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How Polarization Threatened Consensus

The world’s largest democracy, India, just elected its leader Narendra Modi for a second term in office with a simple majority. The previous established order in India and their ideological western counterparts within India lamented the extreme polarization witnessed during these elections. They believe that for decades there existed a consensus amongst the Indian elites about the ‘Idea of India’, which they endearingly referred to as the ‘Nehruvian consensus’. This was based on mostly western ideals and western thought, and was supposed to produce an India that resembled the west, an essential ingredient to achieve the success that resembled the west. But here came Narendra Damodardas Modi, destroyed the consensus and polarized India. They rued that the once quiet democracy had become a cacophony, all thanks to him. But is absolute consensus in democracy better than polarization? To answer this, let’s begin elsewhere.

There once lived thousands of monks, sadhus and fakirs across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. They had transcended their physical nature through yoga and meditation and as a result, had attained to a heightened level of human consciousness, which gave them absolute clarity. They were not religious people. In fact, wherever they stepped foot on, they laid dogmas and established religious practices to ashes. They never engaged with the society in lieu of building a consensus. They destroyed consensus wherever they saw one. Moreover, they polarized the society and polarized it absolutely. They understood that the nature of the discretionary aspect of the mind is such that in a free society, which allows for free thinking, different minds will occupy different opinions across a broad spectrum on any issue. They also understood that change is the only constant in a society and they saw polarization as a catalyst for that change. For them, the consensus of thought or opinion in a society was inorganic or imposed or at best temporary.

Throughout history, there have been many polarizing figures in the world, who were not all monks, but knowingly or unknowingly had a similar effect on a society. These have mostly emerged in free thinking societies which encouraged varying opinions. The most recent examples that come to mind are Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. They both challenged the established Keynesian economic policies and liberal social order for which there was a uniform consensus in the Western world. For this, they earned the wrath of the guardians of that consensus and adulation of it’s opponents. But one thing they ensured was to polarize opinions in the western world for a long time to come. Their thought still reverberates in the public opinion in the west. Their opinions were not right or wrong, nor were they good or bad. They were simply polarizing, that broke the moribund consensus and for that we must thank them. It made sure that people with alternate ideas from across the thought spectrum could occupy those platforms once only reserved for the consensus Elites.

Erroneously, people think of Hitler as a polarizing figure. It is far from reality. Hitler had created a Nazi thought consensus in Germany during his reign of terror. He achieved it by obliterating all alternate ideas and how could one polarize when there was only one pole of thought. Many sham democracies like Russia, Turkey and Iran conduct elections for namesake and win with brute majority almost touching hundred percent mandate on occasions. Polarization is completely absent in these societies.

Unfortunately, the West laments whenever they see polarization. The believe democracy getting noisier with opinions is harbinger for a civil war. Hence they go around trying to create a consensus on every issue. Little do they realize that democracy and absolute consensus are inimical to each other.

In India,the "Nehruvian consensus” was established with immaculate state control of the Beaurocracy, Media houses, Academia and other echelons on power. They prevented any alternate ideology to challenge this consensus, as it was seen by them as a threat to the very “Idea of India”. To achieve their objectives, they curtailed the very democratic liberties that they championed themselves. People were simply thrown out of media houses, Literary festivals, bureaucracy and other places of power and academia if they were seen as challenging the Nehruvian consensus. This also made sure that a single party ruled India for 55 out of 70 years since independence. It was all seen a necessity to preserve the “idea of India”.

But for a long time, there was simmering anger amongst the masses against the consensus. Just like any other consensus, it created a moribund society where corruption, incompetence, and anarchy were all tolerated as long as it did not challenge the existing consensus. It made sure that India remained one of the poorest countries in asia, and ranked amongst sub-Saharan countries on most human development indices. The consensus had betrayed the trust of the very poor that it was ostensibly working for. Moreover, the centerpiece of this consensus, “Secularism “was modified for religious appeasement. In fact, there was the proverbial “church” in every state policy. All this hypocrisy had gradually become apparent to the masses. Since independence many had tried to challenge the Nehruvian consensus, but their wings were cut off before they could fly too far.

