Marketing offence as self-defence

Offence is the best form of defence. So goes the epigram, and there’s no more striking instance than Narendra Modi’s progress from chaiwalla, a tea-vendor, in 2014, surrounded by the clutter of teacups, to the self-appointed, baton-wielding chowkidar, or watchman, of 2019. 

Chaiwalla-to-chowkidar — the most quoted coinage of the week — tells us many things about his transformation between two election campaigns. First, the leap from the local to the national stage: The tea-seller image harked back to the Dark Ages, of an apparently impoverished youth who rose to seize control of the Bharatiya Janata Party and become prime minister; the watchman’s trademark propels him to the guardianship of the nation — its manners, morals, money and safety.

Second, both appellations — of chaiwalla and chowkidar — emanated as barbs from the Congress party’s quiver. At an AICC meet in mid-January 2014 it was Mani Shankar Aiyar’s sneering dismissal that Narendra Modi could never be prime minister in the 21st century and, instead, “he might want to sell tea at the venue” that Mr Modi pounced upon and turned into an election catchphrase. Pitching it as a contest between shahzada (crown prince) Rahul Gandhi and chaiwalla, he made a beeline to garner aspirational youth votes — both as repudiation of entitled privilege and endorsement of county’s unemployed millions aiming for the top job. As the tea-dispensing image gained traction it was expanded to establishing direct contact with voters through nukkad-style “Chai Pe Charcha” events. 

Mr Modi’s marketing mavens have now flipped Mr Gandhi’s stinging missile of “Chowkidar chor hai” (“The watchman is a thief”) on the Rafale deal into a self-promoting blitzkrieg.

A week ago when the Prime Minister tweeted “Main bhi chowkidar” — “Yes, I am the watchman” — he let loose garrisons of followers that one observer calls “The Emperor’s New Clones”.  

And, thirdly, for the uninitiated into the uncharted no-holds-barred terrain of social media — Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — is added a new mobile technology called Tick Tock that instantly uploads brief videos. The Tick Tock app is described as “raw, real, and without boundaries — whether you're brushing your teeth at 7:45 am or you're making breakfast at 7:45 pm…it's from the gut, come-as-you-are storytelling told in 15 seconds.” Mr Modi’s closely-guarded marketing machine is making liberal use of TickToc to spread the “Main bhi chowkidar” message.

The extent and exactitude of the “Main bhi Chowkidar” barrage is an unprecedented exercise in political packaging that is a fusillade, exhortation and appeal — sometimes all rolled into one. Many members of Mr Modi’s cabinet now prefix “Main bhi Chowkidar” to their Twitter handles. Focus groups of opinion makers are personally targeted, either individually or collectively. These include movie stars, sports heroes, religious leaders and, of course, a large and well-known tribe of BJP torchbearers in the media. 

Here is a verbatim example of a message to “my young friends” Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal, popular film actors: “Many youngsters admire you. It is time to tell them: Apna Time Aaa Gaya Hai and that it is time to turn up with high Josh to a voting centre near you.” The message is copied to actresses Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt and Anushka Sharma and, of course, to television anchors who are unabashed Narendra Modi fans. South Indian cult stars like Mohanlal and Nagarjuna are flatteringly co-opted: “Your performances have entertained millions…I request you to urge people in large numbers…The award here is, a vibrant democracy.” 

Spiritual gurus like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sadhguru and Baba Ram Dev get a nice ego rub-down — “leaders like you inspire many through words and work”. Sports champions such as javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and gold medallist wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt receive customised messages; badminton stars P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal are touchingly reminded that “the core of badminton is the court and the core of democracy is the vote…Just like you smash records, do also inspire a record-breaking turnout.” Nor are captains of industry such as Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra forgotten.

In many respects, this is no firecracker election. Burning issues of the day, such as growing joblessness, are ripped up in a welter of claims and counterclaims. For every economist who says that the government’s data on unemployment is fudged, a phalanx of “Modi chowkidars” — lately a large group of professional chartered accountants — demolishes the analysts as wrong. And as more Congress loyalists queue up at the BJP’s doorstep even the ruling party’s fiercest critics admit that the result is probably a foregone conclusion.

Critics of social media apps in the single-device world of the mobile phone point to its limitations in influencing voters — technology, after all, is by definition gender-neutral, agnostic and amoral. “Social media may be a force multiplier, but it is not the force,” says one, pointing to the BJP’s losses in three states and several by-elections. 

Still, if there is one difference between 2014 and 2019 it is this: The days of a convivial chaiwalla dispensing tea and sympathy are over. “Chowkidar Modi” and his brigade is out there, defending its turf to the hilt.