‘Phir political status laga diya, Papa gussa karenge’! Every time, I share a WhatsApp status about anything political, my mother barges in the room to remind me how I might emerge as the next Disha Ravi or worse how I might offend my fufaji. I try and argue how I have mugged up for ages that ‘Democracy is of the people, for the people, and by the people’ but she rebukes ‘yeh sab baatyein bass kitabon mein hi achi lagati hai’.
But well, I was naïve to believe my mother was the only nay-sayer around. Recently, I along with my classmates recently visited the Delhi University North campus, not the Dolma Aunty Momo’s but the desire to decipher the campus political mood prompted our visit. As I moved along narrow lanes to seek the ‘vichar on lok tantra’, I was met with wide eyes and hesitant smiles. I was confused as to why people were not willing to share their maan ki baat.
As it turns out, the reluctance to share political beliefs is not just another DU thing. A 2019 survey conducted by Reuters revealed that around 55% of English-speaking Indians hesitated to share their political stance online fearing government action. Similarly, a 2023 survey jointly conducted by Lokniti and Common Cause in Gujarat has revealed that around 33% of those surveyed were extremely scared of inciting legal action by expressing their political opinion online.
In 2021, Vice held interviews to understand what Young Indians feel about sharing their unfiltered political opinions online. These interviews revealed that it was not a lack of knowledge but the fear of repercussions that prevented youngsters from sharing their political views. They feared being labeled as anti-nationals. Some worried that an anti-government stance might leave them unemployed, while some were concerned about their safety.
The unwillingness of people to express acts as an impediment to the functioning of a health democracy. In the words of Indira Gandhi ‘Humko logo se feedback nahi mila’ was the reason for her humiliating defeat in the 1977 election.
It's often said every Indian has views on Cricket and Politics; nobody is an apolitical or non-cricket expert in this country. Makes me wonder why people who advise Kholi on how he can improve that pull shot are just being mere spectators during chai pe charcha. In true Gen Z lingo, the government might be the main character, but we the citizens are scriptwriters. For the country’s script to be super-hit, the scriptwriters need to continuously work on the character development of the main character. It’s time that script-writer pull up their socks.
an honest piece Kavya!