“He’s a real nowhere man”: Beatles song recalled to describe PM’s speech

The Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech this year, the shortest at 54 minutes of all the four addresses he has delivered so far, was described by many citizens as a political speech made with an eye on the next general election. Others found him to be tentative and unsure of himself for the first time.

Several citizens wondered at the fate of the 8,000 and odd suggestions that the PMO is said to have received from people for inclusion in his Independence Day address. “Which part of his address was crowdsourced,” asked a bewildered senior citizen even as observers questioned the claims on demonetisation that he made in his address.

Referring to the Reserve Bank Of India Governor Urijit Patel declaring that RBI has not yet finished counting currency notes returned to it post-demonetisation, people wondered how the PM had arrived at the figure of Rs three lakh crore.

RBI hasn't finished counting the money received after demonetisation, so how did PM reach this figure? Who is lying - PM or RBI Governor?

PM said Rs 3Lakh cr back to banking system post #Demonetisation , RBI has not finished counting yet,how did PM get this figure?:GN Azad

Even while hailing his statement that the Kashmir problem would not be solved by either ‘goli’ ( bullets) or ‘ gaali’ (abuses) but by embracing each other, critics pointed out that the PM refused to announce a dialogue (Boli) with people to break the stalemate there. Others reminded him that it would be difficult to embrace anyone with a gun in his hand.

Recalling his pre-election promises, some slammed him for choosing to ignore important issues, glossing over some and giving misleading facts about others.

Sharing a song by Beatles, Nowhere Man, Mohan Guruswamy—who is chairman of New Delhi-based Centre For Policy Alternatives—posted on his Facebook wall, “The Prime Minister's speech this morning reminded me of this song:”

The lyrics of the iconic song go as under:

He's a real nowhere man

Sitting in his nowhere land

Making all his nowhere plans for nobody

Doesn't have a point of view

Knows not where he's going to

Isn't he a bit like you and me?

He's as blind as he can be

Just sees what he wants to see

Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

Here’s what citizens from different walks of life said about PM Modi’s speech addressed to the nation from the Red Fort on 71st Independence Day, on Twitter—