Modi@8: Mitron, here’s how our vocab changed in the NaMo era

 There are few who can argue about Narendra Modi’s oratory skills. And his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has only followed his lead. So much so, that words and phrases used by the prime minister and leaders of the ruling party have stuck with us and become part of the everyday lingo. As the prime minister completes eight years in office, we take how India’s vocabulary has changed since 2014. Acche din Narendra Modi gave us “acche din”, the phrase for starters. In the run-up to the 2014 election, Modi extensively used the slogan, “Acche din aane wale hai”, promising (good days) ahead once the country voted the Congress out of power. The slogan was put on every political hoarding and flashed across television screens, as Modi promised to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every citizen’s account from the black money it recovers, create millions of jobs, bringing in crores of foreign investment in a Congress-mukt India. Of course, India put all its faith in Modi. He made election history as the BJP got a majority of its own, bagging 282 Lok Sabha seats. “India has won,” Modi tweeted, reiterating “acche din aane wale hai”.

India has won! भारत की विजय। अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014

Interestingly, the term we instantly associate with the prime minister was coined by his predecessor Manmohan Singh at a meeting with NRIs. But it was Modi who latched on to it and owned it. Anti-national, aka Urban Naxal With the BJP coming to power, liberal India was far from pleased. Those who do not agree with the party or its politics are branded as ‘anti-national’ by some of its followers. It’s a term that is now used by all political parties to attack each other. From Rahul Gandhi to protesting farmers, all have been branded anti-national by either rival politicians or angry Twitter trolls. The word became part of popular parlance in 2016 after it was used against those who questioned the legitimacy of the surgical strikes in Pakistan. However, Narendra Modi has never used the exact term in a tweet. Anti-national translates to desh drohi and over the years, other terms such as Urban Naxals and ’tukde tukde’ gang have been used against dissenters. The term Urban Naxals gained currency in 2018 and was used to describe anti-establishment protesters in the wake of the crackdown on left-wingers and other liberals embroiled in the Elgar Parishad case in Maharashtra. Atmanirbhar Atmanirbhar means self-reliant. It’s the prime minister’s dream to make the country self-reliant. The word was first used by Modi in an address to the nation on 12 May 2020, when he announced the “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”, an economic package totalling Rs 20 lakh crore to tide over the COVID-19 crisis. It has since then gained a life of its own. From atmanirbhar defence to being self-reliant in the manufacturing sector, the country is taking big strides to reduce dependence on other nations and “make in India”. [caption id=“attachment_10714501” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made words like acche din, atmanirbhar, demonetisation, mitron popular, often using them in his speeches. AFP[/caption] Bhakt If you are an Indian with political views, you are either a supporter of the BJP or a critic. Centrists, today, are a fast-disappearing breed. Right-leaning Indians are often labelled bhakts by those on the extreme Left. The word translates to ‘devotee’ and it is used for ardent followers of Modi. It’s often used pejoratively by “libtards and “sickulars” to attack right-wing trolls. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used it to criticise the government in 2017. “Dear Modi bhakts, Out of 9,860 crores for the Smart Cities only 7% has been used,” he wrote.

Dear Modi bhakts, Out of 9,860 crores for the Smart Cities only 7% has been used. China is out competing us while your master gives us empty slogans. Please watch this video and advise him to focus on what matters- job creation for India.#BJPEmptyPromiseshttps://t.co/o6C0NzteqX

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 31, 2017

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Demonetisation Demonetisation has become synonymous with the prime minister. During his first term, in a sudden announcement, on 8 November 2016, Modi banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes overnight. The dramatic decision was aimed to wipe out black money from the country. It sent shockwaves throughout the country, as people stood in queues for weeks at ATMs and banks to withdraw new notes and small businesses were affected. Modi famously asked the nation in a televised speech to bear the pain for 50 days and if the situation did not improve, he said, he was ready for “any punishment”. Four years later, the PM listed the benefits of demonetisation in a tweet. “Demonetisation has helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalization and given a boost to transparency,” he wrote.

