Yogi Adityanath and Indians' love for leaders perceived as 'renouncers'

Rise of Vajpayee, Modi, Mamata shows Indians idolise people seen as having given up personal lives

Soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Uttar Pradesh legislators on March 18 elected Yogi Adityanath, the chief priest of Gorakhpur’s Gorakhnath mutt, as their leader, social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp were abuzz with posts hailing the new chief minister as a ‘great renouncer’. While BJP’s choice of a hardliner with a history raised some eyebrows, the dissenting voices were drowned by the supporters’ eulogy of a “selfless saint who sacrificed for the larger good of people and religion”.

Even as the high-pitched hero-worship of Yogi Adityanath gave many a sense of déjà vu – there had been a similar cheering in the run-up to the 2014 general elections for Narendra Modi, then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, for he is believed to have given up his family to join the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for public service – it also seemed to reinforce the belief that Indians have high regard for those who are perceived as having ‘relinquished’.

Further back in time, the BJP had used similar arguments during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s prime ministerial bid in the mid-90s. Vajpayee was portrayed as a ‘great renouncer’ who never married. Similarly, Uma Bharati, formerly a CM of Madhya Pradesh and now a Union minister, also owes some of her popularity to her image of a spinster focused on service of people.

Social scientist Shiv Vishwanathan says: “They are seen as ascetics not tied to networks. They have limited responsibilities (outside of public life). It is seen as an act of dedication. It has become a part of the Indian subconscious.”

For perspective, Indians’ liking for renouncers is not a recent phenomenon. Mythological figures like Parashurama, who slayed evil kings, and the patriarch Bhishma from the Mahabharata, have both been revered for centuries for choosing not to marry.

Among state leaders of today, Yogi Adityanath has joined Haryana CM Manohar Lal in the bachelor CMs’ club. Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, a widower for long, has also been seen as a leader dedicated to the people’s welfare.

The projection of leaders’ higher dedication to their constituents in the absence of own families has not been limited to the BJP. The past two or three decades have seen the rise of some strong women leaders like the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP’s) Mayawati, the deceased All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader J Jayalalithaa and the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC’s) Mamata Banerjee. These women have throughout their public life been seen as leaders who never married to remain free to push people’s struggles.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata Dal, another member of the bachelor CMs’ club, has also been regarded highly for his bachelorhood. Many believe his preference of public life to private helped him rule the state for decades.

“Indians like renouncers in positions of power. People find them more trustworthy. Rama, the ‘ideal’ ruler from whom we get the idea of ‘Ramrajya’ (ideal state) is another example. (He renounced his kingdom to honour his father’s word.) Closer to our times, Mahatma Gandhi preached the merits of renunciation. Also, Anna Hazare didn't seek power himself, though his ‘disciple’ did,” says Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor and Indian literature and cultural studies expert Makarand Paranjape.

Emphasising the importance of sacrifice in Indian polity, Paranjape adds: “Even Sonia Gandhi was more respected because she refused to take the office of the Prime Minister of India.”

“Behind asceticism is a smaller expression of the bigger idea of ‘sacrifice’. And, sacrifice is the ultimate form of martyrdom. It resonates with the bigger myth,” adds Vishwanathan.

Sacrifice as a counter to nepotism, corruption

No family strings attached to political leaders is also seen as an insurance against nepotism and corruption. Parties with strong dynastic or family dominance have faced serious credibility issues at different times. The leaders of these parties have been accused of jeopardising public good to benefit their kin.

Even the BJP was criticised for giving a UP Assembly election ticket to Pankaj Singh, son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh – another instance of family ties hurting credibility. The elevation of Yogi Adityanath, with his image of a renouncer – and a strong push to make the image larger – could have been a counter to such criticism. 

“Larger-than-life projection of leaders through the social media seems to work well for the BJP. Yogi Adityanath is being projected as a 'Robinhood' who gave up everything to help the poor. There is this constant image-building exercise,” says former JNU professor and political expert Sudha Pai.