Imagine

Just for a bit. And for always.

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.

Pic Credit: Me

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.

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