Can ‘Terminator’ image ensure a win for Modi?

The recent metaphor of Prime Minister Modi as the Terminator of opposition parties largely went unnoticed. It failed to create the desired sensation on the part of the BJP, as its leaders did not propagate it much. The opposition also did not pursue the matter. Moreover, no one ventured to analyze the psychology behind the choice or the underlying message.

On the eve of the Mumbai meeting of the INDIA alliance, the BJP posted a tweet through its official handle: ‘Opposition thinks PM Modi can be defeated. Dream on! The Terminator always wins’. The tweet is accompanied by an image of Modi as Terminator, the negative character of the Hollywood blockbuster The Terminator. The famous dialogue in the film uttered by the villain at the end, ‘I will be back’, is put below the image. The dialogue obviously has an interesting modification in that the year of return has been added to the original dialogue. The dialogue appears as "2024! I will be back". Together, the dialogue and the image make an offensive metaphor and issue intimidation to the opposition parties under the banner of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Though the metaphor could not make an impact owing to its foreign origin and the language, it needs decoding.

The Terminator is a film from the mid-1980s that tells the story of a cybernetic assassin. The assassin has been programmed to kill the woman who would give birth to a son who would save mankind from extinction by a robot. The film has a clear fascist overtone and is anti-women. The question is: why has this metaphor been chosen, and who in the contingent of the Prime Minister’s propaganda army has designed it? The metaphor might have flopped because of its alien origin, but it certainly sent a message. Does Prime Minister Modi and his men want to convey that the leader is not going to abdicate in any circumstances and will use all means to exterminate his opponents? Does he indicate a violent battle for power in 2024? He has been aggressive since he took over the reign in 2014. Does he indicate much more than what the opposition has seen so far?

The announcement of a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22 certainly indicates an ominous and further decline in democracy. If we go by the news being aired on TV channels supportive of the government, there is a possibility of passing pending bills. They include bills amending criminal laws in the country. The amendments have provisions such as staying in police custody for up to three months and enlarging the definition of terrorist activities to include every kind of opposition to the government within its purview. The government has also indicated that it is going to introduce a bill that will make it mandatory that the nation go to polls every five years to elect the Lok Sabha and state assemblies at the same time. The bill is to implement the One Nation, One Election slogan of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister floated the idea in 2018 ahead of the 2019 polls. He had asserted that frequent polls cost both human and financial resources. Propagandists in the media have already started trying to make us believe that the government is doing the best it can to make elections less costly and more conducive to the needs of the nation. They are emphasizing aspects that hardly address larger concerns for democracy. Is it not ironic that those who have lowered the dignity of the high offices of prime minister and ministers of the union cabinet by participating in every single assembly and occasionally municipal elections are also talking about reducing the cost of elections? The cost of security arrangements alone is very high for a country whose 800 million citizens survive on the free cereal provided by the government. It needs no corroboration that the BJP, under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, has made elections unprecedentedly expensive. The opaque fund-raising through the electoral bond shows that the government is least interested in reforming elections. The BJP has been notoriously involved in pulling down stable governments in states through large-scale defections. It has made history by encouraging MLAs to resign in large numbers to change the composition of an assembly. The endeavor made the anti-defection laws virtually worthless. Is it a secret that these manipulations involve huge amounts of money and promote black money? Is it fair on the part of a public representative to switch sides without the consent of his voters?

The government and pro-government propagandists are obviously trying to portray the move as a game-changer for democracy. However, they have failed to hide the fact that Prime Minister Modi is not confident of winning the 2024 elections, and that is why he is going to advance them. The pro-government media supposes a sure victory for Prime Minister Modi in an early election held along with State elections. However, there is no convincing logic behind the argument that advancing elections for six months can ensure a victory. The anti-incumbency he is facing may certainly be lesser. The restlessness of voters over soaring prices, unemployment, and corruption may not increase further. The fact is that the government is finding it difficult to address people’s problems and resorting to superficial narratives based on communalism and hyper-nationalism.

The expectation of his doing well in early elections is inspired by the notion that he still commands huge popularity, and simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will prevent any dent in his image in the event of the BJP’s losing state elections. Does the metaphor of the Terminator not show that he is not confident in his current image and is trying to look more aggressive? Will it work?

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)