(RE)PRODUCTION OF HINDUTVA-DRIVEN POPULISM IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS OF BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY’S POLITICAL MESSAGING IN TWITTERSPHERE

Year 2021, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 179 - 194, 31.12.2021

Ali Zain

Abstract

This study develops an understanding of how India’s Bharatiya Janata Party used Hindutva doctrine for building populist discourse on Twittersphere during 2019 general elections. Keeping in view the close ideological connection of the BJP with extreme right wing Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh – which laid ideological ground of modern-era Hindutva movement – and increasing incidents of persecution and exclusion of minorities under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014, this study uses the technique of critical discourse analysis to analyze the political messages posted of BJP and its leaders for developing themes and sub-themes of Hindutva-driven populism at micro, meso and macro levels. The study found that Hindutva ideology played a determining role in political messages of the BJP by constructing the people and us vs them notions, encouraging ostracization of others, promising Hindutva reforms in New India and building imagery of charismatic political leader through historical, mythological and ritualistic references. The study makes considerable contribution to the fields of communication and political science by pointing use of right-wing populist discourse as a tool of political communication to garner votes of dominantly Hindu population and pave way for reduced political liberties, undemocratic practices and Hindu chauvinism.

Keywords

Bharatiya Janata Party, Narendra Modi, Hindutva, Right-wing Populism, Political Communication, Indian Nationalism

(RE)PRODUCTION OF HINDUTVA-DRIVEN POPULISM IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS OF BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY’S POLITICAL MESSAGING IN TWITTERSPHERE

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Hindistan Bharatiya Janata Partisi'nin 2019 genel seçimlerinde Twittersphere'de popülist söylem oluşturmak için Hindutva doktrinini nasıl kullandığına dair bir anlayış geliştiriyor. BJP'nin aşırı sağcı Hindu örgütü Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ile - modern çağ Hindutva hareketinin ideolojik zeminini oluşturdu - yakın ideolojik bağını göz önünde bulundurarak ve 2014'ten beri Başbakan Narendra Modi hükümeti altında azınlıklara yönelik zulüm ve dışlanma olaylarını artırarak Bu çalışma, mikro, mezo ve makro düzeylerde Hindutva güdümlü popülizmin temalarını ve alt temalarını geliştirmek için BJP ve liderlerinin gönderdiği politik mesajları analiz etmek için eleştirel söylem analizi tekniğini kullanıyor. Çalışma, Hindutva ideolojisinin BJP'nin politik mesajlarında belirleyici bir rol oynadığını ortaya koydu; insanları ve biz onlara karşı kavramlar inşa ediyor, başkalarının dışlanmasını teşvik ediyor, Yeni Hindistan'da Hindutva reformları vaat ediyor ve tarihi, mitolojik ve ritüelistik aracılığıyla karizmatik siyasi lider imgeleri oluşturuyor. Çalışma, sağcı popülist söylemin, baskın Hindu nüfusunun oylarını toplamak ve azaltılmış siyasi özgürlükler, demokratik olmayan uygulamalar ve Hindu şovenizminin yolunu açmak için bir siyasi iletişim aracı olarak kullanılmasına işaret ederek iletişim ve siyaset bilimi alanlarına önemli katkılar sağlıyor.

Keywords

Bharatiya Janata Partisi, Narendra Modi, Hindutva, Sağ Popülizm, Siyasal İletişim, Hint Milliyetçiliği

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