Modi’s ‘Mitron’ through AI: ‘a new beginning’ By Dr. Rakesh Nambiar

Recently, PM Modi utilized AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to translate his speech from Hindi to Tamil during the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2.0 event in Varanasi. Underlining his first-time usage, he asserted that “this is a new beginning.” What that new beginning will mean politically, perhaps the opposition, psephologists, and curious researchers will unravel.

The AI translation was credited to Bhashini app, created under the Digital India mission funded by MeiTY, which heralded him to be a game-changer in political communication. Though, machine translation (MT) systems are already in use in the European Parliament to automatically transcribe and translate multi-lingual (24 European languages) parliamentary debates.

Similarly, the Parliaments of the US, Tokyo, South Africa, Netherlands, and Brazil have been utilizing AI as per the Inter-Parliamentary Union ICT2019 Seminar. India has been slow but steady in its adoption. The Lok Sabha secretariat has proposed to facilitate real-time two-way interpretation in all 22 scheduled languages. In this regard, Sampark System funded by the TDIL program of MeiTY has achieved capabilities in translation of 9 Indian languages with MT for 18 language pairs. Not many politicians except Modi is utilizing this to communicate with the masses.

Four reasons why this will seem to be a gamechanger in the coming 2024 elections:

• First, Modi’s tech-populism – Since 2014 has shaped the Digital India initiative to reach untapped India in the digital world. From using 3D holograms in 2014 to launching the Namo App and social media blitzkrieg in 2019, Modi has proved that digital communication can spearhead political image and decisive electoral gains. According to Statista, as of 2023, India’s mobile penetration reached 79.4% with over 900 million internet users. This statistic gives promising inroads to shape the techno-political discourse of the nation. Using MyGov and PMO India apps to listen to people’s grievances, Modi can hear people’s Man ki Baat to frame his electoral agendas. Additionally, with the passage of the Digital Personal and Data Protection Bill 2023, the BJP at the Centre now can cultivate and control social media giants, like no other party to tailor its campaign. This may raise serious concerns about fairness and potential harm.
• Second, connecting with the youth – The Kashi-Tamil Sangam is a classic example of using AI to connect with the youth overcoming language barriers. Modi’s address in Varanasi was translated in real-time in Tamil through AI technology, which Annamalai (TN BJP State President) calls a ‘gamechanger.’ Surprisingly, Modi in a typical Man Ki Baat style conversed with a Tamil student using AI bi-directional technology. As he spoke in Hindi, the student through AI understood it in Tamil to reply. If this is taken further, multi-lingual political campaigns with bi-directional interactions will become the next level of political communication. By addressing students of Tamil Nadu and UP in English, Hindi, and AI-translated Tamil, Modi hit three birds with one stone on the thematic note of plurilingual unity. However, the latter aspect became a reporting item in the mainstream media while regional news TV channels failed to show his AI usage to connect with bilingual audiences.
• Third, making political inroads to South – BJP’s weak spot – The Congress and DMK party leaders have criticized Modi’s lack of appeal in southern India. Pre-2014, AIADMK, DMK and TDP alliances with BJP were issue-based coalitions. Pew Research survey says that only 19% of Hindus in the South voted for BJP in 2019. During this election, except Karnataka, no state gave BJP major parliamentary seats. Despite this in the 2023 Telangana elections, BJP won 8 seats. On this, Modi posted a Trump-style lashing against Congress on X reacting to a Shiv Aroor from India Today ‘be prepared for more meltdowns ahead.’ Is he heralding a new beginning? Interestingly, his campaigns were more directed against Congress than regional parties, perhaps keeping the door open for future coalitions. Prof. Hilal Ahmed writes that the BJP is configuring region-specific Hindu identity as an answer to a linguistically plural electorate. This may mean that if social media penetration fails to materialize, coalition dharma with regional parties may strengthen its Sabka Saat, Sabka Vikas narrative.
• Fourth, tackling regionalism and linguistic chauvinism – The regional parties prove a sore for BJP in the parliamentary and assembly elections in south and north-eastern India. Post 2019, political strategists have come to realize that BJP’s main opposition is not Congress but regional parties. However, it has begun to make an impact in the north-east since 2016 with the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) under Himanta Sarma. Pew research asserts that language and diet play a key role in the lackluster BJP show. During every election, the BJP is countered with the language issue apart from the fears of Hindi-belt cultural invasion. Using AI, Modi can interact with the electorate directly reducing dependence on legacy regional media. Unlike Congress which failed to control the anti-Hindi agitation of 1965 led by DMK opposition leader C. N. Annadurai, BJP today wields Annamalai to connect with the TN electorate. The TN scene from Annadurai to Annamalai will be closely watched to know who solves the language integration problem. With generals like Himanta Biswas in the North East and Annamalai in Tamil Nadu, the BJP has created regional satraps to counter regionalism and overcome language barriers. With the effective integration of AI, BJP will get an additional boost to reach all with internet access. This may hinge on infrastructural access in rural areas too.

