On the evening of November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on national television to announce one of the most dramatic economic interventions in modern democratic history. With four hours’ notice, 86% of India’s currency in circulation was declared worthless.
The declared objectives – eliminating black money, curtailing terrorism and ushering in a cashless economy – were ambitious. The results were catastrophic. The rhetorical manoeuvre that followed that catastrophe has since become, across successive policy crises, one of the defining political techniques of the Modi era: the conversion of government-induced suffering into a narrative of voluntary national sacrifice.
The demonetisation speech contained the template in its most naked form. Acknowledging that “there may be temporary hardships to be faced by honest citizens”, Modi immediately pivoted to inspiration. “Experience tells us that ordinary citizens are always ready to make sacrifices and face difficulties for the benefit of the nation,” he said.
He invoked the poor widow surrendering her LPG subsidy, the school teacher giving his pension, the Adivasi mother selling her goats – and then posed the rhetorical question: “In this fight against corruption, black money, fake notes and terrorism, will our people not put up with difficulties for some days?”
The nation was asked to absorb the consequences of an...
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