Like millions of people and ‘bots’, I
have also watched PM Modi’s latest video with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. And I
found it extremely adorable too. But one opposition party leader has taken
offense at the video, calling it “nautanki”, i.e. non-serious banter. It made
me think about it too: what does PM Modi want from such “banter”?
It is clear that PM Modi has
specifically chosen Italian PM Meloni for these series of “banter”. There is no
doubt that Italian PM Meloni is extremely beautiful and has a very positive and
pleasing personality, and somehow it matches the charisma of PM Narendra Modi
so well. Together, they look “magical”! There is something really special about
their pictures, and we can easily see that PM Modi’s face “glows” and some very
positive vibes come out of these images.
At the same time, the relevance of
“Italy” cannot be ignored since Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi came from
Italy after marrying India’s popular PM Indira Gandhi’s son Rajiv Gandhi.
Before her, or apart from her, I don’t think Indian people had much idea about
Italians. And somehow the kind of impression she made on Indians was not really
positive. She always appeared “cold”, with an entirely emotionless face, and
the politics in Indira Gandhi’s family post her arrival, e.g. removal of her
Indian daughter-in-law Maneka Gandhi from her family and political legacy, made
people keep a negative opinion about her. People also remember Bofors scam and
Italian man named Quattrocchi’s involvement in it. Somehow, Italian PM Meloni
has completely changed the old impression of Italians in the eyes of Indian
people, and it is a big positive for Italy in the long term. Today, people in
India do not look at Italy with suspicion, but with a warmth, and a large
credit for this goes to “Melodi” brand friendship.
We can even wonder if PM Modi does
excessive display of warmth towards PM Meloni to irritate Sonia/Rahul Gandhi
supporters? The way Rahul Gandhi reacted to the latest pictures, clearly points
out that he does not like it at all. But PM Modi will do more of the same
nonetheless.
To summarize, I think PM Modi has not
specifically chosen friendship and warm bonding with Italian PM Meloni due to
political reasons, but it would have happened naturally and genuinely. But he
does intentionally highlight these in the form of social media posts, because
he knows social media users and rest of the world love it when he does so.
Therefore, until “Melodi” friendship
continues, Modi-Bhakts will enjoy but the Modi-hating opposition members are
going to have a very “annoying” time.
- Rahul
