2013 marked the new phase of India, possibly never seen and experienced in the past –  unprecedented shifts in the narratives championed by Narendra Modi and his ilk, that has polarised the nation, using religion as the trump card to power, that seems to cause irreperable damage to the psychological and social fabric of the nation…….

“Let us not discuss religion and politics”, is the refrain you get to hear in every family or friendly space….Imagine the polarization!! Never heard such in my first 47 years of my life!!

I must say most of the educated who are believed to be rational, wise are swayed by the narrative of ‘Hindutva khatre mein hai’, Hindutva is in danger…..without even pondering the difference between, Hinduism and Hindutva, they have been spearheading the narrative in every medium, aided by the Modi supporting fourth estate, Media, that has deserted it’s basic responsibility, as most of which is owned by Reliance, the cohoot of thé regime in power.

What can we talk about 85% of population of India that does not finish their schooling? Imagine what sway the regime owned (indirectly) media and the social media army of the regime has on that gentry of India!

It has been left to individuals to use social media, thanks to technology, that has at least kept some semblance of sane discussion and critiquing alive, inspite of the regime using all possible arms of governance to silence many, in various ways….There are many behind the bars for speaking up in the last few years. A sane citizen is left wondering which arm of governance has the regime not misused yet to silence the citizens of the country. Any critiquing of the regime is branded as traitor of the nation, anti-national…

Amidst the barrage of diatribe of anti-national branding, that is brought upon by the social media army that the regime has created, there are a few who wish to still discuss sanely and convert the critiques, offering their way of rationality…..

Here is one such discussion that I came across on twitter between, a sane bhakt, Lokendra Chawhan and a well informed and analytical critic Kannan Gopinathan, an Ex-IAS officer who quit the services due to his dissonance with philosophy of the current regime.

Enjoy the discussion….that happened on twitter and I have copied in toto….Thanks to both debators, Lokendra and Kannan!

lokendra chawhan @Iam_Lokendra

From which act PM has earned this much hatred from you?

I really wanna know

Let’s try to understand each other

Let’s not be bitchy and talk straight

What did he do to deserve this much personal hate from you?

I may get your view after all

—–
Kannan Gopinathan @naukarshah

One step after the other has been against constitution & country. He finds it okay to divide the country through communal dog whistles, sacrifice the rights & lives of common people for his imagined historical decisions. None of it I agree. I don’t hate him or anything though.

—–

lokendra chawhan @Iam_Lokendra

This Govt fortunately or unfortunately has taken lots of decisions

Which of those are against constitution?
Which are against country?

Can we start with this?

Then we can go on how he is dividing the country? Nd then on rights

Please sir which decisions?
—————

Kannan Gopinathan @naukarshah lists the issues, and Lokendra responds to each…

Sure.

1. Autocratic & thoughtless decision of demonetization. A lot of common people were troubled, many died lining up outside banks and ATMs, for a whimsical decision of PM. In a way Govt murdered those people and many more dreams with that decision. Against country & people

….. lokendra

People should not have died
There is still no confirmation on now but still it’s mismanagement

Autocratic – it was not
You are learned enough to differentiate between autocratic and mismanagement

——————

2. Clampdown and blatant violation of rights of people of J&K and shutting down an entire state in complete disregard to constitution. Again autocratic imagined historic decision which put and is still putting people through great hardship.

…… Lokendra

J&K was in bad state for 45+years

No violation of rights
Rights were extended for all citizens – which was not earlier

Ladakh separation was long overdue – u know the result wrt development now

J&K – law and order + terrorism is record low in 50+ years (official report)

———————

3. CAA and the proposed NRC which the HM stated in parliament to bring and the chronology explained to target only one community. CAA for the first time linked citizenship with religion. Against people, constitution and the country.

…… Lokendra

(3) there is no law created by current Govt which is against Constitution or even Constitutional Morality
Honourable SC would have definitely intervened if any such thing would hv or will happen

If there is – kindly quote specific law ?

Now,

Is country more important or religion?

I know this question sounds bigoted but hear me out

If your ans is country – there is no question of CAA targeting your countrymen (Indian Citizens)

If Religion is more imp than country –  then as u say India is Secular ….(2)

If India is Secular – how can religion be imp over nationality

NRC – every country have it (what do u think H1B visa is) or IELTS exam is for?
Every country MUST hv criterion to choose there citizens (except by birth)
Article 5 to 11 clearly states how (3)

—————————-

4. False bravado and foolish statements of capturing Aksai Chin in parliament and later surrendering Indian territory to China and then, even worse, lying about it to minimise own political damage. Traitorous behaviour and unacceptable.

……. Lokendra

(1) Every single statement by current Govt is either supported by or directly comes from our defence forces (officially)
You can check – word to word (I have)
There is not a single claim by Govt which is contradicting with official Defence briefings ….(2)

(2) So if you want to question Defence official stand, you have every right to – as India is democracy

I do believe our Defence will not lie (I may be wrong in believing)
But I do

You r free to question

—————-

5. Complete opacity in functioning be it Electoral funds or PMCares. Diluting RTI. Treating Governance as an unaccountable monarchy where people are supposed to protect the king.

Questioning Govt portrayed as anti-national.

…….. Lokendra

(1) Questioning Govt – I agree with u totally, this is big problem
But it’s problem of all sides not just 1
Unfortunately sad reality of hyper active nd offensive so called social media activists

(2)
(2) Electoral Fund opacity – by all parties, reform bill is pending for years – BJP was wanting it when they were opposition nd UPA not doing it
Same is now
There r few changes but more or less it’s all like past
All r guilty/innocent
For me – Guilty
(3)

(3) PMCARES – there is no discrepancy as per law and constitution
Why do u think Congress dropped the issue?
All official docs r readily available online in official websites, including under which law
I am sure u r learned enough to easily understand
But (4)

(4) I do agree that there should be full disclosure on every fund received anyway
But still there is no violation of law or constitution by Govt on this
You can check
It’s not even that big issue ( again y opposition dropped the issue)
(5)

—————–

Kannan

I can go on. But what I don’t like the most is that portraying people who question PM or the Govt as against the country. That’s a culture I despise. I have questioned and protested against UPA. No one ever called me anti-national. But here Govt is nation. Dangerous. Unacceptable

……. Lokendra

This I totally agree

Then, you also have to agree there is exponential increase in anti-India forces trying to disprove everything and anything by this Govt

I do agree logical people gets branded same with those forces – it’s wrong (2)

(2) I think this has evolved like fever in a body – antibodies fighting virus
But extended fever is also dangerous
Which we should check
(3)

(3) I would urge you to weigh or access every decision on its own merit

Ofcourse Voting is ur choice nd I can’t be effective enough to change ur opinion 360
But, my intention is to reduce hatred from ur heart a bit nd may give a perspective

Let’s keep talking

————-

One can see, even a non-bellicose, sane bhakt, how he uses his rational mind to support irrationalities, giving justifications with instances of the past and the behaviours in the past for the actions of the present…..