25 years, many slogans: Modi's journey from 'Acche din' to 'We will do it'

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has now completed 25 years in public service and as head of government, announced a new slogan to fuel his ambitious plan for a developed India by 2047: "We will do it". This comes after his tenure as the chief minister of Gujarat and since 2014 as the premier of India. Modi used the slogan to encourage people to take on the challenge of bringing about changes in various sectors of the economy and manufacturing.

He listed several sectors where India needs to be a leader, ranging from artificial intelligence to the space sector, environment, and exports.

Throughout his political career, Modi has used catchy slogans to nudge people and inspire confidence. He began his journey with the "Abki baar Modi sarkar" (this time, a Modi government) and "Acche din aane wale hain" (good days are coming) slogans during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, which were largely credited to his leadership, oratory, and Gujarat's success. The party's spectacular win was also partly due to the BJP's ideological backbone, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In his first term, the government set itself the task of eliminating outdated laws, meeting deadlines for infrastructure development, and implementing economic and social reforms, using the slogan "Minimum government, maximum governance". Modi also used slogans to introduce and implement policy decisions, such as Swachh Bharat abhiyan for cleanliness and sanitation, and Make in India for indigenous manufacturing.

In the second term, Modi introduced the "Beti bachao, beti padhao" (Save the daughter, educate the daughter) campaign to address gender imbalance and prevent female foeticide. During the pandemic, the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant India) and "Vocal for local" (to promote Indian made goods) taglines were used to drive domestic manufacturing and consumption.

These taglines were reinforced when political disagreements sharpened divisions between the political class, with the proposal for synchronizing Lok Sabha and assembly elections being popularly known as "One Nation, One Election".

As Modi's third term nears completion, he has set the agenda for 2047, beyond his current slogans and by now referring to himself as the "chowkidar" (guard), promising the electorate "Modi makes it possible" (Modi hai toh mumkin hai).