That’s when Modi arrived, India’s Most polarizing figure ever. He threw an open challenge to the consensus . Just like in the past, the entire state machinery including media and the beaurocracy were launched to counter this threat. But soon they would realize that he was made of different stuff than the thousands that had fallen to the consensus in the past. The more they tried to destroy him, the bigger he grew. The masses of India embraced him as a messiah who was validating their long held belief that the idea of India was not some borrowed western ideology but it was one that had the soul of a 5000 year old civilization. Such is their adulation that his followers were derisively named Bhakts( Devotees), and the Bhakts simply embraced it..

In 2014, India gave a landmark mandate for Narendra Modi. Every policy decision that he made in his first term was hotly contested by opposing ideologies on every available platform. During his tenure, Indian democracy has became more vibrant, noisier and more polarized. There exists no consensus anymore, not even for Modi’s own ideology which demonstrates that Indian democracy has come of age.

Meanwhile, the old power circles in New Delhi lament over their fallen utopian paradise, and over what has become of their beloved “Idea of India”. They see the polarization of Indian democracy as a harbinger of something dangerous just as their western counterparts do. In reality, Polarization is not only essential for a free thinking society but it is also an absolute necessity. The world’s most successful democracies are the most heavily polarized and the noisiest . A democracy without noise must go to the doctor immediately as it may be in peril.

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Dear Modhi,

How has life been treating you? I hope you and your family have been well! In this letter, I wrote about some random things I remember and appreciate about you! Recalling everything and writing them out is kind of therapeutic in a way. It helps me find some sort of closure to our college days, seeing as how abrupt and strange it ended because of COVID-19. I did hope I could write this letter by hand and give it to you in person, but seeing how things are going, I’m not sure if we’ll have a graduation party any time soon. Nevertheless, I hope we get to meet sometime in the future and see how we’ve grown as people!

My very first memory of you:

I first met you during our second semester of preparatory year. It’s kind of strange, but during English classes I distinctly remember how you'd always sit on the third row of the left side of the room, beside Najla. My most consistent impression of you is that you looked like a really mature person.

My most favorite thing about you:

Might be strange, but I always liked how you scolded me or Rahaf into studying or doing something. It felt like you cared in a motherly sort of way.

Something that reminds me of you:

I definitely associate you with coffee. Probably because you often would have them with Rahaf in the morning, and I’ve been told you can’t start a day without it. I also know that you like chocolate and perfumes. Not sure if it’s true, but I would say you appreciate the fancy, so I might associate you with branded products as well.

Something about you that makes me proud:

I have always heard about how much you study and how hardworking you are. In the end, seeing you among the first honors really showed the fruit of your labor, which genuinely made me feel so proud of you! Congratulations! Your diligence and dedication are commendable. It’s also amazing how active you are at volunteering and participating in different events and courses. Your productivity is truly inspiring.

A few ways that we're radically different:

From what I know, you seem to like planning for things beforehand and laying out a strategy on the how, when, and what. It makes me think I might be more of a spontaneous person in that aspect.

Where I see you being in 20 years:

I'm envisioning a successful woman with a multitude of experience who knows how to lead people. I honestly think you'd suit being the head of something. Plus, probably because of your motherly vibes I mentioned earlier, I can also see you having a family of your own. Whatever your future's like, I hope it'll be one where you're happy! Wishing you the best of luck.

A shower of gratitude:

Thank you for partnering with me during French classes whenever group work was required! Thank you for answering whatever questions I had regarding tests and homework. You were a savior. And most importantly, thank you for giving me words of encouragement during Arabic classes. They were especially torturous for me, and I would have completely given up on participation if you have not given me a nudge. Thank you.

One deep dark secret that you don't know about:

Not really a secret, but I do think if we got to know each other we'd get along pretty well.

Though it has been short, thank you for everything during these past years! May your future be filled with happiness, success, and good health. With lots of love, Areej Aldosary

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An Authoritarian India Is Beginning to Emerge

On Tuesday morning, both insult and injury were inflicted on the Indian democracy when in a nationwide sweep, the Pune Police raided the homes of several human rights activists and arrested five of them – Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves. The arrests, which were justified with reference to the violence that took place in the wake of the Bhima…

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