nine individuals in India hold wealth equivalent to that of the bottom half of the country's 1.43 billion people. With roughly eighty per cent of the population Hindu and the BJP positioning itself as the Hindu vote's champion, the party has swept election after election at both the parliamentary and state levels. Yet the political wind, as OPINION | a sign of shifting sentiment makes clear, is turning.
Youth across the country are moving beyond communalism and casteism to demand jobs. The recent protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi saw young people unite across caste and religious lines. Unemployment is at record highs and climbing. Food and essential-commodity prices are surging. Child malnutrition remains appalling: the Global Hunger Index reports that every second child in India is malnourished, and the country has slipped from position 101 to 107 out of 125 surveyed. Proper healthcare and quality education remain largely out of reach for the majority.
Discontent, in short, is boiling over. A government that has ruled for twelve years with virtually no organised opposition now finds itself on the back foot—not because rival parties have mounted a credible challenge, but because ordinary citizens, exhausted by empty rhetoric, are demanding tangible improvement in daily life. It is precisely this undercurrent that figures like Ramdev, once unshakeable Modi loyalists, appear to be sensing as they recalibrate their public stance.
Napoleon reportedly said of China, "China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she awakes, she will shake the world." The same observation fits India today—a giant stirring from its slumber. (Justice Markandey Katju retired from the Supreme Court of India in 2011. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the views of THE WEEK.)
FAQ
Why did Baba Ramdev criticise the Modi government after years of support? Ramdev cited systemic failures—absent teachers, missing textbooks, exam malpractice, and widespread corruption in government hiring—as evidence that the administration has failed ordinary citizens, particularly schoolchildren.
What is India's current standing on the Human Development Index? India ranks 130th out of 193 countries on the HDI, a figure that contrasts sharply with the government's claims of broad-based economic progress.
How has child malnutrition in India changed recently? According to the Global Hunger Index, every second child in India is malnourished, and the country's ranking has worsened from position 101 to 107 out of 125 surveyed nations.
What does the phrase "a sign of shifting winds" refer to in this context? It signals a perceptible change in public mood: long-time supporters of the ruling party, along with youth protest movements, are openly questioning the government's record, suggesting that electoral and social winds may be altering direction.