This morning the newspapers carried a full-page advertisement, taken out by an organisation called Indian Rice Exporter’s Federation, profusely thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ‘visionary leadership’ and ‘decisive diplomacy’ that supposedly made the Indo-US Trade deal possible. According to this proclamation of sycophancy, the agreement enhances India’s global standing and showcases the confidence of a strong and self-reliant India. The advertisement ends with a salute, on behalf of more than 7700 members, to Modi, assuring him gratitude and highest respect. Brace up for more such expressions in the coming days, with trade bodies, assorted Chambers of Commerce and other sectional lobbies, all singing praises of the prime minister’s brilliant victory over those the loud-mouths in Washington.The prime minister himself set the tone. At a gathering of his own MPs and allies, he crowed that the trade deal, as also the one with EU, was “historic” and proclaimed that the world is ‘tilting’ towards India. That was just the kind of assurance the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislators wanted to hear as they had watched in dismay in recent months Donald Trump verbally and diplomatically assailing India and rubbishing its leader’s pretensions. The parliamentarians badly needed to be assured that the Modi halo has not totally evaporated into thin air.What is curious is that everybody is in agreement that the announcement of the deal made in Washington is a big deal in itself; but everybody also acknowledges that you would be wise and sensible to wait for the fine print. Yet there is an unseemly rush, no doubt with a nudge from the lords and masters of Raisina Hill, to serenade the prime minister in Raag Darbari.A few brave and independent economic voices are cautioning us that the much-touted deal is a thinly disguised surrender, dictated by Washington. Yes, Modi’s ministers and officials are rushing to reassure the nation that our “sensitive” sectors have been protected. Indeed. It is only realistic to keep in mind that what is sensitive to us may not be very sensitive to the hard-bargaining and arm-twisting American trade negotiators. Of course, it would be sometime before the fine print is available and the true nature of concessions secured by Washington would be known; but by that time, the country would have moved on to newer preoccupations and newer headlines.The deal has come as a great relief to Modi’s image makers. Single handedly Donald Trump has done irreparable damage to the very carefully crafted persona of a leader who had everyone believe he is feared and respected in chancelleries across the world. To add insult to injury came the revelations in the ‘withdrawn’ memoirs of an Army general. What the former army chief has to tell us runs counter to the image Modi has built for himself as a leader who can stand up decisively and clear-headedly against India’s enemies. Millions of otherwise mesmerised voters are bound to feel short-changed. Modi and his spear-carriers needed a “victory.”This is a rather piquant situation. Until now, the ruler and ruled were firmly in a hostage situation, built up over the years in a web of half- truths, partial truth, and outright deception; both were comfortable in the sleight of hand. But this mutually satisfying relationship was endangered by Trump’ erratic nature. Moreover, the relevant classes have already noticed that notwithstanding Modi’s he-man hype, we have quietly crawled our way back into the Chinese business embrace.Also read: Us or US? Who Stands to Benefit From the India-US Trade DealThe business community has reason to rejoice over this deal. “Load The Ships,” exults The Times of India editorially. The tariff war that Trump unleashed on India caused great distress and damage to significant sections of Modi’s support base. These sections had put all their eggs in Modi’s political basket; it is imperative for them to be made to acknowledge the prime minister’s leadership once againThe second pillar in the Modi edifice remains the upper crust of our cultural and economic elites. They now have a reason to feel comfortable once again. They feel they can travel to New York unmolested for shopping and net-working. Admittedly the ‘deal’ does not necessarily signal the end of the Cold War between New Delhi and Washington; but at least there is a thaw. The kind of understanding reached between the Adani Empire and the Security and Exchange Commission is reassuring to this category of top five percent rich and affluent Indians.The third cohort that will heave a sigh of relief are those who want to make their escape from the presumed glories and greatness of Naya Bharat – to a life of dignity and decency for themselves and their children abroad. For this segment, the United States remained the ultimate destination. The “deal” can give these desperate middle classes a feeling that perhaps the doors to the US have not been closed so firmly in their face.All these sections needed to be persuaded not to lose faith in Modi. The usual suspects are at work, practicing their black magic in the art of seduction. As a matter of fact, only two days before the announcement of the deal was made in Washington, the same cast of characters – let us call them “the Blind Men of Naya Bharat” – were busy exerting themselves, praising and applauding the finance minister and the prime minister for the Budget that would take India to civilisational greatness. Before they could recover their breath, they were asked to hard-sell the “deal”.When the finer details are known, it would become clear that a carpet-seller in Tehran or a dry-fruit merchant in Delhi’s Sadar Bazar could have bargained better. But Modi was desperate and the hustlers in Washington could size up our leadership and its desperation.Yet, the Modi crowd has become arrogantly self-confident in the prime minister’s ability to sell surrender as victory, and failure as success. When there is paralysis and self- doubt, Modi has painted himself in colours of decisive leadership. This in fact is his greatest asset. Hawking an unequal and imperfect trade deal will be all in a day’s work. As a nation, we have now become accustomed to this model of governance by advertisement. Cynical men, power-hungry men have perfected an institutional disdain for democratic accountability. Two cheers for Naya Bharat.Harish Khare is a former editor-in-chief of The Tribune.This piece was first published on The India Cable – a premium newsletter from The Wire – and has been updated and republished here. To subscribe to The India Cable, click here.