Here is a little story
from the novel, The Palace of Illusions,
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
Once a boy
came running in from play and asked, Mother, what is milk? My friends say it is creamy and white and has
the sweetest taste... Please, mother, I want milk to drink.
The mother,
who was too poor to buy milk, mixed some flour in water, added jaggery, and
gave it to the boy.
The boy
drank it and danced in joy, saying, Now I, too, know what milk tastes like!
And the
mother, who through all the years of her hardship had never shed a tear, wept
at his trust and her deception.
I am amazed by both the
jejune credulousness seen in the country today and also the amount of deception
being perpetrated because of that credulousness. There is a lot of false propaganda going on
among bloggers, social network users, the mass media, and even in the Parliament. A lot of falsehood is dished out as gospel
truths. Many of our eminent
parliamentarians are actors by profession and they continue that profession
even in the parliament. Acting is in the blood of all politicians, it seems. Deception seems to have become part and parcel of life.
Why are people so eager to
lap up falsifications? Political
scientist, Dr Lawrence Britt, wrote a famous article listing the 14 defining characteristics of
fascism. If you read it, you will
understand why this deception of the self and others is going on in our
country.
Very poignant story.
ReplyDeleteTouching. Thought-provoking. It made me think of our country.
DeleteShort hard hitting post!
ReplyDeleteLife in India is becoming very challenging for many people. Some students from Kerala studying in Bangalore were beaten up today because they are "outsiders". Who is an insider in India today? Who decides it?
DeleteThe plight of the mother is so heart-wrenching. And so is the plight of every daughter and son of India, who have to see and witness such stories around every single day, and I am not just referring to the politicians.
ReplyDeleteNot only politicians, you're right. There is a whole lot of pseudo-nationalists who have become a pain in the posterior of the nation.
DeleteSuch a touching tale! And, you correctly compared it to country's current state.
ReplyDeleteThe country has plunged into a crisis. A lot of people who call themselves nationalists are fishing in the troubled waters. Who is antinational here?
DeleteAn apt fable to illustrate the hysteria going on in India today. It saddens and frustrates me.
ReplyDeleteAny right-thinking person will be saddened and frustrated. What have we made of this nation? What promises and what outcomes?!
DeleteThe issues very well connected with the story.
ReplyDeleteThe trust as well as the deception are similar. Only the grief of the deceiver is missing.
DeleteHeart-rending tale. The fourteen points brought out are interesting too. Reminded me also of the Panopticon that controls and keeps surveillance.
ReplyDeleteIndia is becoming a Panopticon under the BJP regime. Deceptions are part of that process. What is being served as milk is flour solution and people don't realise it. The only difference is that now the mother is delighted with her deception!
DeleteIs the mother really delighted? Her delight is a fascade that hides her helplessness, doesn't it?
DeleteI'm not sure, Sunaina. There's a kind of triumphalism among the deceivers of today. You should read the comments that appear in the relevant reports in the Indian Express and the Hindu.
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