WILL A US HAPPEN IN INDIA
WILL A US HAPPEN IN INDIA?
It just took a spark in the US to get people , lakhs of them, onto the streets protesting. In almost all cities. Imagine one black man killed as compared to a lakh killed due to corona!! Disproportionate response, is't? Why did this take place ? Why did the people abandon all the corona fears and, without following social distancing norms, mingle freely and then violently protest. Anger spilling over like never before.
Surely, the lockdown ,with its accompanying loss of jobs and businesses , inadequate response by authority etc may have bottled up the anger and frustration. But that alone does not lead to a tinder box like situation. Racial tension has existed in the US for ages and that too cannot , on its own, lead to a flash point.
So what could be the underlying factor that lead to this flash point, of this ignition.
Lets look at what had happened in the US during Trump's regime. Economically , the US was doing fine, with unemployment, before covid, at a long time low. However, Trump tore apart the delicate balance maintained between decency, morality, diplomatic niceity , relationship with the press and opponents. He used language never used in diplomatic circles ,openly. He spread hate towards his foes. He ridiculed anyone who opposed him and all his predecessors. The discourse became full of venom. The US also lost respect among other nations, including Europeans..
People for the first time were confused, divided like never before, right down the middle. There was no one, statesman like, to provide a more reassuring future. A society uncertain of itself.
Add to this simmering intensive fear, the lockdown impact, the corona fears . You then have a recipe for chaos. And it happened.
Does the situation in India look similar? Surely so. A nation divided like never before. A leader who was supposed to deliver development and pride but left people severely wounded, economically and morally. Distortion of facts, destruction of institutions, and frequent divisive actions like article 370 and NRC etc left many confused and frustrated. Many felt there was no empathy. It was emphasised during coivd through the treatment of migrants and the lack of any meaningful assistance package. Add to this the disastrous lockdown. One, from which, a way out is not visible.
A tinder box waiting for a spark?
May not happen if we are lucky. But should we not look back and ask ourselves why we allowed a man to take us into this abyss . Why safeguards did not work. Why again India lost its way and could lose again.
A stark prospect . Grim indeed. Instead of being depressed , what is needed is to be vigilant and aware of the dangers. We need to get rid of the chalta hai attitude and stop being selfish. Surely this nation has enough inner strength to do just that. And do that it must..
It just took a spark in the US to get people , lakhs of them, onto the streets protesting. In almost all cities. Imagine one black man killed as compared to a lakh killed due to corona!! Disproportionate response, is't? Why did this take place ? Why did the people abandon all the corona fears and, without following social distancing norms, mingle freely and then violently protest. Anger spilling over like never before.
Surely, the lockdown ,with its accompanying loss of jobs and businesses , inadequate response by authority etc may have bottled up the anger and frustration. But that alone does not lead to a tinder box like situation. Racial tension has existed in the US for ages and that too cannot , on its own, lead to a flash point.
So what could be the underlying factor that lead to this flash point, of this ignition.
Lets look at what had happened in the US during Trump's regime. Economically , the US was doing fine, with unemployment, before covid, at a long time low. However, Trump tore apart the delicate balance maintained between decency, morality, diplomatic niceity , relationship with the press and opponents. He used language never used in diplomatic circles ,openly. He spread hate towards his foes. He ridiculed anyone who opposed him and all his predecessors. The discourse became full of venom. The US also lost respect among other nations, including Europeans..
People for the first time were confused, divided like never before, right down the middle. There was no one, statesman like, to provide a more reassuring future. A society uncertain of itself.
Add to this simmering intensive fear, the lockdown impact, the corona fears . You then have a recipe for chaos. And it happened.
Does the situation in India look similar? Surely so. A nation divided like never before. A leader who was supposed to deliver development and pride but left people severely wounded, economically and morally. Distortion of facts, destruction of institutions, and frequent divisive actions like article 370 and NRC etc left many confused and frustrated. Many felt there was no empathy. It was emphasised during coivd through the treatment of migrants and the lack of any meaningful assistance package. Add to this the disastrous lockdown. One, from which, a way out is not visible.
A tinder box waiting for a spark?
May not happen if we are lucky. But should we not look back and ask ourselves why we allowed a man to take us into this abyss . Why safeguards did not work. Why again India lost its way and could lose again.
A stark prospect . Grim indeed. Instead of being depressed , what is needed is to be vigilant and aware of the dangers. We need to get rid of the chalta hai attitude and stop being selfish. Surely this nation has enough inner strength to do just that. And do that it must..
Good article Sir. Personally I believe that a civil unrest/ revolution is just around the corner not only in India but in many other countries around the world. The present scenario is a trigger for sure & it won’t be difficult to galvanize the crowds, perhaps fear of injustice & status quo is a bigger one than fear of death by coronavirus...
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