THE NEW LEAM VIEWPOINT
From narcissism to silent action-life continues to surprise us
You ought to be right, Mr. Modi!
Yes, he has to be right-always. Any mode of dissent or opposition is necessarily bad, undesirable and superficial. Hence, as the Prime Minister has stated once again that when you critique the ugliness of lynching and mob violence, you are doing cheap politics. Why don’t you understand that the ruling regime under the guidance of Mr. Modi is an ideal illustration of compassionate politics, and you should rise above petty politics to ensure peace in our society? Let the act of lynching continue. Don’t raise your voice. Don’t ask anything. Have patience. Mr. Modi will come forward with a magical solution. You need not bother about the growing communalization of our society; you need not go deeper into the phenomenal growth of ‘Hindu’ organizations and the protectors of the ‘holy cow’-their violence and aggression. Thank you, Mr. Modi. You want us to relax.
Why is it that the opposition parties are trying to come together, and give a challenge to the ruling regime?
For Mr. Modi, the answer is clear. They have nothing else to do. They are hungry for power; they have no philosophy; they represent the politics of opportunism. ‘The mahagathbandhan’, adds Mr. Modi,’ is for personal ambitions, not for people’s aspirations’. Fantastic, Mr. Modi. You are more saintly than the Mahatma. You have no personal interest. And your colleague Mr. Amit Shah is yet another saint-truly a devotee of the philosophy of niskam karma. Mr. Rahul Gandhi is ambitious; Ms. Mamta Banerjee is eccentric; and the entire opposition is full of power hungry individuals.
Hence it is clear-it is a fight between ”good” and “bad”; and in this struggle Mr. Modi is the messanger of God: a new avatar of Krishna! Write the script of yet another Mahabharata.
Difficulties come, but we were not cowed down
Amid this political rhetoric something happens in silence. No, Diksha Dagar is not like Mr. Modi. She is ordinary; and she is ‘profound deaf’. It is difficult to hear; she relies on lip-reading and sign-language. Yet, she does wonders. She is the No.1 woman amateur golfer in the country for the last three years, and as her coach hopes, a strong medal prospect at the upcoming Asian Games. Here is an extraordinary story: a story that reveals the human strength to overcome difficulties, and pursue a goal. Here is a story that compels us to rethink the meaning of ‘disabiity’. Her dedication and performance indicate her agency, her true ability.
Compare this story with what our ‘able’ politicians are doing. Is it that they are ‘able’ and hence they create a culture that normalizes lynching and cow vigilantism? Is it because of their ‘ability’ that they allow the likes of Nirav Modi to leave the country? Is it because of their ‘ability’ that children continue to die at a Gorakhpur hospital?
Diksha’s ‘disability’ is truly enchanting as we are getting increasingly tired of the ‘ability’ of our ‘godlike’ politicians.
