In this issue of Outlook, we look at Modi’s personality, his cult, and his brand in the light of the recent consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya
Outlook Magazine - 11 February 2024
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COVER STORY
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Narendra Modi is not a conventional politician, but an ideologue who draws his mandate from the promise of hyper-capitalism
The Prime Minister has managed to ace the image game by being all-pervasive, and, at the same time, being an elusive political persona
The Prime Minister gets the media’s undivided attention, except when the BJP or the government has suffered a setback
The Prime Minister has successfully crafted a particular kind of image which is key to the BJP’s electoral success. But in the process, the distinctive line between the government and the PM is getting blurred
The morphology of what’s now a global best-in-class war machine is a fearsome thing for anyone standing in the way.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a phenomenon that he is because he is unbeatable and unassailable, and he has no equals in Indian politics today, writes R Balashankar.
Voting patterns in Kerala reveal a gradual impact of cultural Hindutva on the state’s electoral landscape.
Politicians use a carefully constructed dress sense to send out targeted messages and build a distinct image.
Nitish Kumar has switched from one alliance to the other depending on the winnability factor and the hunger to win has dominated his political career. While the ideology of social justice politics is sustained in his policies, it cannot precede his efforts to dodge any prospect of being unseated.
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Narendra Modi is not a conventional politician, but an ideologue who draws his mandate from the promise of hyper-capitalism
-
The Prime Minister has managed to ace the image game by being all-pervasive, and, at the same time, being an elusive political persona
-
The Prime Minister gets the media’s undivided attention, except when the BJP or the government has suffered a setback
-
The Prime Minister has successfully crafted a particular kind of image which is key to the BJP’s electoral success. But in the process, the distinctive line between the government and the PM is getting blurred
-
The morphology of what’s now a global best-in-class war machine is a fearsome thing for anyone standing in the way.
-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a phenomenon that he is because he is unbeatable and unassailable, and he has no equals in Indian politics today, writes R Balashankar.
-
Voting patterns in Kerala reveal a gradual impact of cultural Hindutva on the state’s electoral landscape.
-
Politicians use a carefully constructed dress sense to send out targeted messages and build a distinct image.
-
Nitish Kumar has switched from one alliance to the other depending on the winnability factor and the hunger to win has dominated his political career. While the ideology of social justice politics is sustained in his policies, it cannot precede his efforts to dodge any prospect of being unseated.
OTHER STORIES
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Though the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur may have come close to the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has been trying to own Thakur for quite some time
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At this crucial time, the weaknesses of India’s liberal democracy need to be urgently addressed and corrected
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Just as Ram in the Ramayana often forgets his divine nature, the Ram of Ram Mandir, too, seems to have lost access to some parts of himself. He is a solitary avenger and redeemer, resplendent on the saffron with his raised bow and sheath of arrows. He is hectoring and hypermasculine, but also hypersensitive to insult and continuously in need of validation. He wants non-Hindus to chant his name to prove that they belong in Ayodhya.
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Modernity opened up a secular sphere where religion could no longer simply remain religion. It has transformed religion for the better and worse.
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Nabina Das writes poems on the life amid wars and turmoil in the world.
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Ram lalla's home today is not the Ram Rajya of yore as it is now a business venture where a bunch of outsiders are making money off people’s faith, says Dharam Das, a mahant of the Nirvani Akhada.