By Mohd Ziyuallah Khan
In a significant announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the recipients of the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour. Former Prime Ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, along with agricultural scientist Dr M S Swaminathan, were named for this prestigious award. The timing of the announcement, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, holds political implications. By honoring Dr Swaminathan and Charan Singh, the government aims to underscore its commitment to farmers and agriculture, a strategic move considering the upcoming polls. Thus, the message is loud and clear: these Bharat Ratna awards, under the Modi government, have emerged as a significant tool for political communication. Each choice is made with a strategic understanding of the message it conveys, contributing to the larger narrative revolving around Hindutva, very well crafted by the ruling party.
The Bharat Ratna: The Choices and How these are Made?
Let’s start with P V Narasimha Rao; the recognition of the late PM carries symbolic weight, emphasising the long-overlooked contributions of the former Prime Minister. The move sheds light on the alleged neglect by the Congress, signalling the BJP’s different approach to prioritising national figures over political affiliations, thus putting the opposition particularly the INC in an awkward position.
The earlier recognition of L K Advani with the Bharat Ratna holds significance, especially considering his instrumental role in advancing the Ram Temple agenda. This move aligns with the BJP’s narrative and showcases its commitment to issues of cultural and national importance, which are the key ingredients of today’s Hindutva-based narrative.
The inclusion of Karpoori Thakur in the list is seen as a gesture of empathy toward backward castes, particularly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The government is shrewd enough to exploit the caste equations in the above state, making it a strategically timed action to address social justice concerns and gain support from communities traditionally associated with Thakur’s legacy.
Strategic Choices Reflect Political Messaging
The selection of Bharat Ratna awardees has been a consistent tool for political messaging. The Modi government has demonstrated astuteness in its choices, using this platform to emphasise values, ideologies, and contributions that align with its political narrative. However, if you examine the past awardees, including leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee, and Nanaji Deshmukh, it only highlights the government’s commitment to recognizing diverse contributions that align with its communal ideological spectrum.
Thus, the Modi government’s approach to the Bharat Ratna awards involves a careful selection of recipients that suit their ideology related to nation-building, cultural impact, and alignment with the government’s political and social agenda. Lastly, looking at historical choices for the Bharat Ratna under various governments, it becomes evident that each selection carries a nuanced political message, often reflecting the prevailing ideologies and priorities of the ruling party.
The CCS received information suggesting that there might be announcements of one Bharat Ratna per week before the implementation of the model code of conduct. Despite the Prime Minister’s confident declaration of the BJP winning over 370 seats in the next Lok Sabha, some CCS members questioned the need for such efforts.
The Big Boss Proxy shed light on the strategy, stating, ‘That is where nobody has ever been able to decode the sheer street-smartness of the Boss’ grand strategy. You create this massive perception, with those silly Pavlovian dogs in the media echoing the inevitability of a Modi wave.’
The strategy involves establishing an overwhelming perception of an unstoppable Modi wave, influencing the ‘mood of the nation.’ The Proxy explained, ‘Once the overwhelming perception of an unstoppable Modi wave gets cast in stone, then we have practically fixed the ‘mood of the nation.’
The Proxy hinted at the potential reluctance of institutions, including the courts and Election Commission, to challenge the perceived wave. They expressed confidence that issues like the misuse of electoral bonds might be overlooked. The media’s accurate predictions of a Modi wave would further contribute to the success of this strategy. The CCS, once again, marvelled at the Big Boss’s array of tactics and suggested that he deserves a Bharat Ratna for his accomplishments.
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(Mohd Ziyauallah Khan is a freelance content writer based in Nagpur. He is also an activist and social entrepreneur, co-founder of the group TruthScape, a team of digital activists fighting disinformation on social media.”)