In April 2020 — exactly a year ago — I published an essay in the Hindustan Times urging the prime minister to adopt a more consultative approach towards decision-making. Two actions in the past few months demonstrate the extraordinary extent of the prime minister’s vanity. As a historian, I had known of several instances when Indian prime ministers had set aside their partisan prejudices and asked Opposition politicians to help them. The safeguarding of our hard-won freedom required Nehru and Patel to set aside the arrogance that comes with power and embrace the humility that patriotism mandates instead. Meanwhile, the prime minister’s own sense of what he thinks is important is best demonstrated by a statement he made while campaigning in Asansol on April 17, 2021.

Source: The Telegraph April 23, 2021 18:33 UTC