New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, September 5, peppered his address with Gen Z-friendly phrases such as “OG” and brought in a reference to the popular film ‘Dhurandhar’ as he returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce, 13 years after his last speech there, which gained immense traction.
While “OG” (original gangster) is slang for someone who is incredibly exceptional, authentic or old-school, “Dhurandhar” means a stalwart. “Flex” means to show off, boast or proudly display something like wealth, status, skills or achievements.
“SRCC’s alumni have been very special… they took the glory of the college to the global level. If I put it in your language, the alumni here are the OGs,” Modi said in his address at the college’s centenary celebrations.
While praising the alumni, Modi further said, “Dhurandhar na ho lekin dhoom machai hai (They may not be the stalwarts, but they have made a splash).”
‘Saying you’re from SRCC a flex in itself’
Tracing the college’s magnificent evolution from a modest establishment in Daryaganj to a towering educational institution, the prime minister noted that it has shaped generations. He acknowledged the immense pride associated with the institution’s name today.
“Even today in DU, saying you are from SRCC is a flex in itself,” he said.
PM Modi’s choice of words at SRCC comes amid a push by the BJP and its leaders to connect with younger audiences following the recent Gen Z-led protests at Jantar Mantar.
BJP MPs have recently used terms such as “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) and “delulu” (delusional) in Parliament, while the prime minister himself has increasingly been using Instagram-style videos for youth-orientated messaging.
PM recalls his 2013 debut at SRCC
Modi had visited SRCC in 2013 as the Gujarat chief minister, and his address to the students gained a lot of traction, especially in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in which he was the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Modi said his 2013 speech at SRCC had “become a wave”, and even today, 13-14 years later, the impact of that address remains intact.
“India in 2013 was dealing with a series of challenges, including terror attacks, inflation and corruption. Growth was at its lowest and inflation was at the peak,” he said, adding that scams and corruption were rampant.
He also recalled how India was described internationally at the time, saying that the country was being called a “fragile five”, while contrasting India’s position in 2013 with its standing today.
“In 2013, when I came to SRCC, I presented a vision. Whatever I said back then was my conviction. I have always lived by those words. Dedicating my life to the nation was an emotion that took the form of words. I gave the example of a glass filled with water. Some people see the glass as half full. Some say it is half empty.
“I said there are people who can see the glass as fully filled, half with water and half with air. It was a time when the country was lacking hope. So I said, ‘I see the glass as fully filled’,” he said.
