Modi with UpcominG LeadeRs(ChildeRns)

1. Modi the event manager: Why he can
never quite be a Chacha Nehru
Veteran BJP leader LK Advani once remarked that Narendra
Modi was a great event manager. Modi organises events in a
grand manner which often ensures that style makes up for
substance. The way Modi converted an innocuous calendar
event, Teachers' day, into 'Modi's day out with school kids
'exemplifies his skills at semiotics through mega events.
This event was converted into a symbol of "Chacha Modi"
talking to school kids via Doordarshan.
yoursMadhu@live.com

2. Significantly, Chacha Modi is emulating Chacha Nehru, who
also had a special connect with kids. The interesting thing here
is that Modi has deliberately tried to keep Nehru out of all his
speeches since he took charge as Prime Minister. Yet at a
subliminal level he is trying to emulate someone whose memory
he wants erased from public consciousness.
Modi hijacked Teacher's Day to make it 'Modi's day out with
kids': PTI
He uses all the sites of modernity created by Nehru--
announcing IITs and IIMs in all states, personally participating
in inauguration of new space satellites, and even addressing
scientists of DRDO. And he creates television events out of
them. Yet Modi chooses to publicly erase Nehru's contribution
from popular consciousness.
In standard psychololgy literature they say the person you envy,
or even dislike most, is also the person you want to emulate!
The Sangh parivar is also happy at the way Modi is using the
semiotics of events to create a new consciouness among the
young.
So far, Modi has exploited every big event to send out politically
potent signals in a way only he is capable of doing.
yoursMadhu@live.com

3. Like carrying a copy of the Bhagwad Gita for Japan's Emperor,
and then taking a politically partisan dig on foreign soil at
"secular friends" back home who may see the gifting of Gita as a
"communal act". Modi just can't resist indulging in unprovoked
and loaded acts of political symbolism at such big events.
While Modi tried to appropriate the Bhagwad-Gita as naturally
belonging to certain sections of ideologically oriented Indians,
he perhaps didn't realize that Nehru, the original 'pseudo-secular'
had also spoken at length on the universality of Gita and its
message.
"The Bhagwad Gita deals essentially with the spiritual
foundation of human existence. It is a call of action to meet the
obligations and duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual
nature and grander purpose of the universe",Nehru had said.
Modi might do well to assimilate Nehru's interpretation of Gita's
message. If nothing else, it will help him counter Nehru's ghost.
Unfortunately, so far his practice of event based semiotics have
had invariably partisan tinges to it.
It is almost as if Modi doesn't want to lose any opportunity to
take a dig at his adversaries at any forum possible, even when he
represents India as her Prime Minister on foreign soil.
And foreign soil aside, it also appears that he feels the need to
constantly address a polarised constituency, even in regions
where the BJP has had a thumping victory.
The pointed political subtext of Prime Minister Modi's speech
was first seen at a Parliamentary event. In his reply to the
yoursMadhu@live.com

4. Presidential address in Parliament, he spoke of how India lived
for 1200 years under slavery. The subtle reference is to the
Mughal rule, which must be read in its current context within the
Hindutva politics.
Much of present day Eastern Europe was ruled by the Ottomans
but their leaders today don't hark back to a narrative of
"centuries of slavery" under Muslim rule to arouse nationalist
passions!
For the record, Modi also performed the symbolic ritual on
Independence Day, another carefully choreographed event, of
asking for a ten year moratorium on communal violence. But he
is clearly unable to dissuade BJP MPs, like Adityanath from
Gorakhpur, to give up the vocabulary of violence.
On this count, the first hundred days of the NDA government
have not been reassuring. Communal violence has been on the
increase in a Uttar Pradesh and Modi has maintained a studied
silence over it.
Modi will throw many more surprises in the months ahead
where he will choose events to reinforce messages from
traditional Sangh Parivar ideologues like Deendayal Upadhyay
and Shyama Prasad Mookherjee while seeking to graft them
onto the thought process of more mainstream heroes like Gandhi
and Patel.
yoursMadhu@live.com

5. The Congress, which is still comatose after itsmassive election
defeat, may do well to borrow from Modi's craft of playing with
symbolism of events to salvage whatever it can of the grand old
party.
For Modi politics consists of 247 action driven by symbolic
events which seek to occupy the mind space of the young. In
power, he can be lethal as all instruments of the State are at his
disposal.
The opposition needs to wake up to the challenge before it is too
late. Indeed, it will be a pity if the Congress loses, even without
putting up a fight, the battle of mind space to a clever "event
manager".
yoursMadhu@live.com