logo
Dirty politics, dirtier ideology

Dirty politics, dirtier ideology

Time of India5 days ago
If politics is the art of the possible, ideology is the blueprint for the impossible. When ideology trumps politics, the consequences vary from deplorable to catastrophic. This is exactly what we are witnessing in the world's biggest democracies, India and the United States. While the various problematic elements of Hindutva are adversely affecting the functioning and performance of the Narendra Modi government, the Democrats' Leftward drift is making their party's struggle to crawl back to relevance tougher by the day.
It will be helpful to examine the essence of ideology. It is the toolkit of a philosophical school, which brings us to the nature of philosophy. Philosophy is the rational investigation into and general understanding of the world in general. When a group of people start believing in the functioning of the world (natural as well as human) in a specific manner, they become a school, identified with the suffix 'ism.'
Often, this entails two consequences. First, the 'understanding' part eclipses the 'rational investigation' element, usually leading to beliefs becoming dogmas—impervious to reason and empirical evidence. Second, adherents develop a toolkit to transform the world in accordance with their beliefs, or rather, dogmas. Philosophers recede; ideologues march on. As Karl Marx famously said, 'The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.'
Unsurprisingly, Marxists have tried to change the world without understanding it, leading to the death of over 100 million people.
Ideologues and visionaries fantasize about a utopia, a never-never land; they invest their ideas, ideals, emotions, and not infrequently their phobias and pathologies into this dreamworld. Their followers (both on the Left and the Right) strive to rearrange the real world in consonance with the vision of their prophet(s)—invariably resulting in destruction and disaster.
Galvanized by the seemingly unstoppable march of the Hindutva ideology in the last 11 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and somewhat smug in the face of feeble and confused responses of the Opposition, the saffron brigade seems convinced that it will rule the country for a very long time. This conviction encourages them to peddle their most outlandish ideas and execute a few of them.
A case in point is the opposition to GM foods by some right wing organisations. Their opposition is not because of any adverse remarks by any scientist or expert body; their opposition is doctrinaire, not evidence-based. GM foods are bad: this is an article of faith, a dogma for them. Typically, in their scheme of things, dogmas matter, not facts or reason.
Decency is also seen as an overrated virtue—if it can be called a virtue in the first place. So, saffron cowboys feel free to harass any Muslim with cattle and want to examine every mosque to find if it was built over a temple. Some of them even forced a Muslim servant at an eatery on the Kanwar to take off his pants.
Worse, the high priests of Hindutva—who greatly emphasize social graces, good behavior, values, piety, sacrifice, (sanskars, shuchita, mulya, tyaag, et al) etc.—and other educated and well-placed defenders of the Bharatiya Janata Party tend to ignore the abominations unleashed by the saffron hotheads. The rowdiness of Kanwariyas and the preposterous decisions like shutting down schools and roads for them don't arouse any indignation among the sophisticated and cultured supporters of the Modi regime. Nor are the top pontiffs outraged by any excesses; indeed some of them join in the fun.
The reason? The ideology-fueled cadres like the abominations.
The ideology-fueled cadres on the Left also like excesses, though of a different kind. Unfortunately, they increasingly control liberal parties all over the world—from the Congress in India, to the Democratic Party in the US, and Labour in the UK. Rahul Gandhi, the top leader of the grand old party, has surrounded himself with pinkish intellectuals, which is evident from his growing faith in dangerous Leftist doctrines like social justice and wealth redistribution.
But even in the US, the bastion of capitalism, a communist like Zohran Mamdani can rise in the Democratic Party because the ideologically motivated radical Leftist cadres love him. 'If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or you call it, you know, just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now,' Mamdani, who won the party's nomination for mayor of New York City, said in a resurfaced video.
This is despite one reason for the party's presidential candidate Kamala Harris' loss last year being her suggestion of price controls, a socialist measure.
Yet, the party leadership is helpless in the face of loud and assertive Left within, even though it knows that the ideological agenda of radicals is hurting them politically. Ideology has trumped politics.
In our country too, the politically motivated decisions (like abuse of Central agencies) and the outrageous actions of Hindutva hotheads often diminish the good work that the Modi government has done in the last 11 years—from maintaining a high growth rate, checking the fiscal and revenue deficits, and building infrastructure to enhancing military preparedness. Politics may be dirty, but ideology is dirtier.
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Modi attends Maldives' Independence Day as Guest of Honour, first Indian Prime Minister to do so
Modi attends Maldives' Independence Day as Guest of Honour, first Indian Prime Minister to do so

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Modi attends Maldives' Independence Day as Guest of Honour, first Indian Prime Minister to do so

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives as the Guest of Honour. This is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has joined the Maldives' Independence Day festivities. Modi is also the first foreign Head of State or Government to be hosted by President Mohamed Muizzu for the occasion. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Data Science Cybersecurity healthcare PGDM Others Design Thinking Product Management Management Finance Technology others Operations Management Artificial Intelligence CXO Healthcare Project Management MBA Leadership Digital Marketing Data Analytics Degree MCA Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Accompanied by President Muizzu, Modi witnessed the Independence Day parade at Republic Square. The celebrations featured a colourful march by the Maldivian National Defence Force and other local units, along with cultural performances highlighting the country's achievements as a modern nation. Extending warm greetings to the government and people of the Maldives, Modi lauded their hospitality and said his participation as Guest of Honour underscored the growing warmth in bilateral ties. The visit comes as India and the Maldives mark 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2025. Later, Modi met leaders from various Maldivian political parties, noting that their participation reflected bipartisan support for the "strong and time-tested friendship" between the two nations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other senior officials were present. The Prime Minister also held talks with former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, assuring him of India's continued support to Male through capacity building and development cooperation. Modi praised Nasheed as a steadfast advocate of deeper friendship between India and the Maldives.

