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| From The Economist |
‘Post-truth’
is a relatively new phrase which means “relating to or denoting circumstances
in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than
appeals to emotion and personal belief”. About three years ago, The Economist published an article
which defined post-truth politics as the “art of the lie”.
India has internalised
the art of the lie. The country’s Prime Minister himself peddles lies and
half-truths as it suits him. Yesterday he spoke very emotionally to a teeming
crowd that Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura are killing BJP workers. There are
clashes between politicians belonging to different parties in these states as
in any other, no doubt. But the BJP workers are not particularly at risk of
being attacked more than any other party men. The PM knows how to foist half-truths and full
lies on a nation that has become uncharacteristically credulous these days.
The truth is
that people belonging to minority communities are being attacked all over the
country since Modi was returned to power with a bigger mandate. Within three days of the announcement of the election
results, at
least five incidents of attack on Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims were
reported from different places and all these attacks were made by BJP men or
their affiliates. The irony is that when the PM was asking his new MPs to work
towards winning over the confidence of the minority communities, his party
workers and associates were busy attacking members of minority communities in
various places. Mr Modi pretends not to see. And he chooses to peddle half
truths about his own men being attacked.
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| A man being attacked for allegedly carrying beef |
“When politics
is like pro-wrestling, society pays the cost,” warns The Economist article mentioned above. India is paying a heavy cost
for the post-truth bamboozle engaged in by none less than the PM himself. How
to counter this? The Economist says
that “mainstream politicians need to find a language of rebuttal” [pro-truth]. But
is that possible in India where majority of the politicians are more post-truth
than the PM?
My new book, Autumn Shadows, is available free of charge for just one day, today [28 May]. Please download your copy from the link given below:
https://www.amazon.in/Autumn-Shadows-Memoir-Tomichan-Matheikal-ebook/dp/B07RJGR2X6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2I7ZDTGHOMXWC
My new book, Autumn Shadows, is available free of charge for just one day, today [28 May]. Please download your copy from the link given below:
https://www.amazon.in/Autumn-Shadows-Memoir-Tomichan-Matheikal-ebook/dp/B07RJGR2X6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2I7ZDTGHOMXWC
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