Virginia Review of Asian Studies
Volume 16 (2014): i-v
Mathur: Indian Election
EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE 2014 ELECTION IN INDIA
DECIPHERING THE INDIAN “DANCE OF DEMOCRACY”
TRIVENI GOSWAMI MATHUR FULBRIGHT-NEHRU SCHOLAR
[Editor’s Note: Dr. Triveni Goswami Mathur has had a long and distinguished career as a journalist and is a freelance writer and teacher. She is presently a Visiting Faculty at the Alliance for Global Education, India, Pune and Contemporary India and Media Studies, Pune. She was a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in 2013 at Mary Baldwin College and serves on the Editorial Board of this journal]
The ‘Dance of Democracy’, as the Indian general elections are often referred to by the media, in the 2014 General Elections has established not just the vibrancy of Indian democracy, but also that the nation’s diversity speaks as one voice in moment of despair and crisis. The Indian nation over the last decade was crippled by lack of good governance and deep-rooted corruption--- something that ‘young’ India with a population of 1.2 billion was no more willing to remain a silent observer to.
The 2014 General elections had several ‘firsts’: This was India’s first general election which had the NOTA (none of the above) option, allowing voters to reject all fielded candidates. These elections had the highest number of debutant voters in India’s electoral history at 23 million constituting 2.88 % of total voters, against 0.75 % in the previous elections in 2009. The total electorate this time was approximately 815 million, nearly four times as large as the next largest USA. For the first time in Lok Sabha elections, some voters would get an instant feedback to verify that their votes are cast as intended. This was a Voter-verified –Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT) that could be used in the rarest of rare cases and is expected to cover all the 543 constituencies by the next elections in 2019. Also, for the first time, the transgender were given the opportunity to vote in the ‘others category’ which was introduced in 2010 recognizing their identity. (The Times of India, March 6, 2014)
But, more importantly, the demographics showed that the youth of India comprised about 150 million young voters who wanted a new India. The youths were restive. They wanted change. Young Indians reveled not in nostalgic memories of the past, but looked ahead to a future of growth and development.
If the mood of the youth was anything to go by, then the February 6, 2013 lecture by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing students of a prestigious collegein the capital city of New Delhi indicated what was to follow when India went to the polls exactly 14 months lateron April 7, 2014. It may not be wrong to say that Modi, in a way, began his campaign as a run up to the elections with this lecture targeted at the aspiring youth of India. Modi spoke to thousands of students who listened to him in rapt attention – a first of sorts. Modi spoke in a language devoid of empty rhetoric but pulsating with a language that the youth speak and want to hear.
Take a look at some of what he said while talking of the now much talked about “Gujarat model of development”, relating it to his belief of a nation wanting to grow: ‘P2G2’ - “Pro People, Good Governance,” or his statement “I am an optimist. This glass(pointing to a glass of water) is neitherhalf full or half empty. I believe it is full, filled half with water and half with air.” Talking of the youth, he says, “The youth of India is fed up with corruption. They think they have had enough and plan to go abroad to escape it.Everyone thinks "What is there to do? Everyone is a robber. Why did God let me be born here?" But I disagree.You can succeed here. With the same system.” Narrating an incident in Taiwan, he said, “the interpreter asked me if India still was a nation of snake-charmers,I said no,we are now mouse charmers. The youth of the nation has its finger on the mouse of computers and is changing the world. If there is development there is much scope for a lot of improvement in the nation. On farmers and agriculture in Gujarat, Modi said, “We try to strengthen the farmers. We follow the paradigm-Farm to fibre to fabric to fashion to foreign.Answer to every problem is development, the country has been ruined due to vote-bank politics. Minimum government, maximum governance is what I believe in.” ( )
“Minimum government, maximum governance” became Modi’s magic mantra. Thus, 63 year-old Modi struck a chord with the real people who mattered in a nation wanting to develop.On the other hand, the Indian National Congress, though projecting a young leadership with 43 year-old Rahul Gandhi, failed to notice, let alone recognize the mood of the nation. Probably because a dynasty always wants to maintain status quo!The youth today is all about mind-sets where physical age loses its relevance.
