Swati – you put in well in terms of Modi’s need for magical realism to surpass his own previous phantasmagoric image. But its not that Modi’s image which is winning a pure game of symbols , but his total control on resources/ media and discourse. In fact, the new Rahul is quite confident and consistent, and the old Rahul image was also partly built by the same money-media complex that Modi actively controls.
Modi was flying in a seaplane because there is going to be a massive structural shift in employment. As automation creeps in and takes away jobs primarily in the manufacturing sector, it is the service industries like tourism that will accomodate human power in India (that aspires to be a superpower). Seaplanes facilitate the success of such a service sector, and showcase possibilities.
Swati – you put in well in terms of Modi’s need for magical realism to surpass his own previous phantasmagoric image. But its not that Modi’s image which is winning a pure game of symbols , but his total control on resources/ media and discourse. In fact, the new Rahul is quite confident and consistent, and the old Rahul image was also partly built by the same money-media complex that Modi actively controls.
Modi was flying in a seaplane because there is going to be a massive structural shift in employment. As automation creeps in and takes away jobs primarily in the manufacturing sector, it is the service industries like tourism that will accomodate human power in India (that aspires to be a superpower). Seaplanes facilitate the success of such a service sector, and showcase possibilities.