Where is the Congress Narrative?

They call them the Bhakts, the ubiquitous Modi supporter who is willing (at-least theoretically) to punch his father in the face if the old man dare think about questioning 'Modi Ji'. & Bhakts have always clashed with the self-righteous liberal souls with pseudo (mostly) ism beliefs. The liberals identify themselves with many identities, you name it, you will find it - socialists, AAPtards, leftists, journalists, rationalists, leftists, Congressi, etc.

As we enter the election phase, the tiff has intensified to battlecries and bitterness. Leader & leaders are pitched for the post of PM-ship. But what is true is that this is a battle between Modi & the Opposition. Modi in today's India needs no introduction - hate him or love him. Modi is an independent discussion on to himself, he is not the subject of this piece. But he is setting the tone.
All the while for the last 5yrs the Modi narrative has dominated the Indian mindspace, mostly with positive stories around him. Open the newspaper & you see him smiling at you, go to the fuel station and he is still there looking at you, open the news and him again - an Indian, cannot miss seeing Modi in his daily life today. He has ensured it & all praises to his marketing dollars! But how about the competition - the opposition? Rahul Gandhi - the prince in waiting, the man with the right intent, what is he up to? Shaking one label after another - generally talking sense, mostly gesturing grand. But what about his party?
Cut to Modi again - the man has travelled far & wide, spoken loud & louder to maintain his shine but 5yrs, we have moved from iPhone 6 to iPhone XS - even your BFFs & other M.I.T.R.O.N change. Demomentization,  GST, Kashmir, Rafale, loud mouths, fake promises, unemployment, cheap publicity and many many more sit around the throne, yet the king is apparently safe.
What has the opposition done - yes Congress won MP, Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh and managed to wrest power in Karnataka, but the journey has been one of struggles and fumbles for the grand old party. & the unlearning has not happened.
I do not know if Rahul Gandhi contemplates this question - why should I vote for Congress - one answer or multiple answers - WHY? For Congress, the search has not even started - their relevance is lost or eroding. Counter that ask the 'Bhkats' and answers will be precise - nationalism, growth, Ayodhya, Kashmir, corruption free, strong, Hindutva. As many segments as many answers. Even the worst of Demonitisation & GST justified on intent and Rafale could never become an opposition narrative.
Yet, the Congress questions Modi - perhaps that is the identity they are getting reduced to - not even sparing the single voice of unity required in a war-like (even if created) situation. Where is the Congress narrative? Post Pulwama & the air-strikes, the Congress invariably put a collective foot in its mouth yet again - in a narrative controlled by the government and partly supported by the armed actions, posing questions that trivialise the events is a self-destructive move. How many terrorists died? Yes, the international media will question it, so should the Indian media - but the main opposition party trying to gain petty political currencies in an election year comes across as - well anti-national! In a war-like scenario, who will people prefer to vote for - a loud mouth but action-oriented Modi or Modi-questioning Rahul Gandhi?

The Congress & most of the social media opposition have created large enough echo chambers for them to be awed by their voices but puny enough to make an impact beyond the closed walls. What is more shocking is the baffling behaviour of anti-right thinkers to get into most unusual arguments with intellectual embarrassments like Vivek Agnihotri. They seem to have still not understood the well-structured hierarchy that the BJP has & people like Agnihotri are merely quarter-brained troll commanders. Not one acknowledging them but engaging them is what the thinkers on the right want and they succeed.
There is a general belief in the Congress circle that they are winning the Social Media narrative. I do not know, but perhaps the echo noise has got to them. The BJP has ensured that whether you are with them or not or merely a fence-sitter, their message reaches you (& done it remarkably well). The Congress has ensured nothing but shifting benchmarks to match the BJP. They are trying to fight a propaganda machinery with no understanding of the power of communications - sad that perhaps the party that once was spearheaded by the greatest communicator of 20th century, the Mahatma is struggling today to keep pace with one man & his ruthless ambitions. Hitler made and impact, so did the Mahatma - The Congress needs to get back to that identity once again - set the new narrative for Gandhi's India in Modi's India. 

Kalia, the True Bhakt

I feel like Kalia, who elected Gabbar in a democratic process believing him to be a ruthless demagogue. & till communities after communities fell under the hooves of his mighty horses and all conquering roar, I felt proud. Here was a leader, a man of tribe, who was feared by one & all. Here was a man of action who could cut hands of justice if it was necessary for a greater cause towards keeping his clan the most supreme.

& I, Kalia, the fiercely loyal, blindly devoted follower knew that I will always be safe, that I will always be fighting for a cause greater than a few worthless lives. What Gabbar says is the law, the law of the jungle, the law for the powerful, not a law that talks of justice & equality, not a law that aims to protect the meek & the weak.

