Before I go ahead with my thoughts for the day, here are certain postulates that need to be considered:-
* I belong to a generation where things never looked complicated, during our younger days.
* We were brought up by our grandparents and parents to speak the truth always and shun
falsehood at all costs, in fact, with the best of values and traditions.
* We were, therefore, lucky to have been brought up in a free environment and to be provided with
a liberal education.
* We were lucky to have teachers, who not only looked after our studies in the classrooms but also
guided and encouraged us on the sports and games fields and helped us in our extra curricular
activities......they seemed to have time for us, all through the day, till bed time!
Me and my friends from school and the Academy have a wonderful relationship. However, things seem to have changed overnight. If I were to put it, it all started in May '14 when there was a regime change in New Delhi and Narendra Modi had become the Prime Minister.
I suddenly began to feel that the entire lot of Indians had got divided into two groups - the ones who supported Modi and the others, who simply hated him. When one approved of his governance and the right decisions - and there were plenty of them, mind you, in the course of his first five years in office - one was labeled his 'bhakt'.
I was quite sure that it was a way of thinking that was in passing and didn't give it a second thought. My refrain to my close friends was that since he has been given a mandate by the people, we needed to take heed of the majority's choice and allow him to rule the country for the mandatory five years. If he didn't deliver, the very same people would ensure that he didn't get a second chance and you, too, could cast your votes as dictated by your conscience.
The results of the general elections of May '19, as we are aware, was a massive win for Mr. Modi and an approval for his work. The Indians had given him a second term, to rule over them, without inhibitions. His sustained work on the ground was ample testimony for them that he meant well and worked for the overall development of the country.
It was consequent to it that I'd sensed a massive change in attitudes among people - especially while interacting with a wide cross section of people during my social interactions - but what pained me was the way some of my friends had changed overnight. Previously, we used to talk about politics and have a good laugh at the fickle-minded politicians who changed their opinions at the drop of a hat. I mean, we never let our political affiliations creep into our friendship or relationship to ever mar it.
Alas, all those are a thing of the past. Just to give an example, a classmate and good friend of mine - we used to even stay at his house during our numerous forays to that city - used to put up vituperative posts about Modi and his work, on his FB wall. Frankly, reading them, I was shocked and had called him up to ask him about his pungent opinions. Observing the viciousness, I'd even asked him as to how his life had changed during Modi's rule. He was candid enough to reply that his life was not affected at all but the poor were being affected badly, for which he had no proof. His answers were ample enough to prove that he was hostile towards me because I supported Modi. In fact I've made this clear, among my classmates' and even my course mates' through our What'sApp groups, that I liked the Prime Minister.
I endorse the point that in politics there should be a credible opposition which should be able to pin the treasury benches when they make mistakes but what amazes me is that a hostile opinion is deliberately chosen, by quite a few, to show their intense dislike towards the PM. Citing this one example of the abrogation of Article 370, after hearing many from the people who have been stunned with the government's decision, one gets a feeling that they would like 'the status quo ante' to remain in Jammu and Kashmir. What they forget is that the frequent terror attacks resulting in civilian deaths and the loss of lives of thousands of security forces over the years, have been arrested with this single stroke.
Rather than lauding the government's efforts and supporting it to bring back normalcy within a reasonable time frame, many are playing into even Pakistan's hands through their irresponsible public statements! Is the opposition and its supporters so unhappy that Modi has come back with a thumping majority and that many of them have, consequently, been rendered irrelevant and insignificant on the political firmament, that they've lost their objectivity?
The list is endless. There's a slowing down of the economy and they jump up in glee. The ex-CPM politburo member from Kashmir, Mr.MY Tarigami says that Kashmir has been locked out and Yechuri says that he'll go to the Supreme Court to bring back Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Ain't they anti-national? The states ruled by the opposition, in toto, refuse to implement the new Motor Vehicle Act. Aren't these signs of anti-federalism, a few BJP ruled states following them, notwithstanding!
I would like to wind it up with this episode, a friend and classmate was trying to tell us in our 'group' that, currently, things are bad in Jammu and Kashmir and to prove his point, he quoted a Pakistani twitter handle! He believes and prefers Pakistani propaganda to prove his point! Hasn't the liberal education that he had undergone, with us, turned out to be a total waste? Sad!
Am I right in my perceptions?
Tailpiece.
The month of Chingam and Onam are behind us and today is the first of the Malayalam month, 'Kanni. The 'aarathi' of Lekha was carried out and the coin was deposited in the box kept for the purpose. It was another quiet day when I did anything worthwhile!