While on the one hand a young leader like Rahul Gandhi could not capture the mood of the nation, on the other hand, political patriarchs were found to be totally out of sync. The only thing that mattered is the promise of performance. While Narendra Modi skillfully showcased the success of the Gujarat development model, on winning the elections, he also promised Indians to put up his “report card” for scrutiny. He showed that he was a man of action.
The students who attended the lecture were quick to respond through social media networks. One blogger, R Jagannathan in his column in Firstpost notes, “The response of his audience….showed that for the youth of India, the future is more important than the past. They want to move on.” Today youngsters do not want to exist in the shadows of the past. The youth does not want mere lip service and shallow ideas but people who have delivered on the ground. His 11-year track record in Gujarat is the best indication of his work and his quest to achieve inclusive, holistic development for Gujarat.
‘Young India is rocking to Modi-nomics’ – this is how Ankit Grover described Modi’s speech. “Modi’s equation with the youth is unrivalled. He understands what young India wants and believes in delivering on his promises. He understands that the youth is not into the business of political maneuvering and does not pay heed to divisive community-based electioneering.”Anant Rangaswami summed up Shri Modi’s speech as, “Whether you’re a fan of Narendra Modi or not, you have to admire the content of his speech. The audience was youth, and every area that Modi focused on was an area that matters most to the young: a bright future.” ( )
This election was primarily a contest between Narendra Modi, who was projected as the prime ministerial candidate for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),and Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of the then governing Congress Party. Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formed on the planks of being a platform to fight corruption also attracted a lot of attention. While the voting population had become disillusioned with the ineffective governance of the Congress-led coalition government, and the poor show of the AAP governance in New Delhi Assembly left people angry and disgruntled, the Bharatiya Janata Party leveraged on the two key aspects of promising good governance and corruption-free development model to win public confidence.
No wonder then, Modi’s identifying the youth as ‘change agents’ in the college lecture led to youth responses of applause on social media. Modi was not one to be left behind. He used the social media – Facebook and Twitter – in the manner that would match today’s youth. The Economic Times, April 6, 2014 writes: “The BJP had a 25-member in-house IT team, supported by over 150,000 volunteers to promote them online. Taking a 360 degree campaign approach, the party reached out to voters both offline and online looking like a well orchestrated strategy among all parties. Congress was the last to wake up to the importance of social media. Although Aam Aadmi Party,(formed after a massive public support shown for their anti-corruption movement in 2012), and fairly new to the political arena achieved the fastest scale-up in the social media. Its presence was ‘fairly unstructured, un-coordinated with its leaders speaking in different voices.’ “
Political speeches, its analysis and interpretation, the usual rhetoric of caste, religion and identity did take centre-stage through the print and audio-visual media. But, what was distinctly evident was the way other forms of communication were employed to reach out to an audience that demanded stability of governance and growth in the economy. The language of deciphering Indian elections and reaching out to the electorate had changed.
The Election Commission of India played an important role in asking citizens to exercise their right to franchise through bill-boards, print and audio-visual advertising. But, what was noticeable was that leading brands of consumer products, telecom services, fast moving consumer goods focused like never before on the need to vote for stability and the importance of casting one’s vote.
A leading website India.com identified the top eight social responsibility advertisements by leading brands.Among the eight chosen advertisements was an advertisement by Idea Cellular – a telecom service provider – talked about how people could be fooled no more. “This one has truly portrayed the sad situation of politics and the false promises given to people by the politicians in our country,” the website says. A Havells Fans advertisement says “Hawa Badlegi” (The wind will change its course) and points out that “the citizens will be more than happy to see a Mr. Right on one of the top political chairs of the country.” Fevicol – an adhesive brand- shows in its advertisement that whether it is the ‘hand-shaped’ chair (Hand being the symbol of the Congress Party) or a ‘Lotus shaped chair’ – stability is the key().
