2016 is
bidding adieu having gifted us ‘post-truth’ as the word of the year, thanks to
the Oxford Dictionaries. Is the concept
new, however? Haven’t emotions and
personal beliefs been more influential in shaping our ‘truths’ than objective
facts throughout history? Otherwise, why
did religions and their gods continue to wield such power over us perennially? Nationalism, Jihadism, Trumpism, Modiism, and
a whole range of isms would not have succeeded as they did if objective facts
held sway over shaping of public opinions.
‘Post-truth’
is just a euphemism for falsehood, deception, chicanery and all the lies that
have dominated politics and human affairs from time immemorial. There’s nothing new about it except that it’s
a new word. Only the word is new, not
the concept, not the implications.
Throughout
history political leaders used various tricks to deceive their people. We have words like Machiavellian and Goebbelsian
which came from real people who used inhuman strategies for suppressing if not
eliminating whole sections of people. India
has its own historical Chanakya. They
were all masters of post-truths.
The electoral
victory of Donald Trump and the triumphal march of Narendra Modi, along with
Brexit and the imminent collapse of European Union as well as the
ever-resounding missile attacks by god’s own warriors, indicate that 2017 is
going to be hard for most people.
In India, we
will soon have two idols dedicated to the religion of post-truth, both of which
will cost the nation more than Rs 3000 crore each (441,260,829 USD). Both Shivaji and B R Ambedkar, whose statues are being
installed in very prominent places, were historical figures, no doubt. But why these two and not any other? One is a symbol of the Hindutva ideology
which Mr Modi is trying to impose on the nation and the other is a palliative
balm for the Dalits and the oppressed sections that will continue to suffer
many atrocities as they always did. The
motive is the post-truth.
In a country where thousands of people go to bed hungry each day,
thousands of children suffer from malnutrition, thousands keep migrating to
cities in search of jobs, thousands don’t have drinking water, thousands of
farmers commit suicide – in a country
where people are still struggling to retain basic human dignity, statues
costing thousands of crores of rupees are the post-truths.
Your viewpoint is rational but in the corridors of power who pays two hoots for logic and rationale ?
ReplyDeleteI know. Maybe I can make at least some people think about alternative options.
DeletePost-truth will always remain powerful as long as human beings have feelings. Sadly, the emotions, which are necessary for being a good human being, are also the weaknesses that fall victim to all these propaganda :(
ReplyDeleteThe vast majority don't use their brains for thinking. That's the simple comic truth. Hence venal politicians can get away with their silly tricks.
DeleteYes, you correctly point out that post-truth has always been there - only the word is new. Emotions have been a major instrument for hushing facts and political leaders know well how to make best use of emotions- the year begins on an uncertain note. Only time will tell what happens next.
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