I work for a tech company. Like tech tech company…apps, data analytics, digital tools and stuff. Why am I saying this? Because, no matter how wrong in reality, we still believe that education annihilates bigotry. It does not.
Now, you may ask, who is a soft terrorist? For arguments sake, let’s assume that hard terrorists are the exploding types, the gun toting, stoning and beheading types. Now, people who carry none of the above action attributes but have the same thoughts can be called soft terrorists. Simply, people who have the intent but don’t have access to a gun, yet.
I won’t like to point out the guy in my office as particularly evil, but representative of a type of which there is no dearth in general public. During the last three months, through the course of the elections, here are a few recurring topics that we talked about. I will outline them as succinctly as I can.
Our country needs a strong leader – Modi
Isn’t everyone saying that? But the excuses are all different. Some say he will bring roads to every village, his name alone will rally the stock exchange, he will win Pakistan and China and god knows what. But all the development talk had an unintended impact on my colleague – he feared that Modi has become a Vajpayee. A moderate is the vilest abuse that one can hurl at a Sanghi.
His fears were allayed only after a hate speech was made by a neta from Modi’s dais. He was sure once Modi comes to power he will put the evil community back in its place. He does not care for public opinion or votes. He will do what is good for this country. He will deliver the country back to Hindus.
I thought people were being fooled by the development agenda. So, I prodded him repeatedly. He was adamant that no one was voting him for development, they were voting for him to cleanse India. I tried to shame him for his thoughts. Seems I was the one overlooking the facts.
Mulayam Singh got funding from ISI while he was defence minister.
Muslims in old delhi build mosques and start praying in 2 hours to grab land.
Muslims are slowly taking over the country and soft Hindus don’t know it.
Moderates and intellectuals are the ones for whom the system works.
Pakistan and China will attack and divide India
And, it is not a distant fear. It is an imminent occurrence. We have some 3 naval ships, some very few fighter planes and fallana fallana. He seemed to have all the numbers and compared them with those of both China and Pakistan. I was starting to look like bilissfully unaware moderate that he accused me to be. But was I so blind to threats that were so immediate?
Modi will spend more on defence purchases. He will scare both Pakistan and China by sheer dint of his personality. His strong personality will also end corruption across states, municipalities and in govt offices. The extra money will be useful in fighting our neighbours.
Perfect – wars, aggression and instant end to corruption. What could be the problem there?
Democracy to be paused for a decade
It is the worst form of governance. Many books support this theory. The idea of giving everyone a vote is criminal. How can a labourer in Jharkhand who is not smart enough to make twenty rupees a day decide the fate of the country? If elections are to be decided by animals, why not race cows?
Modi will fix this. He will suspend democracy for ten twenty years. During this time, he will set the system right. The country will be back in Hindu hands, there will be no corruption, everyone would be educated and voting rights will be given back.
I have tried to reproduce the conversation as it happened. No dramatization. Now, I am worried is the man more scary or are his followers? What is it about him that appeals to the dark, irrational and violent side of otherwise normal people? As a friend recently said, it’s not for nothing that some call him Lord Voldemort of India.
