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NaMo's Gandhigiri

For a change, the most talked about calendar in India today is not the Kingfisher calendar but the KVIC calendar. Most people like me would never have heard of a KVIC calendar. Its a calendar published by Khadi and Villages Industry Commission which promotes the use of khadi.

The calendar is in news as it carries a photo of Narendra Modi spinning a charkha. Liberals are up in arms claiming that this is an insult to the father of our nation. While there is no doubt that Gandhi is bigger brand than Modi globally, every brand needs a brand ambassador to keep itself relevant from time to time.

The Gandhian brand to me stands for the following values
1) Swadeshi
2) Swachata
3) Development of India by developing her villages
4) Authentic Desi Identity - Gandhi ji was never shy of being 'Indian'. Gandhi ji's faith, values, behaviour and dress did not have a tinge of westernisation despite his global exposure. From his support to cow-protection to his anti-conversion views, Bapu was cultural nationalist.
5) Global vision - Bapu's never limited himself to India, he believed that Satyagraha which has its foundations in Sanatan Dharma could solve problems globally from America to Africa.

Narendra Modi has been a khadi fashion icon of sorts. Sales of khadi 'Modi' kurtas and jackets have sky-rocketed since 2014. Swach Bharat has now turned into a socio-cultural movement. Lastly development has been de-cenrtralized with electricity, roads and digital connectivity for every village being the foundation of Narendra Modi's policies and programs. Narendra Modi like Bapu is also proud of his desi identify and is very comfortable waking into the world stage wearing a kurta-pyjama and conversing with world leaders in Hindi. Modi's foreign policy clearly establishes a role for India on the global stage be it Afghanistan, Climate change or push for alternative fuels.

The Gandhian brand though strong needs a brand ambassador to stay relevant. In Narendra Modi its has found an ambassador who can best communicate what the Gandhian brand is all about.

After all, without Modi ... who would have even heard of KVIC !!!

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