In a hard-hitting and sharply critical interview, one of India's most highly regarded historians and widely read political commentators have said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership style is the principal reason for India's mishandling of the present COVID crisis. Although Ram Guha also blames Modi's "sycophantic cabinet", the country's institutions, including the Supreme Court, which has let down the country and the yes-men officials and bureaucrats who Modi has surrounded himself with, he says the main blame and responsibility rests squarely on the Prime Minister's shoulders.
In a 30 minute interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire Ram Guha delivered a further sting in the tail when he asked the question 'can Modi change?' and 'will his personality allow that? ' and answered by saying Modi would have to become like Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who has deliberately and successfully moved from the "fascist" positions espoused by his father, Bal Thackeray, to become more middle-of-the-road and politically mainstream.
The true test of a leader isn't how they perform in good times — it's how they handle a crisis. Ram hits the nail on the head, but do they
care? The common man, in the end takes the beating.