Demonetisation has helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalization and given a boost to transparency.

These outcomes have been greatly beneficial towards national progress. #DeMolishingCorruption pic.twitter.com/A8alwQj45R

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 8, 2020

Gau mata/Gau raksha The cow has been worshipped for centuries in India but under the Narendra Modi government, it received a lot more attention. In 2017, incidents of violence by cow vigilantes or gau rakshas were on the rise. Modi has been vocal about his condemnation of these acts. In June 2017, he said, “Killing people in the name of gau bhakti was not acceptable.”

Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something Mahatma Gandhi would approve: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 29, 2017

In 2019, the Union Cabinet set up a commission to conserve, protect, and develop the country’s cattle population. The prime minister has made a spirited pitch for the protection and preservation of “gau mata” in the past. “Everybody is indebted to Gau Mata, at least in India. The cow is a significant part of our culture and tradition,” Modi had said. Modi@8: From hugging Rahul to tearing apart the Congress, the prime minister's memorable moments in Parliament **Modi@8: The times Prime Minister Narendra Modi took India by surprise** **Modi@8: Statues, temples, bridges, tunnel — the many architectural marvels of Narendra Modi’s India** **Modi@8: A look back at the historic day when Narendra Modi dominated headlines across the world** **Modi@8: From 'Ab ki baar' to 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', slogans that reflect the rise and rise of NaMo** **Modi@8: Eight spectacular state Assembly victories under Prime Minister Narendra Modi** **Modi@8: How India rediscovered itself to take its rightful place in the world** **Modi@8: Eight flagship schemes of PM Narendra Modi government and how they changed India** **Head-on | Modi@8: Has Prime Minister Narendra Modi sculpted a new idea of India?** Jai Shri Ram Jai Shri Ram was a battle cry of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad when the Ram Janmabhoomi movement started. The BJP leaders adopted it as the Ayodhya dispute became the forefront of politics in recent years. [caption id=“attachment_10714521” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  BJP supporters often chant “Jai Shri Ram” at rallies. PTI[/caption] Jai Shri Ram now reverberates throughout India, with even parliamentarians chanting it. They were heard in 2017 when PM Modi came to the Lok Sabha after BJP’s victory in the Uttar Pradesh state election and when President Ram Nath Kovind took oath in the Central Hall. It became a slogan of sorts for the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, especially in West Bengal. Mitron When Modi begins to talk, India listens with rapt attention. He often starts his addresses to the nation with his trademark mitron – friends in Hindi – and it has stayed with Indians. Mitron entered our everyday vocab after Modi’s 8 November address, when he peppered his demonetisation speech with the word while announcing the ban on notes. It went on to become a legit meme. In the age of social media, there’s no greater validation, is there?

Surgical strike On 28 September 2016, the Indian Army attacked terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It was in response to an attack by terrorists on an army base in Uri on 18 September in which 19 soldiers were killed. The attacks were called surgical strikes and now 29 September is observed as “Surgical Strike Day”. The operation was celebrated across the country and Bollywood made a movie on it three years later – Uri: The Surgical Strike – starring Vicky Kaushal. It grossed Rs 338 crore. The phrase surgical strike became popular. In fact, after demonetisation, Manohar Parrikar, the then defence minister of India, called it a “surgical strike” on black money, terror funding, and drug money. Swacch Bharat One of Narendra Modi’s most popular flagship initiatives, the Swacch Bharat Mission was launched on 2 October 2014, promoting the message of cleanliness and safe sanitisation. [caption id=“attachment_10714531” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The image of Narendra Modi sweeping the streets is one of his most popular photographs during his time in office. PTI[/caption] The images of Modi sweeping the streets in New Delhi have stayed with India since and so has his message of Swacch Bharat. India has come a long way since. Today 99 per cent of cities are open defecation free and from 18 per cent in 2014, Indian cities were processing 68 per cent of the solid waste generated last year. Of course, this list is not exhaustive. We also use words like trolls, fake news, sanskari, vikas, Bharat Mata, more often than we used eight years ago. Haven’t we, mitron? With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.