Pandemic of Politics

The diabolical tactics employed to anesthetize the consciences of the common citizen in a nation such as ours is a plain disaster.

GERRY LOBO OFM

The new Corona Virus Pandemic broke
out in China in 2019. This deadly Virus, killing thousands per day, gradually crept into other nations following the same pattern and landed up in our country in the early days
of 2020 infecting the whole land and leaving many its victims. However, even before the onset of this deadly pandemic, our country had been infected and suffocated by a deadlier pandemic than Covid-19. One might baptize it as, the “Pandemic of Modi-Shah Politics.”

Being a far devastating virus, this political pandemic has degraded the human body as well as the human soul. Rupturing the unitive fabric of the Indian society, it has wounded the entire nation itself. By disregarding the basic human rights, it has birthed a culture of death through communal violence. By silencing the sacred and free democratic speech, the voice of the people, the pandemic of politics has created divisive forces of power. It has let down the common citizen into the ditch of economic and social poverty by way of massive unemployment and mental distress. On the opposite side, the same pandemic has promoted economic empire builders to prosper at the cost of even a frugal meal earned by the sweat of a labourer, the hard toil of a farmer and the agony of a road- side vendor. If Covid-19 pandemic struck down humans, physically causing a mortal blow on thousands in a second, the political pandemic of a majoritarian government has cancerously eliminated thousands more. As a consequence distress and death are the only visible signs on the very citizens without whom a nation is but an illusion.

More than the Corona virus pandemic,
the haze of the political pandemic is sparse, effecting not merely the physical breathlessness and bronchial malady but also causing the human malady of an unhappy, uncertain and unpredictable breathlessness among a very
large part of our Independent nation. What if a nation is drowned in an inimical political power ambition, seeking to destabilize the legitimately established governments down the lane? Where is the polity of a “sovereign nation” with its “sacred Constitutions”? The pandemic of politics is eventually passing from the government of the people, for the people and with the people to that of an autocratic fundamentalism by snubbing the voice of a nation. The pandemic of politics
is real; it is annihilating systematically the public institutions, peace-loving communities, sacred religions and their contribution to humanity, migrants and emigrants, families
and neighbourhoods. It is a pandemic which is stumping down public opinion of the commoner by subtle threats, but freeing the highly favoured ones who support the game-winners in the political arena for egoistic motives with a hypocritical feeling for the “national security.”

The citizens of our nation have weathered bravely the onslaught of Covid-19 pandemic
in the best possible way, not only by being vaccinated but also by their disciplined sense
of movement and other use of safety measures. However, weathering the deadly pandemic
of politics has not been easy as the virus of aggressive religious war through the media propaganda is sweeping the nation rapidly ever since the majoritatian dispensation at the helm of affairs is controlling the destiny of a free nation. The mind of our people is not without fear and their heads cannot be held high! Fear had gripped people during the hype in Covid cases. But that fear being slowly vanished, the fear of voicing out for justice is far from being diminished. Democracy seems to be paving the way to a two-pillared strong willed conqueror. Pandemic of politics is truly a monster without size. It is visibly apparent in every human sector and yet, like the virus, elusive from the human sight but deeply experienced by every individual who desires a happier and healthier life. With the courts generously providing beneficial safety valves, the executive is only affirmed in its intentions and fortified of its resolutions on a daily basis to rule with iron fists and direct its course to its own final ends, but not towards the well-being of millions.

Covid-19 Pandemic may not be anyone’s invention, as some supposed it to be in its initial spread in China killing thousands within a short span of time. Scientific advancement of today could have the possibility of inventing diseases and causing deaths. If so it would only reveal the evil intentions of human brain. God forbid! On the other hand the political pandemic of the powerful ruining happy and peaceful human existence today is an outright diabolical manipulation of the pillars of democracy
and the truncating of the foundations laid by

the sacrifices of other-concerned historical personalities. Certainly this does not speak well of our renowned nation! Diabolus works with diverting the focus of individuals and families, institutions and organizations, societies and corporations in order to exhibit the hollow achievements of the powerful political clout and to maintain a false peace. The diabolical tactics employed to anesthetize the consciences of the common citizen in a nation such as ours is a plain disaster - humanity eliminated from bare humanity! The physical masks to protect oneself from the Corona virus is a must and unquestionable. However, masks of blatant lies and false pretensions, shallow promises and boneless laws such as the farm laws framed and passed by the majoritarian Government, are to be abhorred, so that truth may speak the Truth and silence may pronounce the Justice from the roof-tops!

Covishield vaccine administered by the Government today is a laudable initiative and for a worthy cause. Sacred human lives will
be saved by this vaccination project, for sure. However, without a conscientious effort by
the political powers at all levels of our society
to undo the hypocritical manoeuvres and poisonous ideologies in the name of God are erased by inoculating the vaccine of affirmation of life and confidence into the hearts of people, the human generated pandemic of slow death brought about by the vested interests will persist until the entire human face is effaced and ‘man will be wolf to man’!

Every citizen who loves his or her fellow citizens bears the responsibility, not only
to eradicate Covid-19 but also and more importantly to destroy the ‘poison of the powerful’ who generate the ‘pandemic of politics’ by electing conscientious, just and compassionate leaders. From the experience of living under the powerful majoritarianism politics, the citizens of this nation must now learn to learn to view reality from a larger perspective and judge the course of time. To be sure, the ‘poison of the powerful’ will never last long. History reveals the truth! ∎

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