* I belong to a generation where things never looked complicated, during our younger days.
* We were brought up by our grandparents and parents to speak the truth always and shun
falsehood at all costs, in fact, with the best of values and traditions.
* We were, therefore, lucky to have been brought up in a free environment and to be provided with
a liberal education.
* We were lucky to have teachers, who not only looked after our studies in the classrooms but also
guided and encouraged us on the sports and games fields and helped us in our extra curricular
activities......they seemed to have time for us, all through the day, till bed time!
Me and my friends from school and the Academy have a wonderful relationship. However, things seem to have changed overnight. If I were to put it, it all started in May '14 when there was a regime change in New Delhi and Narendra Modi had become the Prime Minister.
I suddenly began to feel that the entire lot of Indians had got divided into two groups - the ones who supported Modi and the others, who simply hated him. When one approved of his governance and the right decisions - and there were plenty of them, mind you, in the course of his first five years in office - one was labeled his 'bhakt'.
I was quite sure that it was a way of thinking that was in passing and didn't give it a second thought. My refrain to my close friends was that since he has been given a mandate by the people, we needed to take heed of the majority's choice and allow him to rule the country for the mandatory five years. If he didn't deliver, the very same people would ensure that he didn't get a second chance and you, too, could cast your votes as dictated by your conscience.
The results of the general elections of May '19, as we are aware, was a massive win for Mr. Modi and an approval for his work. The Indians had given him a second term, to rule over them, without inhibitions. His sustained work on the ground was ample testimony for them that he meant well and worked for the overall development of the country.
It was consequent to it that I'd sensed a massive change in attitudes among people - especially while interacting with a wide cross section of people during my social interactions - but what pained me was the way some of my friends had changed overnight. Previously, we used to talk about politics and have a good laugh at the fickle-minded politicians who changed their opinions at the drop of a hat. I mean, we never let our political affiliations creep into our friendship or relationship to ever mar it.
Alas, all those are a thing of the past. Just to give an example, a classmate and good friend of mine - we used to even stay at his house during our numerous forays to that city - used to put up vituperative posts about Modi and his work, on his FB wall. Frankly, reading them, I was shocked and had called him up to ask him about his pungent opinions. Observing the viciousness, I'd even asked him as to how his life had changed during Modi's rule. He was candid enough to reply that his life was not affected at all but the poor were being affected badly, for which he had no proof. His answers were ample enough to prove that he was hostile towards me because I supported Modi. In fact I've made this clear, among my classmates' and even my course mates' through our What'sApp groups, that I liked the Prime Minister.
I endorse the point that in politics there should be a credible opposition which should be able to pin the treasury benches when they make mistakes but what amazes me is that a hostile opinion is deliberately chosen, by quite a few, to show their intense dislike towards the PM. Citing this one example of the abrogation of Article 370, after hearing many from the people who have been stunned with the government's decision, one gets a feeling that they would like 'the status quo ante' to remain in Jammu and Kashmir. What they forget is that the frequent terror attacks resulting in civilian deaths and the loss of lives of thousands of security forces over the years, have been arrested with this single stroke.
Rather than lauding the government's efforts and supporting it to bring back normalcy within a reasonable time frame, many are playing into even Pakistan's hands through their irresponsible public statements! Is the opposition and its supporters so unhappy that Modi has come back with a thumping majority and that many of them have, consequently, been rendered irrelevant and insignificant on the political firmament, that they've lost their objectivity?
The list is endless. There's a slowing down of the economy and they jump up in glee. The ex-CPM politburo member from Kashmir, Mr.MY Tarigami says that Kashmir has been locked out and Yechuri says that he'll go to the Supreme Court to bring back Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Ain't they anti-national? The states ruled by the opposition, in toto, refuse to implement the new Motor Vehicle Act. Aren't these signs of anti-federalism, a few BJP ruled states following them, notwithstanding!
I would like to wind it up with this episode, a friend and classmate was trying to tell us in our 'group' that, currently, things are bad in Jammu and Kashmir and to prove his point, he quoted a Pakistani twitter handle! He believes and prefers Pakistani propaganda to prove his point! Hasn't the liberal education that he had undergone, with us, turned out to be a total waste? Sad!
Am I right in my perceptions?
Tailpiece.
The month of Chingam and Onam are behind us and today is the first of the Malayalam month, 'Kanni. The 'aarathi' of Lekha was carried out and the coin was deposited in the box kept for the purpose. It was another quiet day when I did anything worthwhile!
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