Yesterday, I met a very good friend after a very long time. As we shared a cup of coffee, the conversation inevitably turned to Australian politics (yeah, I know… surprise surprise). With a wisdom that comes with age, I was given an amazingly simple insight. He said "PD, politics is like a pendulum. The harder the swing to the left, the farther it swings back to the right" I was reminded of a statement made by a very famous Englishman who suffered a concussion when an apple fell on his head a few hundred years ago.
In the immediate aftermath of the 2nd World War, the genocide of millions, the large scale destruction across Europe, and the liberation of colonies into new countries, socialism was the order of the day. Egalitarianism, equality, ending feudalism, royalty and uplifting the downtrodden was the order of the day. Women left their homes and entered the work force en-masse. The 'pill' liberated female sexuality and gave women a say over their bodies for the first time in history. And, for a time, all was well with the world. Swing left...
However, the pendulum needed to swing back, as it has always done. Transition of power away from the older structures of power - the feudal lords, the religious centres and patriarchy inevitably leaves behind a trail of devastation affecting the holders of power. The old is destroyed as the new rises up. However, what everyone forgets, is unknowingly, the new carries the baggage of the past with it.
Each nation has a dominant population which follow a single religion and cultural practice that defines the nation. A large majority of this group, historically, has never been rich. Socialism and leftist policies post WW2 helped millions globally to rise above poverty levels, including large portions of nationally dominant groups.
However, egalitarianism and secularism becomes a threat once the dominant majority rises above poverty. In a classic case of socialism paving the way for capitalistic greed, what once helped them is now seen as hindering them. The oppressed look eagerly at turning oppressors. Rather than fixing the system, the majority, instead, look for someone and/or something to blame. They now active seek to undermine the ladder that helped them get a better life. That, is when the pendulum starts the swing right.
Over the last few years, India has seen a transition to the right. Well educated, eloquent and well read people seem to be pushing that swing to the fringes of right. The new narrative in India, frankly, is scary. Here is how it goes:
India was a wonderful country, with the best culture. Ancient Indians had superior knowledge, which included aviation and other scientific advances, while the rest of the world was languishing in ignorance. This knowledge was lost as a result of the muslim invasions a thousand years ago. When the British invaded, they destroyed everything else too. Hinduism is a very non-violent, peaceful and uniting religion - which is a way of life. Unfortunately, under the guise of secularism, India has been pandering to the minorities (religions, castes etc) and our religion and culture are now in threat. Therefore, secularism needs to be fought, and Hindus need to fight for their rights in what is Hindu Land. Our history has been corrupted by 'marxists', so we need to fix it and correct the injustices done on hindus throughout history. Pakistan was made for muslims, and they are welcome to get out of India if they don't want to sing Vande Mataram or be 'patriotic'.
This narrative, when coupled with the resentment against populist social policies and the inability of seemingly intelligent and educated people to distinguish fact from nonsense on the internet, leads to the rise of the fringe right lunatics, who, like drug addicts, seek a quick 'fix'.
The new wave of apologists in India can justify the caste system by elaborating on the usefulness of means of production. While asking all Muslims to apologise for the actions of the fringe Jihadi groups, they ask for ignoring the Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena because they represent the violent fringes. While proudly posting "Je Suis Charlie", they actively support banning movies like PK. Anyone who disagrees with their warped worldview is labeled a traitor. "Sickular" is used a label for anyone who talks about equality for religions. Pointing out the ills within hinduism is promptly with "look at Islam and Christianity - they have bigger problems". Historical revisionism is becoming the norm, and people are flocking to revisionist histories written by people without any formal education in history or methods of research.
My tolerance of these seemingly intelligent, well read and eloquent right wingers, is, sadly, very low. My head hangs in shame when I see a large proportion of young Indians defend the undefendable and justify violence. I am speechless when Indians say 'I hate Gandhi' not having a clue about that man's contributions, but selectively cherry picking a policy in isolation, out of context. I cannot comprehend when people seek to destroy the means helped them achieve their goals in life, simply to protect their existence and deny that to 'the other'. I certainly cannot understand how people forget about the violent mass murder of muslims at Godhra asking me to 'get over it'. But what I can understand now, is how Adolf Hitler got national support despite the streak of racist superiority he exuded. History may not repeat itself, but it certainly provides an insight to mob mentality.
In the 1980s, under Gen Zia ul Haq, Pakistan saw a rise of idiots who presented scientific papers proposing to generate electricity from "Djinns". I laughed at them then. Last year, a scientific paper was presented about 7000 year old Indian aviation and space technology that stunned the participants to silence. I no longer laugh at Pakistan. I, now, seek to hide in shame. 7 years ago, a large group of women sent pink undies to a group of Hindu Fundamentalists who opposed Valentine's Day. 20 years ago, while at University, I picked up a fight with a group of students promoting a ridiculous theory that the Taj Mahal was a hindu temple. Today, there is a reducing opposition to these groups. In the new India, there is a growing tolerance for hindu fundamentalism.
This experiment is bound to end in tears. We only need to look across our western border to see what decades of fringe right religious policies have wrought. On an economic front, far right wing policies lead to the kind of inequalities we see in the USA, which, in India, will lead to social violence. Rather than tempering our approach, India seems to be jumping head first into the chaos of the fringe right lunacy, followed by a cheering squad led by pied pipers like Subramanian Swamy.
A great American by the name of Thomas Jefferson once said - "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants". I shall pray that day never comes. But, as I was reminded yesterday, it is just a matter of time before the pendulum swings back again. Until that happens, it is time to stand up and be counted.
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