The story behind narendramodiplans.com

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I was happy to see narendramodiplans.com, when one of my friends shared it on twitter. Few days after that I noticed that the site was down, this was even after the I quit note. Instinctually, I checked the whois and saw the domain was up for deletion so I quickly setup the domain under my domain monitor. Within two days I received an email that it was available, without a second thought I purchased the domain.

Then the question was, what next. In the interim I listed the site on Sedo. I immediately got a few offers and one the offers almost USD 4500 but then I noticed the stats of the site, almost 1200 to 1500 people were visiting the website and getting disappointed, also I read the various articles linking back to the site.

It was clear that people wanted this site back, but still should I bite the bullet, would all the trolling be worth it, worst still what if someone landed at my doorstep. That’s when I got in touch with Vidyut to understand what should I do, she was direct that I should go ahead and put up the infact I should even put ads on it and make money of it, I didn’t want to ads, she offered her adsense code.

This too wasn’t enough to convince me though, that’s when Cartoonist – Aseem Trivedi called me up to ask why i had brought down the website and he offered to stand by me and help me bring up the site. I explained to him that the previous website was deleted and I just re-registered the domain. I told him about my affiliation to Pirate Party of India and how Vidyut had even suggested I bring back the site. This call was the exact push I needed and I emailed the pirate party mailing list again to fish for opinions, but then had already started working on css version of the site, it was sluggish (yes, more than the one we have now). Vidyut re-worked the content and later created the javascript version.

Now coming to the reason for doing what I did. I personally feel there is a blind mad following for Modi, and making any comment online that is not in modi’s favour can invite these very people.

I believe that politicians should appreciate satire has this is a great way for people to send them message and in this particular case a lot of us want to see Modi come out and talk about the riots, or even give us some real visions for the nation before we accept him as our leader.

Further this site wasn’t being unnecessarily abusive like some of the other ridiculous stuff that exists online. So there isn’t any question of narendramodiplans.com needing to be offline.

32 thoughts on “The story behind narendramodiplans.com”

  1. Amit

    While I support the website fully (I had put up a Facebook status the day the site went off with the ‘I quit’ letter, that it was shameful that the original creator had been probably bullied into taking it off, and a similar site for UPA plans came up the same day), I just want to say, you sound like a Congress apologist here Alex. That’s not the attitude of satire.

    Are you bitter that the video about Nehru’s alleged STD exists and no one is bullying them to take it down? Why is that video abusive? Because it’s about the great-grandfather of the current Congress leadership (screw current, the *eternal* Congress leadership)?

    And when you link to your status about Modi talking about the temple instead of development, I only see 2 replies by one of “these very people”. And what is he saying really? That Modi didn’t really say it. Is that person not entitled to say that even?

    Sorry if I sound like a Modi apologist. I am not. I’m just commenting on what looks strange here.

  2. Hi Amit,

    I don’t doubt your support for the website one bit… Further the Nehru Video was an example of the levels to which propaganda politics has played out online and yes I find it abusive because nobody has the right to defame anyone in this manner, also if someone made something like this of a Modi I would oppose it as well… With regards to the twitter conversation I pointed out to, you should note that I have been on twitter since over five years now and till recently have actively tried to restrict my followers to friends and acquaintances… I tweet for friends and not the world, it is weird when someone out of this circle just pops his head in and tries to be part of my personal conversations.. trust me you very well know about this online brigade that has been created… it is ridiculous and I don’t like these people bullying normal netizens.

    And yes you do sound modifan… I am tagging you as one, try to hide from it as much as you may want!

    regards
    Alex

  3. Amit

    Maybe you could’ve linked to a tweet which had seen more action than one person replying to a public tweet with a generic comment about a chief minister’s statements. I have written tweets about Shahid Kapoor where I have seen more vitriol thrown my way by his fans – and that is hate speech, not what you got as a reply to that tweet.

    As far as the “brigade” goes, it goes both ways, does it not (google Amaresh Mishra if you don’t know about him)? I don’t like either brigade. It’s cheap & disgusting all over.

    Like Bhagwati had said, I’m interested in hearing the candidates about what their plans for the country are, which is why the support for the website, and not in their fanbois polluting the airwaves.

    Thanks for tagging me a Modifan, because I questioned why you are taking attacks on Congress personally, and that it looks really strange. Are you accepting the Congress apologist tag that I offered you? :)

    Oh, and about the Nehru video, I did not know Late Rajiv Dixit was part of Modi’s PR brigade.

    Best,
    Amit

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