Narendra Modi’s Political Strategy Lies in the Constant Use of Self-Image in the Religious Context

Modi has always been aware of the power of how the leader is ‘presented’. Where he scores over his peers is the additional flank of religion through which he makes inroads and creates a following for himself in the psyche of people.

It is universally acknowledged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi perpetually remains in the news and at the centre of social and political discourse. It is part of a carefully evolved strategy to occupy mind space of people.

For journalists, this trait often comes in handy. Even if one misses a speech or an occasion to take note of, he is sure to provide another chance.

A recent opportunity to examine how the country’s most in-public-eye leader uses the video format to further his personal image and enhance political standing or popularity, appeared to have been lost. However, he provided yet another chance to remain visible.

The series of videos and photographs, published on October 12 on multiple social media handles and official sites of the prime minister, caught the attention of innumerable people.

This was even before memories faded of Modi literally using the broom to publicise the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a day before Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

The latest images were more compelling and even the ageing Shahenshah of entertainment, Amitabh Bachchan, took note of the string of visuals. He embedded one of Modi’s pictures in his post on X (formerly Twitter): “The religiosity…the mystery…the divinity of Kailash Parbat, has been intriguing me for long…and the tragedy is that I shall never be able to visit it in person…”

The series of posts from Modi’s multiple social media platforms and sarkari sites, sequentially publicised his engagements on that day in Uttarakhand. These provide insight into Modi’s performative ability and how he made this integral to the political narrative he has woven, especially after 2014.

Like always, the latest series of images further that narrative by image-bolstering or even aura-raising. In this instance, it was kickstarted by at least three changes of costumes, beginning with the crease-perfect pearl-white “traditional tribal outfit”.

Through the day, his engagements and costumes subtly accentuated perfect fusion between religion, military and politics in which priests, soldiers and the audiences took the place of props.

Bachchan is no stranger to the evocative capacity of the visual form. He chose this particular image because of its evocative power.

The picture of a meditative Modi with folded hands looking over a water body into the horizon where Mount Kailash looms large enhances Modi’s religious imagery as a Rishi, or as a holy man who is also King, a monarch whose failings can be overlooked at times because he ‘means good’ and is godly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the holy Parvati Kund of Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. Photo: X@narendramodi

It is akin to the garb he chose in the wake of the first COVID-19 lockdown. Modi’s growing locks and flowing beard made him look sagely and saved him for being pinioned for the government’s shortfalls and lack of foresight.

During his visit to Uttarakhand, he performed and enacted multiple roles, even when addressing a public meeting. The ostensible occasion was the inauguration and foundation-laying ceremony of multiple projects in Pithoragarh district.

But, the most publicised picture(s) were those in a creamy shade of white underscoring the ‘purity’ of the person donning the costume. Modi went to the Shiva temple located at a dizzying height on the banks of the Parvati Kund wearing this costume.

Such exotic locales have their own appeal. But in this case, as indicated in Bachchan’s post, it is also a spot where numerous devout Hindus aspire to go and pay obeisance to Lord Shiva.

More importantly, such settings enable Modi to display himself as a leader who is also a saviour of people. With this act particularly, the prime minister conveyed to people that to seek boons and blessings for them he even ‘undertakes the hardship’ of trekking up to such remote places.

One of his posts buttresses this point: “From this place of spirituality and culture situated in the lap of nature, I wished a happy life for all the family members of our country.” The message was unambiguous – he has travelled this far, not to partake in the visual wonderment that the images arouse, or tick another destination from his ‘to-visit’ list, but to seek well-being of ‘his people’.

These posts depicted the premier in the designer costume (obviously) worn over layers of woolens with a headgear in place. A search revealed that the outfit Modi wore is actually donned by men of a particular tribal community of the district.

Like inside the cave in the Kedarnath temple complex in May 2019, where his videos and pictures drew sniggers from critics due to ‘access’ provided to the unidentified cameraperson(s), at this Pithoragarh shrine, too, the intrusive presence of the camera did not alter the tranquil expression he sported on his face throughout while performing rituals.

This served as a reminder to an old aide’s observation made more than a decade ago: “Every square inch outside his private room is a stage,” quite like makeshift ones in his school in Vadnagar, which he went to. One of his teachers had provided a detail: He accepted only lead roles.