FTA momentum: Piyush Goyal confirms Oman deal ‘almost finalised'; talks with EU, US & others also moving fast
FTA momentum: Piyush Goyal confirms Oman deal ‘almost finalised'; talks with EU, US & others also moving fast

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

FTA momentum: Piyush Goyal confirms Oman deal ‘almost finalised'; talks with EU, US & others also moving fast

India's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Oman is at an advanced stage and nearly finalised, Union Commerce and Industry Minister confirmed on Saturday. He also noted that negotiations with the European Union, United States, Peru, and Chile are progressing rapidly and making 'fast progress'. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'We are in negotiations at an advanced stage with Oman. It is almost finalised,' said Goyal, as per news agency ANI. A t a press conference, Goyal highlighted India's recent track record in concluding major trade agreements with developed economies. These include FTAs with Mauritius, Australia, and the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) bloc — Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. He also spoke about the recently signed India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), calling it 'very comprehensive,' with 30 chapters. The agreement, signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the UK, is aimed at enhancing trade flows and deepening economic cooperation. According to the UK government, India's average tariffs on UK goods will drop from 15% to 3% under the new FTA, potentially boosting bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030. "The goods and services that India provides to the world have high quality and cost competitiveness," Goyal said. He added that these FTAs underscore India's rising importance on the global economic stage. Regarding the proposed trade pact with the US, Goyal said discussions are progressing fast, with the next round of talks expected in August. As per news agency PTI, the two countries aim to finalise the first tranche of their bilateral trade agreement by fall, targeting a trade volume of $500 billion — more than double the current figure of $191 billion. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, trade negotiations with the US involve complex issues, particularly around agricultural and dairy products, where India has so far resisted granting duty concessions. India is also pressing for reduced tariffs on steel, aluminium, automobiles, and a range of labour-intensive sectors like textiles, gems and jewellery, and chemicals. Goyal emphasised that the government's goal is to 'expand frontiers of India's international trade' and strengthen investor confidence. 'Each [FTA] is getting its requisite attention,' he added, pointing to parallel talks with countries like New Zealand and Chile.

Historic free trade deal with UK shows world's trust in India: PM in Tamil Nadu
Historic free trade deal with UK shows world's trust in India: PM in Tamil Nadu

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

Historic free trade deal with UK shows world's trust in India: PM in Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday described the recently concluded FTA between India and the UK as 'historic,' and said the trade pact showed the world's trust in the regards Operation Sindoor, he said weapons manufactured under the 'Make in India' initiative played a great role during the cross-border military offensive in destroying enemy targets and making enemies lose PM inaugurated, laid foundation stones and dedicated projects worth Rs 4,900 crore in Tuticorin and underscored the NDA government's commitment towards Tamil Nadu's growth. In his address after inaugurating the projects, PM Modi said he was blessed to directly land in Tamil Nadu after completing his foreign tour during which the India-UK Free Trade Agreement was signed before his visit to the trade pact with Britain was 'historic'."India and Britain signed a FTA. This shows the growing trust of the world and our self-confidence. We will make Viksit (developed) Bharat and Viksit Tamil Nadu with this self-confidence," PM Modi said."FTA with Britain adds pace to our vision of Viksit Bharat, Viksit Tamil Nadu," the PM, clad in a traditional veshti (dhoti), shirt and an angavastram worn around the neck, said. He landed in Tuticorin directly after wrapping up his official tour of the a developed India and Tamil Nadu, he said, "Infrastructure and energy are the backbone of any state's development; our focus on infrastructure and energy in the last 11 years shows our commitment to TN's growth."The NDA government has constructed Atal Setu, Sonmarg Tunnel, Bogibeel Bridge in different parts of the country and these created thousands of job regards the railways, he said it is the lifeline of industrial projects he inaugurated on Saturday are related to airport, highways, railways, port and power in Tamil Nadu and he said that inaugurated projects include a new state-of-the-art Tuticorin airport terminal building, developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 450 regards railway projects, it includes the electrification of the 90 km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line, commissioned at a cost of Rs 99 crore and the Rs 650 crore doubling of the 21 km Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari Prime Minister dedicated to the nation, two strategically significant highway projects - 4-laning of 50 km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram stretch of NH-36, developed at a cost Rs 2,350 crore and 6-laning of the 5.16 km NH-138 Tuticorin Port Road, built at around Rs 200 inaugurated the North Cargo Berth–III with a cargo handling capacity of 6.96 MMTPA at VO Chidambaranar Port, established at a cost of Rs 285 the occasion, he invoked legendary freedom fighters from the region - VO Chidambaram Pillai, king Veerapandia Kattabomman and chieftain Veeran Azhagu Nadu Governor RN Ravi participated in the event. State Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu presented a memento, a replica of the iconic Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, to the Prime Minister on the Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State L Murugan, TN Social Welfare Minister P Geetha Jeevan, Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi and top officials took part.- EndsTune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Narendra Modi

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store