It is worth mentioning at this point that all political parties and independent contestants are allotted election symbols by the Election Commission of India for the benefit of quick identification by even the illiterate voter. While leading political parties election symbols are well-recognized by the public at large, (‘Hand’ being the symbol of the Congress Party, ‘Lotus’ being the symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party, or the ‘broom’ the symbol for Aam Aadmi Party) several other symbols include items of daily use from cups and saucers, to key chains and lanterns, or bi-cycles and auto-rickshaw- a common mode of transport.
From advertisements of Pizzas, tea, noodles and motorcycles – all leading brands led the campaign of voter awareness and the need for change. “Some TV ads don’t clearly talk about elections but bring in a few elements subtly. A cellular phone company’s ads talk of citizens’ increased awareness on corruption. A noodles campaign shows children forming a Party to fight homework,” writes Sushma UN and Nandini Sen Gupta in The Times of India,April 12, 2014.
While manifestoes released by the leading political parties focused on myriad issues from employment, price rise, urbanization, farming and industry sectors, corruption, foreign policy and the like, the leading national daily The Times of India (TOI) also brought out what was termed a citizens manifesto titled “ManifesTOI” demanding “a fiscally responsible, socially progressive government.” The vibrant Indian media played a significant role in creating mass public awareness among the electorate on the complexities of national issues through a simpler mode of communication.
Interestingly, besides political rhetoric through speeches, attack and counter-attack by candidates revolved even around the body-language of leading contestants. Even if a contestant wore a headgear specific to a region ( and every region in India has a unique headgear that speaks its identity), they were being perceived to be symbols of short-term appeasement and affiliation!
Modi almost single-handedly addressed 440 public rallies, in almost 5800 locations covering a distance of 186,411 miles. He changed the form of electioneering to a US-style presidential election campaign, never seen before in India.After Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister of India, newspapers deciphered his gestures and body language from being one of aggression during the electioneering campaign to one of humility and poise on winning the elections. “A Modi-fied Leader Emerges: Meet the New Narendra Modi-Softer, Statesman-like and Pro Poor”, said the headline of The Economic Times , May 21, 2014. “The ‘Strong’ Leader shows his Many Shades” said the caption on Modi bowing down at the steps of the Parliament House and when he gets emotional while addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting after winning.
“The softer, statesman-like Modi who seemed unafraid to emote was first on display dramatically when he stooped to touch his forehead on the grand steps of the Parliament building, which he called the “temple of democracy.” This gesture of respect was as traditional culturally as it was politically unique – political leaders have not been known to “pay respect” to India’s democracy in such a dramatic fashion,” writes The Economic Times. (May 21, 2014)
It was not just Modi’s confident personality but more specifically the content of his message that appealed to the aspirational Indian electorate.
The 2014 general election, recorded the highest voter turnout ever at 66.4%. This surpasses the 64% polling witnessed in the 1984 polls, held in extraordinary circumstances following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and makes the 58.2% turnout of 2009 pale in comparison. ( news/ Highest-ever-voter-turnout-recorded-in-2014-polls-govt-spending-doubled-since-2009/articleshow/35033135.cms) Some constituencies evening recorded a voter turnout of a whopping 80 percent indicating again that the mandate cut across even the often-tricky and sensitive caste dynamics of the nation.
The nine-phase elections that covered every nook and corner of the country were truly a celebration of an aware Indian citizenry giving a rousing mandate for stability and development. Political pundits too did not foresee such a huge mandate to one political party showing that a coalition era in Indian governance may well-nigh draw to an end. At least for now!
However, what is of greater significance according to political thinkersis that under the leadership of Narendra Modi, India would be moving from a Nehruvian Socialist nostalgia to a more contemporary,relevant and acceptable Gandhian mode of inclusive growth and development. This is the time to participate in development, wait and watch for its impact.
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