Interrupting the series on conflict, I thought I will take some time to reflect on this moment, now that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has not received an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha Elections. My political awakening took place in 2011, during the India Against Corruption Movement. In 2014, I just knew that Modi becoming the Prime Minister would be disastrous for India. In 2019, on the day of the results, I was returning to UK and on landing, I got to know that the BJP had won. My entire knowledge of politics was coloured saffron, if you know what I mean. For some reason, I was incredibly hopeful this time and thought the results would be as what they are today, but as Mallikarjun Kharge said in the press conference a few hours ago, he didn’t want to alert Modi with the Congress’ plans, I too was really scared that my joy would alert the complacent BJP voter. The truth also is that I was wary of jinxing the results.
I simply couldn’t stick my neck out the way Yogendra Yadav did or for that matter even Prashant Kishore. But if I would, this is what I would say.
Imagine.
Imagine the defeat of BJP and what it will bring.
An internet without trolls
Comments without the red flag and the Indian National Flag
Comments without the lotus
Graphics on news channels that are not red or saffron
The end of the BJP IT cell
A digital space that is safer, fresher and freer.
New well-thought-out policies
Not rehashed ones
No full-page political advertisements in the newspapers
Real news in the newspapers and not just the jibes of the politicians on each other
Thicker newspapers
Press conferences
Sensible dialogue in the Parliament
No vilification of Muslims.
No waking up every day to a new threat by the Home Minister
A mainstream media that holds the government accountable
A thriving Aarey forest
Forests and better green cover in India
Jobs for the youth
Jobs for the disadvantaged
The IMD accepting that the temperature was indeed 52 and we need to do something, other than changing the ‘faulty’ sensor
Improvement of India’s standing on various indices
The CBI, ED and IT departments actually doing what they should be doing
No more obscenities of Adani and Ambani’s wealth shoved in our faces
No crony capitalism
No more electoral bonds
Fairer elections going forward
Resignations from ministers in the face of negligence or dereliction of duty
Sane political discourse
At all levels
Affordable prices of basic amenities
Welfare schemes for the needy
Well-functioning railways to ferry all people
Well-run airports
No more need for Hindenberg, sleeping SEBI and what not.
Aarfa and Ravish interviewing national level politicians. Again.
Mohua Moitra speaking on issues and not just being tired out on non-issues.
Safer women and girls.
No ‘torn jeans’ comment on women.
Kashmir.
No propagandist movies.
No politicization of sport
No saffronization of textbooks.
Students protesting safely
Academics and scholars thinking freely
Academics free to teach what they should
FSSAI not changing the acceptable levels of unsafe ingredients in food
Maybe stricter rules on Patanjali
Better handling of crises (but please, let there be none)
No campaigning for Trump
Nor have other fascist, dictatorial or conservative guests in India
Free political prisoners
The list can go on,
You and I know that.
You and I might also be proven wrong.
You and I might and most probably will have to keep fighting.
With the hope that we will be heard.
But just, for now,
Imagine.
This is a lovely vision, thank you for sharing