It's a war out there and if Gabbar does not act, the weak & meek villagers of Ramgarh & adjoining areas in connivance of the law & order machinery will wipe us out. & in a war as holy as this, one needs to make a few sacrifices even if it is one of ours.

Who cares for law & order anyways, courts of law are the ways of cultures who cannot act. For us, Gabbar is the Judge, Jury & Executioner - & it is a fair system – six rounds of a bullet, 3 for life, 3 for death – fair & simple - & effective!

This is how it works, say I am sent for a task & come back defeated – now this is a serious offence – a sign of weakness, a loss of aggression, a threat to reputation. Does not matter if law & justice together conspire to beat me up? Can Gabbar forgive this? Should he? Absolutely Not! But he would be fair in his justice still, that’s why we idolise him for even if he’s the one who wields the guns. This is how the conversation will flow,

Gabbar: (pointing the gun at Kalia) Are you for the development of the tribe?

Kalia: (shivering) Yes My Baap, I have gone on so many missions with you

(Gabbar clicks the butt, but it’s an empty round – Kalia’s stance for development saves him)

Gabbar: (pointing the gun again) Are you a true believer in faith?

Kalia: (proudly displaying the black tilak on his forehead) I’m and I’ll kill for it Sardar

(Another click, but empty again because of Kalia’s belief in his religion)

Gabbar: (3^rd time pointing the gun) Are you a nationalist?

Kalia: (looks at his black brown uniform pants) I’m the greatest one that ever was

(Another click, empty again, Nationalism saves the day for Kalia)

Kalia: (relieved) Sardar, if there were bullets…..

Gabbar fires again & again & again: Questions Gabbar, you’re anti-Gabbar

Sambha sitting atop watching, gives a cry: Ghar Ghar Gabbar!!!

The tribe repeats in chorus: sabse babbar, apna Gabbar!!!

----End of Kalia---

The Lego & the Nation

It all starts in a pretty way – your Son demanding to have the Lego set & an indulging parent that you are, you complying with it. Pretty, simple! What’s the risk? It’s expensive, but when the credit card is there, the interest & the premium will pain you later. It is creative nonetheless & in the ways of amateurs, visionary too.

The promise of your Son, doing magic with the Lego is intoxicating, your dreams, far surpassing the child’s imagination. The child has already showed you the Lego Transform-ers and you believe in him. The Lego, your Son, the Transform-ers – Time meets Einstein meet Universe.

All so grand, all so good, all so euphoric, all so cute. Just that your child is called Modi…The Lego is unboxed in no time amidst the claps of the proud you & the child sets to work. You expect nothing less than Ram Setu really? The red pieces for economy, the greens for polity, the yellows, your favorite for sense & the blues for the society. The creator & the pieces get to work diligently. Night & day, day & night, the boy is at it and you can never get over the joy of his sheer dedication, his single-point calling in life. Destruction being the Papa of creation belief at heart, the child makes & breaks the brochure structures like Planning Commission in an arrogance of the one truly gifted. All too good, all so unique! Your boundless bundle of irrational exuberance! The red figurine toppled there, the orange figurine installed here, the GST blocks moving like Rubik’s cube that you have zero know-how of, the belief that the boys knows it all. The demonetization structure looks twisted, and your stretched out rationality is curbed because the Ram statue is grandiose. It’s your child after all, keep clapping on. & he has a partner in crime/play, the BFF all kids must have, the affable bully next door. The two of them together, the bulldozer & the architect, move the pieces with the zeal of a bull in a china shop and you, face painted in the tri-colour of nationalism, patriotism & religious fervor look-on, cheer-on.

Thank You Mr. PM

Not a supporter of the person who seats himself on the chair of PM, never will be one. But to not to acknowledge the initiative of Clean India is not only unfair to him but also to be blinded by political myopia.
Whether the step remains a short lived euphoria or will make a real contribution is to be seen, but well done Mr. PM for taking the step. From the eyes of an armchair critic and a cynic, I do not know how far will it go to change the outlook of the people, but you have definitely taken a 1st step, we need to move ahead. Very rarely do we witness an event where a leader leads from the front with a greater vision - you have done it. & nothing can take the credit away from you.
Whether things get lost in the maze of files, whether the whatsapp messages slowly fade away, a message has been delivered. Even if for a day or a week, we make that effort to participate in this drive, it will be a welcome change.
Some of the silent problems that India faces, problems of hygiene, accessibility to water, toilets - have lost to issues of corruption & misgovernence, growth & foreign policy - Thanks Mr. PM to bring this back to public conscious. The previous govt. did some thankless work in RTI, MNREGA and Right to Education, & you have moved a step forward. This may not bring you votes, but will go a long way in improving the general dignity of the living.
Mr. PM, you will not still & never get my vote, but you have my thanks for an initiative that perhaps after Gandhi, none has dared or cared to take...