Modi has changed not only his image, but that of the BJP too.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: From being a humble ‘karyakarta’ to his ‘maai-baap’ style of reaching out with topical, sensitive messages, ironic humor aimed at the opposition, interesting ‘selfies’ that often go viral and instant rapport with world leaders, through Twitter, the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, has branded himself as a genuine social media star on the micro blogging site with more than 12 million followers, next only to US president Barack Obama among major world politicians, says a recent paper by Joyojeet Pal, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.
One of Modi’s most memorable quotes has been his quip about India, speaking to students at the Shri Ram College of Commerce in New Delhi, where he said famously that Indians in the past were snake charmers, but the Indian youth in the future will be (computer) mouse charmers.
Modi’s inimitable style has been unleashed on the twitter platform too with great success, with a mix of “feel good” messages, shout-outs to other celebrities, and well-timed ritualized responses, as well as a careful strategy of “followbacks” for a small selection of his most active followers, says Pal.
In his paper titled ‘Banalities Turned Viral: Narendra Modi and the Political Tweet’, Pal compares the Modi charisma that has enveloped India since he came to power a year ago, with Obama’s managed twitter campaigns that have a massive following and he ranks number one in followers as a politician.
Says Pal: “Modi’s online image is carefully crafted. His social media outlets feature photographs that fit within a larger brand image that at once straddles two spaces—a man who represents values and tradition and a man who represents globalized modernity.”
He adds of Modi’s image: “His tweets offered a lens into the campaign of image management that has recast him as a development hero, reaching new audiences with an image of a polity that represents industrial acumen, technology, and a keen pulse on the global aspirations of the young nation.”
Modi has come a long way from his “NaMo League” days, when only a single tweet emerged in the year 2011, to somebody who now, or rather his campaign, constantly updates his followers.
Pal makes the distinction between Modi and Rahul Gandhi, saying: “Modi used social media as a constant means of public address, unlike the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, who had no presence on social media. Modi’s followback strategy was unique even within the BJP. Although other leaders like Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitley all had fairly large social media presences, most did no followbacks or else had limited follows to prominent figures. Modi’s use of Twitter was both a call to action and an important means of reiterating that he remained a Karyakarta…”
Most of all, Modi endeared himself to younger followers, who had little to no memory of the Gujarat riots of 2002, but had only read of it: “Modi tweeted occasionally in management jargon, referring to demographic dividends, information superhighways, and smart governance. He typically referred to Sonia Gandhi as “madam” and Rahul Gandhi as “shahzada” (prince) or “Rahul Baba,” and although he attacked the Congress Party on several issues, his references to the Gandhis themselves were cloaked in witticisms and ridicule. Through mockery, he underlined a prowess with language, wit, and, most importantly, no inclination on his part to take his opponent seriously. He took a jab at Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in the state of Rajasthan using a reference to the movie Dhoom 3 (2014) that was running in theaters at the time.”
Pal says that “the Modi social media case is as much a story about the way technology is iconized in India as it is a story of a man who learned to master it.”
Perhaps the most important observation Pal makes is how Modi has transformed not only his image, but that of the Bharatiya Janata party.
“The capture of social media allowed Modi to cater to aspirations for a modernity that mirrored blueprints from the global North. The BJP no longer stood only for older Hindu men in saffron. Instead, here was a man who could take a selfie with one hand and use the other for a trident when needed,” wrote Pal.
Modi has at present 12.3 million followers on Twitter, ranking 85th, but Pal says he may overtake Kim Kardashian, who at 65th spot, has 14.2 million followers. All that pales, of course, when it comes to Obama, who has 59 million followers, and is at third place behind Katy Perry and Justin Bieber.
Despite Modi’s cleverly managed twitter campaign, there are only four major politicians in the world who uses original tweets, according to Twiplomacy Study 2015, the annual report on world leaders’ use of Twitter published public relations firm Burson Marsteller, last month.
The four are: Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves; European Council President Donald Tusk; Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics; and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
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Thats why I called my book on pioneering digital entrepreneurs – The Mouse Charmers anuradhagoyal.com/the-mouse-charmers