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What’s wrong with Right?


India, under Narendra Modi, is turning more and more Right.  Right wing organisations and groups are becoming hyperactive and imposing their truths on others.  The recent activism of ABVP in some Delhi colleges is just one of the many examples of criminal imposition of one’s beliefs and notions on others. 

What is wrong the Right wing is precisely their claims about truths and morality.  They assume that only their beliefs and assumptions are the truths.  Only their practices are moral.  They will decide which god(s) others will worship, what food they will eat, or even what kind of dresses are permissible.

Variant thinking is forbidden.  Anybody who questions the Right wing notions is portrayed as antinational and assaulted.  Dissent is treason.  Most of the slogans raised by ABVP recently in Delhi are striking illustrations of skewed notions and thinking processes.  Examples: ‘Desh main jo rehna hoga, vande mataram kehna hoga,’ and ‘DU against anti-nationals.’

Socialism and Communism may be impractical in today’s world.  That does not mean that all leftist views are antinational.  Far from it, leftist thinking is intellectual and rational in contrast to the kind of right wing balderdash that has inflicted much pain, even physically, on a lot of people in the country recently.  Leftist thinking is far more humane and inclusive. 

Truth is nobody’s private property.  Not the least the Right wing’s.  The Right wingers base their arguments on myths, beliefs and theology none of which have intellectually satisfying moorings. 

It is politically expedient to use Right wing sentiments for gaining power.  But it is disastrous to suppress rational thinking and dissent.




Comments

  1. जितेन्द्र माथुरMarch 8, 2017 at 2:18 PM

    Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, isn't it ? That's why now-a-days we are being administered an overdose of patriotism.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMarch 8, 2017 at 8:53 PM

      Overdose, yes. That's the alarming trend. Too many patriots who should actually be in jails or mad houses are in public places preaching morality to innocuous people.

      Delete

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