So a newspaper in Norway has published a cartoon with Modi as a snake charmer playing the harp to entice the oil suppliers, which has naturally irked many of us Indians. For the Westerners, the image of a snake charmer is synonymous with poor, backward, primitive, superstitious Indians. The colonialists had a field day in lampooning the uncivilised barbarians, who have no business to aspire to the higher table, which is traditionally reserved for the ‘gora saab’. What’s new about this stereotyping of Indians, Peter Sellers’s depiction of an Indian in Hollywood movies, Mind Your Language, the British sitcom, Churchill have all been guilty of the same crime against the one of the oldest civilisations of the world. Some years ago, when India’s Mars mission was hugely successful, the NewYork Times published this highly distasteful cartoon. Obviously this kind of denigration is a sign of envy. Onida TV which some of us old timers would recall had an advertisement going with the catchline “Neighbour’s Envy Owner’s Pride”. Envy is a sign that there is something special which the other’s desire but are unable to acquire for whatever reasons.
But getting back to the charm offensive, well you can’t blame Modi if he is a charmer, having charmed his way to not only the Prime Ministership of the world’s largest democracy, but also internationally when he hobnobs with Trump, Putin, Xi on an equal footing. Whether he uses the age old harp or not, he has got the West Asian Sheikhdoms also eating out of his palm. The fact that he has been able to steer India into highly divergent diplomatic groupings such as SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), QUAD, BRICS, speaks volumes about Indian diplomacy. I think the oil exporting nations ought to be offended by the cartoon more, as they have been depicted as snakes, who are being wooed that too by a third world snake charmer. After all someone like Trump or Xi also want to control Energy resources, primarily Oil, and if you don’t have the heft like them, then you have to rely on charm offensive only. Sometimes it is the ‘hug’ which works, sometimes the ‘drums’ and now it is ‘Melody’ which seems to have done the trick.
For someone like Modi who hasn’t really led a married kind of life, he certainly has his way with the ladies; the ‘Melody chocolatee’ is proof enough. Meloni-Modi chemistry translating to ‘Melo-Di’, the catchword something which any advertising guy will be proud of. Something like the Brangelina Brad Pitt and Angela Jolie), closer home Saifina (Saif Ali Khan and Karina Kapoor) or Virushka (Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma), mind you all of them are or have been couples. This kind of chemistry between heads of state is also something unusual. Wooing a woman with chocolates is common knowledge, but I bet this is the first time in international diplomacy. Swing diplomacy with Xi was also tried but it failed to deliver the expected results. Shuttle diplomacy was the hallmark of Kissinger, instrumental in the US-China thaw in the early seventies, which has shaped the global affairs and resulted in the final disintegration of erstwhile USSR. Chocolate diplomacy may not be in the same league but all the same it has got the goat of some of Indian opposition leaders. The taste of the chocolate apart from the fact that it melts in the mouth is that it is trending on the internet with more than two hundred million hits. “Melody itni chococolatee kaise bani ? Melody khao khud jan jao” ( How did Melody become so chocolatee? Taste it and find out!!)
15 thoughts on “MELODY CHOCOLATEE DIPLOMACY”
Like always Suyash has done it again.A lovely article which. has many facets one reply to the goras two pat to indian diplomacy three a wonderful read
“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to he’ll in such a way that they ask for directions.”
He can sell comb to a bald man, we all know and admire the business acumen of Gujjua
PM Modi does miracle,in India and abroad too. That’s the reason we say Modi hai to mumkin hai. Very good Blog indeed.
Very well articulated Suyash. Excellent read.
Some Italian obsession with Indian men, nonetheless yeh Dil maange more !! Modi hai toh mumkin hai ! Great write up once again Sir, enjoyed thoroughly 😊
well enticing n playfully expressed instant reciepe like Maggi UK 🇬🇧 meloni 🇮🇹 goes viral
Excellent as always. Timings that of first off the block. Hints of romance in diplomacy specially for the male Indians, is like a Hot topic for nation wide Gossips. Opposition is busy, spinning up, unfound controversy for all its worth. Melody, of course, has been the perfect choice. Trust, that the diplomacy yields positive business deals for us. Regards Sanjay
another jewel to your cuff sir.. loved the taste – ghe substance, the flavor, the timing & sutle humorous tinge.. 😀
Suyesh, as always, first off the block with his humourous take on Melo-di.
Surprisingly, our opposition is not happy with their PM( after all Modi is India s PM), charming his way everywhere.
Modi mein kuch tho hai..
Wonderful blog.
Suyesh
you convey your thoughts beautifully. You are absolutely correct that Goras envy us for many reasons. They wonder how we emerged out from the snake charmer and rope tricks era to where we are. They can never fatom the dept of our rich 5000 year old civilization.
Very well articulated Suyash. Excellent read.
As always, a charmer with words (Did I miss the snake before the charmer? Well yes, I would call myself or any reader of Brig Suyash – a snake), Suyash sir has woven this diplomatic piece with finesse around the Chocolate. Great one sir.
Didi, Behanji, Amma, Madame… Modi has had a fair(fare) deal.
And Now Di is added….
All are history. Looks like the Roman umpire is due to fall again.
Sam Dam Dand Bhed, old Chanakya’s stratagem still relevant today. Leave no stone unturned further nation.