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- Title
Modi's Journey from a Chowkidar (Watchman) to Great God: A Durkheimian Analysis.
- Authors
Raja, Anand
- Abstract
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi uses self-reflexive symbols. He called himself Watchman and weaved a campaign around it. This article sees Modi's campaign alongside Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious Life: emergence of Modi's Watchman image as a totem, emergence of a clan of believers, collective effervescence, coming of a civilising hero, and Modi becoming a great god. The totem and the clan 'disappeared' on the last day of the elections. Only the great god remained to resurrect in millions of banners in public spaces saying: 'Thank you, PM Modi'. This journey of this Dionysian election campaign with emotive symbols and meticulously planned spectacles built an illusion of a society with religion in its elementary form replacing the modern society for the election period.
- Subjects
MODI, Narendra, 1950-; DURKHEIMIAN school of sociology; TOTEMISM; RELIGION &; sociology; RELIGIOUS life
- Publication
Durkheimian Studies, 2022, Vol 26, p180
- ISSN
1362-024X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3167/ds.2022.260108