“Casteism, after all is not all that bad. The essence of casteism is something people now are mathematically talking about in Game Theory. Conflicting sections of an entity keep a check on the others, and hence improve performance. Like we have the Legislative, Executive and Judiciary in governance. Caste-based discrimination, that Hinduism is tainted so badly was one such attempt in keeping the society at check by division based on labour”.

I heard this line of argument from one of the scientists in India’s premier research institution. Coming from a person who could distinguish the nuanced difference between proprietary and Free Software, but who vouches for casteism, even more openly than the argument above.
This to me did a lot more than remove any trace of respect I had for him. It demystified many things.

My then held belief that education can emancipate people, because it leads them out of ignorance was washed to the gutter. And what has followed is my understanding of how the machinery of propaganda gets better for the literate class- thanks to the increased access points.

Today, there is plethora of propaganda that has turned out trash into facts, and what might qualify to be parody into reality.  I am not surprised at all, for I have witnessed the depth and sophistication of fundamentalists’ preaching. What does strike me unusual is its massive scale this time around.

On the other hand, the dynastic political party that has pushed India into an unrecoverable neo-liberalised economy – must be embarrased by now, as to how their ‘heir apparent’ does not seem to be all that apparent. Every press interaction, people get to witness the shallow and gullible highfalutin that could be the other Prime Ministerial candidate.

“Politics is everywhere. It is in your shirt, in your pant. That is why we are here.”, and more goof-ups on a daily basis.

Irrespective of the fool or the fascist, the underlying policies of their parties are going to remain the same. Both the political parties are poised to hamper sovereign interests. Both have at some point in time, even in the last decade vouched for policy-making that directly has conflicted with the interests of India’s people, to favour the coroporates.

Because I have the privilege of being hounded by fanatic supporters of either one of these candidates, I am asked if not the two, what is my ‘solution’.

Beyond the fool, or the fascist we need a political alternative that will not bend to serve the interests of crony capitalists, who are the rock-bed upon whom both the major political parties stand, and stand strong.

I don’t see a better opportunity than now to dismiss the two majority parties and give rise to a third alternative. A coalition of moderate forces who are not driven by religious vendetta or are policy ridden, but are not partisans and have clear priorties in policy making.
Might sound Utopian, but I cannot simply confine myself to choose between fascists and fools!