There's a paradox around Modi, one of the most popular leaders in Indian history but frankly so little understood.
This is not surprising, not in India, where to worship is to elevate and not necessarily to understand, often quite the opposite in fact.
Here's a guide to Modi:
This is not surprising, not in India, where to worship is to elevate and not necessarily to understand, often quite the opposite in fact.
Here's a guide to Modi:
To me Modi is much more interesting as a historical phenomena than as a person.
He is a complex but successful synthesis of the Gandhi-Savarkar binary in the Hindu mind combining the rich ritual exterior of mass-politician Gandhi with cold internal clarity of Savarkar.
He is a complex but successful synthesis of the Gandhi-Savarkar binary in the Hindu mind combining the rich ritual exterior of mass-politician Gandhi with cold internal clarity of Savarkar.
By combining Hindutva and 'Vikas', he singlehandedly moved Hindutva in practice half a century ahead of its theory making 'Indian Modernity' a practical ideal (not reality).
Most academic analysis of Hindutva is horseshit because words to describe this change don't exist yet.
Most academic analysis of Hindutva is horseshit because words to describe this change don't exist yet.
What does Modi owe to Gujarat?
Not a coincidence that Modi represents a movement of Hindutva gravity to the coast from the heartland.
A maritime mindset emphasizing openness to innovation as opposed to an ideology of stagnation in Hindi heartland, this is a gift from Gujarat.
Not a coincidence that Modi represents a movement of Hindutva gravity to the coast from the heartland.
A maritime mindset emphasizing openness to innovation as opposed to an ideology of stagnation in Hindi heartland, this is a gift from Gujarat.
Modi's relationship with religion.
He draws on multiple things - Swaminarayan (refurbished innovative tradition), Vivekanand (workaholic nationalist devotion), Ram (Pauranik).
Hinduism as eclectic, elastic resource to be used personally as well as publicly.
He draws on multiple things - Swaminarayan (refurbished innovative tradition), Vivekanand (workaholic nationalist devotion), Ram (Pauranik).
Hinduism as eclectic, elastic resource to be used personally as well as publicly.
Modi and Youth
Many people don't understand this. A 72 yo constantly invoking 'youthfulness' is a call for the inexhaustible spirit of the young to aid him in this creative project.
Modi - not the culmination but merely the ignition of a process. Not the fruit, but fertilizer.
Many people don't understand this. A 72 yo constantly invoking 'youthfulness' is a call for the inexhaustible spirit of the young to aid him in this creative project.
Modi - not the culmination but merely the ignition of a process. Not the fruit, but fertilizer.
Modi as an OBC
On a spectrum of relatability between UCs and SCs, it is the OBCs that truly represent the ambiguous political/cultural/societal/historical 'mass' of India. Indian politics is a fight for the soul of OBCs. Modi represents a victory of Hindutva from within.
On a spectrum of relatability between UCs and SCs, it is the OBCs that truly represent the ambiguous political/cultural/societal/historical 'mass' of India. Indian politics is a fight for the soul of OBCs. Modi represents a victory of Hindutva from within.
Modi and Past
He has a healthy relationship with the past. He consumes it rather than than the other way round.
Engineering rhetoric around Amrit Kaal suggests that he longs for another grand generative '1947 moment'.
He has a healthy relationship with the past. He consumes it rather than than the other way round.
Engineering rhetoric around Amrit Kaal suggests that he longs for another grand generative '1947 moment'.
Modi and RSS
He's indubitably a RSS product but limits of RSS imagination are not his limits. He has shown that RSS in a healthy sense exists to be used as a ground of understanding, an approach, a lever, not as a culmination.
He's indubitably a RSS product but limits of RSS imagination are not his limits. He has shown that RSS in a healthy sense exists to be used as a ground of understanding, an approach, a lever, not as a culmination.
Modi as an authoritarian personality?
In a culture of general ambiguity, public atrophy of responsibility and mass entropy, but also in a deep need of transition, Modi embodies a longing for order and stability, that all such historical transitions seem to be impossible without.
In a culture of general ambiguity, public atrophy of responsibility and mass entropy, but also in a deep need of transition, Modi embodies a longing for order and stability, that all such historical transitions seem to be impossible without.
And finally, Modi and Modian future.
As a leader heralding transition, trying to use politics and democracy as a mass transformation technology, his success not to be measured by what he does, but by what comes after. The actual Modi moment is 2024 and beyond.
As a leader heralding transition, trying to use politics and democracy as a mass transformation technology, his success not to be measured by what he does, but by what comes after. The actual Modi moment is 2024 and beyond.
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