Narendra Modi, the new Prime Minister, shows a refreshing openness towards direct engagement with the common man. The redesigned official website of the prime minister of India, pmindia.nic.in, best demonstrates this. One of the links on the home page is ?Interact with the Hon?ble PM? where one can post queries or suggestions on any sector of governance, from the economy to law and order. Even if one doesn?t end up influencing policy, a dream of the advocates of the bottom-up approach, in 1,000 characters, citizens can make themselves heard to the PMO, at least. What?s more, there is a ?grievances? head under which one can mark one?s complaints?this could actually end up ensuring greater accountability if the posts are read with earnest and followed up with action. The fear of monitoring by the PMO could keep government officials on their toes.
With the website, Modi has got the optics right. He wants to come across as the man who delivers?and who can deliver better than a man in power who also listens. Modi is a mass leader who is far more technology-savvy than his peers. With the website, he seems set to put both traits to maximum use.