The opposition, jurists, and academicians may decry that such a move could upset the level-playing field in elections. The Election Commission needs to be cautious with such integration as with technology, deep fakes, hoax / doctored audio notes, and AI bias can do more damage than good.

Additionally, incorrect translation can freak out the audience who can make audio memes proving it to be counterproductive. Though I have estimated Modi’s AI and tech usage, it will not be a cakewalk, as regional parties too are reinventing themselves to look cool on digital media. In all this, those without access to the internet and phones may still prove a captive vote bank for all parties. Unless the BJP installs speaking assistance machines like Alexa or Siri (wink!) to address them. You never know. Modi’s use of technology to communicate perhaps may usher a new way to electoral campaigns breaking north-south-northeast language barriers. Time will tell how rival parties will strategize and adapt to techno-politics in 2024.

(The author is currently teaching literature and communication in NMIMS University.)

Reference for validation:

1. Politico.eu – https://www.politico.eu/article/ai-technology-eu-commission-parliament-gives-more-power-to-ai-translation-machines/
2. Inter-Parliamentary Union – https://www.ipu.org/innovation-tracker/story/artificial-
   intelligence-innovation-in-parliaments
3. No of internet users in India – https://www.statista.com/topics/2157/internet-usage-in-india/
4. Mobile phone penetration in India – https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373584/india-mobile-phone-penetration-rate/
5. Regional media in south covering Modi’s Kashi-Tamil Samgam (Sun TV) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmGn596vmv0 & Thanthi TV – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdlNcrQaAq8
6. Percentage of BJP vote share – https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/08/05/in-india-hindu-support-for-modis-party-varies-by-region-and-is-tied-to-beliefs-about-diet-and-language/
7. BJP MPs from South – https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/election-results-2019-bjp-nda-performance-south-india-kerala-karnataka-tamil-nadu-andhra-pradesh-telangana-1533789-2019-05-24
8. Modi’s X post on Congress – https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1731902708951773546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1731902708951773546%7Ctwgr%5E6b28af13f8ce5c7b575300aa48f6490fee5e1f57%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fscroll.in%2Flatest%2F1060107%2Fbe-prepared-for-more-meltdowns-tweets-modi-with-smiley-emojis-about-congress-loss
9. Hilal Ahmed on BJP in South – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/how-saffron-can-south-become-three-reasons-why-bjp-sees-southern-states-as-fertile-territory-for-political-expansion/
10. Modi’s support tied to language and diet among Hindus – https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/08/05/in-india-hindu-support-for-modis-party-varies-by-region-and-is-tied-to-beliefs-about-diet-and-language/
11. Anti-hindi agitation – https://www.indiancommunities.org/2017/06/23/lal-bahadur-shastri-anti-hindi-agitation1965/#google_vignette
12. Indian govt’s grip on social media giants – https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jack-dorsey-facebook-centre-wants-to-control-information-8662517/

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