Presentation of the self has been increasingly central to Modi’s politics. An early user of social media, he became aware of how technology could enhance appeal of the aesthete. Through the power of his oratory, he conveys repeatedly that none of this is for himself, but only ‘for’ the people.

In Modi’s engagements for that day, it is important to note how the religious or spiritual conjoined with the cultural and political. This was understandable because the amalgamation of the three is one of the foundational tenets of the Sangh parivar: culture, religion, and nationalism are interwoven and universal to the Indian nation.

In the course of the day, Modi traipsed past assemblies of personnel of the Army, Border Roads Organisation and Indo Tibetan Border Police besides the aam janta, many of who were assembled on either side of the route he took, with a mandate to cheer and shower floral petals.

Past these halts, Modi hopped off to another ancient Shiva temple in Jageshwar Dham in Almora district. In between he had time to address a public rally too.

Modi never fails to wear his religiosity on his sleeves overtly – be it on this day or in May 2019 in Kedarnath, in Varanasi, or even Ayodhya in December 2021 and August 2020, respectively.

Through these acts, Modi projects himself not-so-subtly as a devout Hindu. However he remains a utopian figure, whose ‘perfection’ is impractical for hoi polloi. Modi can at best be an aspiration, never fulfilled for no one can become or take his place.

There was a time when he and his party publicised his OBC status but not anymore. Whenever he speaks on anything that has a resonance of the Hindu, Hinduism and Hinduness (Savarkar called this the near closest word to define Hindutva), he blurs caste, class and regional lines – he is just a Hindu.

There is no separation between religion and state. Effectively, the latter has actually acquired a far deeper religious hue since 2014.

Not every playacting of Modi is within a temple or religious precincts. On October 1, TV screens and social media platforms lit up with Modi with a broom. He did so not all by himself but chose a prop in the singular – Ankit Baiyanpuria, a member of the new tribe of ‘influencers’ in the field of fitness.

The government marked the second fortnight of September as a Swachhata Hi Seva (like most official programmes, the naming of this too was solely in Hindi). The campaign was to end on October 2 – a day when the mandatory visit to Rajghat hogs time and space in the media.

This video clip was smartly released a day prior to this. Almost from the first shot, it is understandable that the production team was briefed that Modi was the star. The spotlight remained riveted on his face, while the ‘co-star’s’ was often shrouded in darkness.

Of the two, while Modi was dressed in kurta pyjamas with a white wrap as an accessory, draped or pinned strategically over his shoulder, Baiyanpuria was in a normal workout costume – tracksuit bottom and a round-neck T-shirt.

The video projects Modi as a leader who is also concerned about cleanliness or Swachhata and fitness: “It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe,” said a post from the prime minister’s handle.

Shot in an open space with large trees providing the backdrop to simulate a park, shooting may even have taken place in the backyard of the prime minister’s residence.

The intention is to publicise Modi’s commitment to Swachh Bharat Mission by personally picking up the broom. The two characters banter along – the contents aimed at furthering Modi-centric mythologies – Baiyanpuria says that he drew inspiration from Modi for his fitness regime.

This is again the unattainable Modi who is the star of this widely viewed video. This social media influencer from Sonipat may have 4.9 millions followers on Instagram, but all efforts would have come to a naught had he not been inspired by Modi.

Modi becomes part of the people by articulating their sentiments and desires. He is part of the elite that people aspire to become part of with his style of dressing and through the raw political power he exudes.

Modi has always been aware of the power of how the leader is ‘presented’. He is not the only one in the world for whom the template of a populist is apt.

Where he scores over his peers is the additional flank of religion through which he makes inroads and creates a following for himself in the psyche of people.

Because of constant use of religion and the religious vocabulary, there is a perceived messianic zeal in his actions. It is important to recollect that on more than one occasion, Modi has claimed that he has been the ‘chosen one’. His claim fits in completely with what academic S. Vittorini termed a “calculated, sharp, uncluttered style and saintly look” that presents Modi to the people as a “messianic, super CEO”.

Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay’s latest book is The Demolition and the Verdict: Ayodhya and the Project to Reconfigure India. His other books include The RSS: Icons of the Indian Right and Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times. He tweets at @NilanjanUdwin