Denemek ALTIN - Özgür

How 'Baba'nomics Works

Outlook

|

August 01, 2024

The space in which self-proclaimed godmen/women function is crowded and competitive, compelling them to adopt creative means to stand out and build their brands

- Tanul Thakur

How 'Baba'nomics Works

'GODMEN' talk even when they're quiet. Sometimes, they don't even need to talk-they sing, they dance, they perform. Sometimes, they just sit and gold dust falls. Babas are not just the new gods; they're the new heroes, directors, choreographers: dancing themselves and making others dance.

A few decades ago, such figures usually wore saffron robes, but now they're more specific, as if fulfilling both a Job Designation (JD) and creating their own brands. Compare this group to the superheroes in The Avengers universe whose 'JDs'-and costumes-make them unique. Or, like cartel members' tattoos, godmen's clothes-sometimes names-signify their essence and sharpen their identities.

Consider Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, whose Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) attracted many Dalits to the organisation. They joined it believing a non-Hindu organisation would liberate them from the tyranny of the caste system. And if they still harboured any doubt, then the word "Insan" resolved it all: a place for anyone and everyone. So, when it comes to babas, if the question is 'what's in a name?', then the answer is another question: How about everything?

Colour psychology, too, plays a crucial role. If filmmakers deploy it to elicit emotional responses-most notably evident in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours trilogy-then marketing professionals use it to distinguish brands and influence consumers. The spiritual screenwriters, babas, rely on it for similar ends: establishing personas, conveying messages, selling products. They also sell faith, or hope, in a country devoid of a sustained welfare state. When the government receded, creating a void, the babas stepped in, functioning as a protector, therapist, father, doctor, rehab, God. This space is as competitive as ever, compelling godmen to adopt creative means to stand out and build their brands.

Outlook

Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin August 01, 2024 baskısından alınmıştır.

Binlerce özenle seçilmiş premium hikayeye ve 9.000'den fazla dergi ve gazeteye erişmek için Magzter GOLD'a abone olun.

Zaten abone misiniz?

Outlook'den DAHA FAZLA HİKAYE

Outlook

Outlook

Netanyahu's Imposed War

A new era of hegemony has begun in the Middle East as Israel has attacked Iran to assert the Zionist state as the pre-eminent military and political power in the region

time to read

8 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

A Recitation of Becoming

This debut novel plunges into the fissures of contemporary womanhood stretched across the blazing Arabian Peninsula

time to read

3 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

The 32-Second Flight

Dreamliner's nightmare continues for the ones left behind

time to read

16 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

Mid-air Fallout

The Air India tragedy exposes cracks in India's aviation boom

time to read

6 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

Justice as Performance

In an era when court proceedings are being livestreamed, it looks like justice is being done to be seen. Not seen to be done, as it should be. This has grave implications for the quality of justice itself

time to read

7 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

And then, the Lion was Torn Apart

Israel's reckless Operation Rising Lion might attain ends that are the reverse of its intentions: Iran might hastily build a nuclear weapon

time to read

7 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

After Shock

While the world is in shock over the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed around 270 people, the aviation community says it was just a matter of time before a disaster like this struck the company’s fleet

time to read

8 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

In My Tongue

The CBSE's move to implement the 'mother tongue first' policy aims to enhance early learning and equity, but there are practical hurdles in implementing it in linguistically diverse Indian classrooms

time to read

5 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

Outlook

Now, Post-mortem the Accident

The crash of Air India Flight 171 underlines the importance of investigation, implementing its recommendations and holding the Air India management responsible

time to read

6 mins

July 01, 2025

Outlook

A Fresh Chapter in My Forties

The wooden stairs and dim light at Darbhanga House, Patna look familiar.

time to read

3 mins

July 01, 2025