NaMo INDIA’S PILLAR OF STRENGTH

THE NARRATORS EMPHASIZE THAT PM MODI’S ‘NARRATIVE BUILDING’ STRATEGY WAS A BRILLIANT AND EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION, YIELDING SIGNIFICANT RESULTS FOR THE PARTY. EVEN THEN, MODI WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME, ENVISIONING AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT OUR GENERATION HADN’T SEEN AND TRANSFORMING IT INTO A POWERFUL MEANS OF INFLUENCING PUBLIC PERCEPTION. MOREOVER, HE SUCCESSFULLY ASSERTED INDIA’S POSITION ON GLOBAL STAGE, PARTICULARLY IN ESTABLISHING INDIA’S STANCE WITH RESPECT TO PAKISTAN.

PM’S NARRATIVE BUILDING BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA ERA - Dr Dharinder Tayal, Chandigarh, BJP leader

It was way before social media had come into our lives. ‘Building a narrative’ was not commonplace jargon then, as people had no idea of this concept as it is today. Today it is a buzz word, and everyone is trying to ‘build a narrative’ on social media to get more and more people on board with an idea. Social media is a highly influential tool today which can easily sway emotions and opinions, which is why every campaign model has social media as an important part of its strategy. But it was not so then. I remember during the period of 1995-2000, Modi ji often used to be in Chandigarh on campaign related works and other party occupations. This was a time when mobile phones had just started to be introduced as a fast and convenient tool of communication in society and social media was obviously a far cry. It is during this time that Modi ji told us to identify and target tea stalls in the area or other such places of small public gatherings where people assembled over a cup of tea and gossiped. He asked us to distribute our party literature, laying down our party’s objectives and visions before these people at the tea stalls. He asked us to engage with these people, talk to them, explain to them the party’s ideology, discuss issues and take feedback and, thus, ‘build a narrative’ around the party’s objectives. This was perhaps the earliest initiation of this ‘build a narrative’ phrase in our lives. Years later, we find this so much in currency today. But in those days, this was a novel idea no one had thought of or practised before as a tool of strengthening the party base. Modi ji said, when these people from the tea joints and other such places of public assemblage, moved to other places in their daily life, like other shops, offices, homes, villages and colonies, or out on their morning walks they would invariably carry the message narrated to them and thus spread it across the local populace. This way the message of the party could be spread far and wide in no time. People would be given a thought to discuss and propagate. Even if one person among them took up the literature, read and understood it and thought over it, it was the party’s success, he said. This ‘narrative building’ initiative was an impeccable and ingenious tool to generate public opinion for the party that really bore its fruits. Modi ji was so ahead of his times even then, that he envisioned something which our generation hadn’t even heard of and made it a practical tool of purpose that could shape public opinion.

‘INDIA NEEDED A STRONG PM LIKE NARENDRA MODI’ - Late SM Krishna, Former CM, Karnataka

When I was joining the BJP, I met Mr Modi late at night in his office. Even though it was 10 PM, yet his office was buzzing with hectic activity. Generally, we are used to winding up our operations by 7 PM or 8 PM, but here I was pleasantly surprised to see the electrifying atmosphere.

I couldn’t believe it was late in the night or a full bright day time. Actually, that’s the way he is. Mr Modi is a workaholic. I think he believes in spending most of his time thinking about the nation, the problems of the people and ways to ameliorate them. He is always bent on finding solutions to problems and rests only after getting to the solution. I think India long needed a strong leader like Narendra Modi ji. I have always believed that an element of authority has to be there with the Prime Minister of the country, which was missing earlier.

So, I was impressed by the authority Modi ji brings to the office of the prime minister. We didn’t see such authority and resolute resolve before. I remember, once he gave me a blow-by-blow description of the famous Balakot air strike by our Indian Air Force.

I was mighty impressed by the great pains he took to convey to me, how he believed in what he did. Narendra Modi believed that Pakistan had to be shown its place, and he did it just the way only he could do. The surgical strike was indeed a masterstroke of the prime minister that was not only lauded widely for its timeliness and precision but also for the far reaching and long-lasting impact on India’s geo-political position the strike ensured. This aggressive step by India was an important cog in the diplomatic and strategic roadmap of the country that indeed forced Pakistan to rethink its moves and limit its imperious ambitions. PM Modi had succeeded in showing Pakistan its place!

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA