Constructing cultural integration through rhetoric in Modi's speech in Lumbini, Nepal

This study examines the rhetorical strategies employed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech delivered in Lumbini, Nepal, on May 16, 2022. The speech, given during the 2566th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, aimed to strengthen cultural and religious relationships between India and Nepal. Existing scholarship highlights Modi's focus on improving relations with neighboring countries through cultural diplomacy, connectivity, and cooperation. However, some studies criticize his failure to fulfill promises made under the Neighborhood First Policy, and others note his use of Hindu nationalism in international relations. This study addresses a gap in the literature by analyzing how Modi utilized rhetorical devices and logical arguments in his Lumbini speech to achieve his objectives. The research questions explore the message conveyed, the rhetorical devices and logical structures used, and how these elements fostered a cultural and religious connection between the two nations. The analysis employs an interpretative research design, drawing on Aristotle's concept of rhetoric (ethos, pathos, logos) and Toulmin's model of argumentation to analyze the speech's English script and video recording. The study's significance lies in adding to the literature on rhetoric and communication and providing insights into Modi's political communication strategies.

The literature review examines several key areas. First, it explores the use of Buddhism as a diplomatic tool for historical reconstruction and building attachments between Buddhist nations, noting the competition between India and China in utilizing Buddhist diplomacy. It then discusses Modi's use of cultural diplomacy based on Hinduism and Buddhism to enhance India's national power and influence. Second, the review addresses Modi's promotion of Hinduism, particularly through the demarcation of Hindus and non-Hindus. Studies highlight the implications of Modi's Hindu nationalism, which emphasizes a Hindu-based national identity, and the potential threat it poses to non-Hindu religious communities, specifically Muslims. Third, the review analyzes Modi's communication style, focusing on his language skills, his use of motivating language, and his effective use of symbols and images from Hindu religion to connect with the public and project a particular image as a leader. Finally, it discusses the complexities of Indo-Nepal relations, highlighting challenges such as border disputes and unequal diplomatic contracts. While previous studies focus on aspects of Modi's communication and Indo-Nepal relations, they lack a thorough rhetorical analysis of Modi's speech in Lumbini, which motivates the current research.

This study adopts an interpretative research design, focusing on Modi's speech at Lumbini as the primary data source. The analysis employs two theoretical frameworks: Aristotle's concept of rhetoric and Toulmin's model of argumentation. Aristotle's framework helps to understand the use of ethos (speaker's credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical reasoning) to persuade the audience. Toulmin's model assists in analyzing the logical structure of the argument, identifying components such as claims, data, warrants, backing, qualifiers, and rebuttals. Data collection involved reviewing the English transcript from Modi's website and analyzing the video recording of the speech from YouTube. Secondary data from academic publications, articles, and other reliable sources are used to supplement the analysis. The author carefully examined the speech multiple times, noting rhetorical devices (similes, metaphors, imagery, symbols), elements of argumentation, the speaker's demeanor, and audience response. The findings are interpreted within the overarching frameworks of rhetoric and argumentation.

The analysis of Modi's Lumbini speech reveals a complex interplay of rhetorical strategies. Modi's rhetoric of cultural integration attempts to establish age-old religious and cultural links between Nepal and India, primarily through references to Hinduism and Buddhism. He uses ethos by highlighting his personal connection to these religions, pathos through appeals to shared spiritual heritage and emotional connection, and logos through providing historical and religious evidence. Toulmin's model shows how Modi structures his arguments, building from grounds (evidence) to warrants (general rules connecting evidence and claims), and backing (further support for the warrants) to reach conclusions emphasizing close relations between Nepal and India. However, this rhetorical strategy exhibits a significant limitation – an exclusionary rhetoric. By focusing predominantly on Hinduism and Buddhism, Modi's narrative ignores the diverse religious and cultural landscape of both countries. His emphasis on shared values based on these two religions implies a homogeneity that does not accurately reflect the reality. This exclusionary aspect is observed throughout the speech, where Modi repeatedly references shared cultural heritage without including the perspective of other religious and cultural communities. The seemingly religious rhetoric serves as a tool for furthering Modi's political mission of strengthening Indo-Nepal relations through the promotion of a specific version of cultural nationalism, ultimately suggesting an attempt to establish the supremacy of Hinduism and Buddhism.

The findings address the research questions by demonstrating how Modi uses rhetoric to construct a narrative of cultural integration between India and Nepal. The analysis reveals that while his rhetorical strategies are effective in establishing a sense of shared heritage and promoting relations, they simultaneously create an exclusionary narrative by prioritizing certain religions and cultural perspectives over others. This raises important questions about the political implications of Modi's communication style and the potential consequences of promoting a homogenized vision of culture and religion in a diverse context. The study's significance lies in highlighting the multifaceted nature of Modi's rhetoric and showing how seemingly benign appeals to cultural and religious ties can serve broader political goals. The implications for understanding political communication, particularly in the context of international relations and cultural diplomacy, are significant. Future research could explore the long-term effects of this type of rhetoric on Indo-Nepal relations and examine similar rhetorical strategies in Modi's other speeches.

This study contributes to the existing literature by analyzing Modi's speech through a rhetorical lens, revealing a sophisticated but exclusionary communication strategy. Modi successfully utilizes Aristotle's appeals and Toulmin's model to promote a particular narrative of cultural integration, but this narrative overlooks the diversity of religious and cultural identities within both India and Nepal. Future research should investigate the broader political implications of this type of rhetoric, as well as examine the effectiveness of this strategy in achieving long-term goals. Further studies might analyze similar rhetorical techniques in Modi’s other speeches and investigate the impact of such rhetoric on public perception and international relations.

The study is limited to a single speech and might not be fully representative of Modi's broader communication style. While the analysis incorporates both the transcript and video recording, the study primarily relies on textual analysis, potentially overlooking subtle nuances in nonverbal communication that could influence the interpretation. The study also primarily focuses on the English translation, potentially leading to some loss of meaning or unintended implications from the original Hindi and Nepali content.