India: The message, the messenger, and the messiah - COVID-19 communication under Modi.

Abstract

India’s vast geographical spread and intricate sociopolitical landscape present unique challenges for crisis governance. This chapter contextualizes the nation’s pandemic communication within these complexities, underscoring how India’s high urban density, low GDP, and underfunded healthcare system intensified its vulnerabilities. Consequently, marginalized populations - disadvantaged by gender, caste, religion, location, and economic status - faced disproportionate risks and barriers to healthcare access. The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of public health communications during key phases of COVID-19. Utilizing Warren and Lofstedt’s risk analysis framework, it critically examines the effectiveness of India’s crisis messaging, which prominently featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Initially, Modi’s popularity helped instill public confidence in pandemic measures. However, the analysis reveals that the dissonance between his rhetoric and actions, influenced by an autocratic governance style that prioritized political agendas over public welfare, undermined the overall effectiveness of the government’s crisis communication. This discordance marred critical decision-making moments, leading to significant gaps in risk reduction and COVID-19 compliance.