Ever since Narendra Modi’s victory, there has been a strange shift of fortunes online. Modi’s right-wing Twitter army suddenly find itself in the awkward position of being the Establishment, while the sickular sepoys they attacked with so much glee have become the trolls.
Just like they hadn’t anticipated the election results, the Lutyens intellectual mafia is completely unprepared for their new role and have failed to develop an appropriate vocabulary for it. Here's an imaginary glossary to get them on their way.
#AbKiBarToadySarkar slogan
Can be trotted each time a new instance of crony capitalism comes to light.
Ayurgenomicist noun
An item in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto promises to bring to the fore the arcane science of Ayurgenomics – presumably ayurvedic genomics. Since it’s a decent bet that the party won’t be very successful at this, the Twitter Left can feel free to use it to refer to those who wear Dockers on the outside, and khaki shorts underneath.
CONservative noun
The Right Wing has happily appropriated American political terms, with some Hindutva Nationalists even describing themselves as Conservatives. Inspired by their clever usage of capital letters to denounce the CONgress, today's trolls could explain to them that their CONservatism isn’t all that genuine.
DeveLOLment noun
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent almost all of his campaign claiming rather controversially that his Gujarat model offered the highest rates of economic growth in India. Since it hasn’t really worked in his home state, imagining that it will transform the entire nation will cause his critics to Laugh out Loud.
Pseudo-nationalist noun
Though Modi supporters spend a great deal of time online denouncing pseudo-secularists, a disproportionate number of them actually hold passports of other countries – most often of the US. Here's a shout-out to all you lovely folks in Edison, NJ.
Newstrader noun
After all, if news can be traded one way, it can be bought the other way too.
Of course, there are also these old standards.
Feku noun
A reference to the Prime Minister’s somewhat tenuous grasp of facts, such as, in one speech, famously bringing Alexander the Great all the way to Bihar.
Related slur: Modu.
Modibhakt noun
A devotee of the Prime Minister.
Related slur: Modista.
Sanghi noun
Anyone who follows Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology.
Related slur: Knickerwallah.
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Just like they hadn’t anticipated the election results, the Lutyens intellectual mafia is completely unprepared for their new role and have failed to develop an appropriate vocabulary for it. Here's an imaginary glossary to get them on their way.
#AbKiBarToadySarkar slogan
Can be trotted each time a new instance of crony capitalism comes to light.
Ayurgenomicist noun
An item in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto promises to bring to the fore the arcane science of Ayurgenomics – presumably ayurvedic genomics. Since it’s a decent bet that the party won’t be very successful at this, the Twitter Left can feel free to use it to refer to those who wear Dockers on the outside, and khaki shorts underneath.
CONservative noun
The Right Wing has happily appropriated American political terms, with some Hindutva Nationalists even describing themselves as Conservatives. Inspired by their clever usage of capital letters to denounce the CONgress, today's trolls could explain to them that their CONservatism isn’t all that genuine.
DeveLOLment noun
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent almost all of his campaign claiming rather controversially that his Gujarat model offered the highest rates of economic growth in India. Since it hasn’t really worked in his home state, imagining that it will transform the entire nation will cause his critics to Laugh out Loud.
Pseudo-nationalist noun
Though Modi supporters spend a great deal of time online denouncing pseudo-secularists, a disproportionate number of them actually hold passports of other countries – most often of the US. Here's a shout-out to all you lovely folks in Edison, NJ.
Newstrader noun
After all, if news can be traded one way, it can be bought the other way too.
Of course, there are also these old standards.
Feku noun
A reference to the Prime Minister’s somewhat tenuous grasp of facts, such as, in one speech, famously bringing Alexander the Great all the way to Bihar.
Related slur: Modu.
Modibhakt noun
A devotee of the Prime Minister.
Related slur: Modista.
Sanghi noun
Anyone who follows Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology.
Related slur: Knickerwallah.