Guess the Country?
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MAY 2024
India is in the middle of national elections, and it is an all-important election, a watershed election as all other elections are, and it is making news and waves all around.
For a change, I have a simple story to narrate, and I am pretty sure that you all will relate to the events in the story I am narrating.
Once upon a time, a nation existed whose journey towards democracy captivated the world and is transforming into a revered global powerhouse.
This nation was rooted in tradition and held lofty aspirations while cherishing its rich cultural heritage. Diversity thrived within its borders; various religions and faiths co-existed harmoniously, and they all transcended societal divides.
Regardless of their religious background and communities, children shared schools and playgrounds, fostering a sense of unity beyond creed, colour or religion.
Amidst the familiar challenges and political climate that a conventional country goes through, business as usual, politics as usual, and community as usual, the nation developed through conventional means.
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This nation was rooted in tradition and held lofty aspirations while cherishing its rich cultural heritage
Into this political landscape emerged a small party, the so-called nationalist party, harbouring grand ambitions to reshape the country to the nation's destination.
Initially, they were marginalized, but the party soon recognized the potent allure of nationalism, the mindshare of nationalism patriotism, and that resonated deeply with the population.
Understanding the power of patriotic sentiment, the party members positioned themselves as the guardian of the nation's soul and the country's saviour.
So, with fervent patriotism and their banner of nationalistic ideologies, they portrayed themselves as the future of the country, as a bright future of this country.
Their message of national salvation did strike an accord with the population, and gradually, over the years, it developed into a deeply held faith among the people.
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Understanding the power of patriotic sentiment...
People started to believe in this party by trusting what they were saying. Of course, fear became a tool to rally support, and it started to reshape public perception and allegiance.
From belief, it went to faith, and now, from faith, it became allegiance, and the transformation was unwavering.
Some more time passed, and the party grew, the mindshare grew, and slowly, the symbolism became their language.
The uniforms came into being, the dress code came into the lifestyle, and the logos started to serve as emblems of these parties. The party adopted a colour and that colour they associated with their religion and race.
The streets became the stage, and people started to walk in the streets in a particular way. The party workers would instead parade to showcase the party's might, instilling awe and obedience.
Not surprisingly, the party then formed a government at the centre, and of course, it started to wield influence throughout the nation.
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Of course, fear became a tool to rally support...
The ambitions of this party grew, and of course, it was signalling that the party's leadership was determined to seize control of the nation.
Into the tenure, in the eyes of the population, the party started to become synonymous with the aspiration of its leader, and that leader transcended the party, assuming a larger-than-life persona, and it captured the nation's imagination.
The leader focused on the global stage as time passed, and his ambitions knew no bounds.
The leader became more than mortal, elevated to the status of a divine figure worthy of utmost reverence.
His rallies started to echo with fervent cries, depicting an imminent danger and the need for unwavering loyalty. Everywhere one looked, the leader's image looked large.
Symbols of the party's allegiance accompanied newspapers, media, hoardings, and government documents.
The population was moulded through an orchestrated message, and they all succumbed to the charm of power, the charm of the leader who was portrayed as larger than life. There was another exciting thing happening.
The leader's actions were cloaked in righteousness, blurring the lines between the right and the wrong.
Opposition voices were silenced, and the dissent was crushed under the weight of authoritarian rule. So those who dared to challenge the party's narrative faced persecution, and their voices were silenced, or those with conscience were driven underground.
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...the party started to become synonymous with the aspiration of its leader...
The media became a mouthpiece for propaganda, stifling dissent and shaping public opinion in favour of the leader.
Judicial independence also eroded as loyalist judges assuming key positions started to bend the law to serve the regime's interest. In some cases, the judges started to join the party.
The nation started to mirror the leader's vision. The nation started to mirror the leader's ideology and those dissenting voices were labeled as enemies of the state and anti-national.
Also, in parallel, the scapegoats who were targeted communities were demonized in the name of national unity and especially one community was heavily demonized.
Media, too, started to participate, and they started to paint the targeted community as a threat to society, as outsiders.
Hate speech fueled discrimination, and it started to breed division and animosity among the population. So, the neighbourhood was no longer an innocent old neighbourhood.
For the leader, fear-mongering became a tool of control. For the party, it started to instil distrust and suspicion towards marginalized communities.
Slowly but surely, authoritarian control extended into daily life, and it started to dictate the norms, behaviour, and conformity of the population.
Education became a battleground for indoctrination, and it started to shape young minds to idealize the leader to idealize the party, and school became a breeding ground for allegiance.
They started sending materials that moulded impressionable minds with the image of the leader and the party.
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Media, too, started to participate...
The governance and the institutions, too, started to bow to the party's influence, and they started to relinquish their autonomy in favour of the centralized and authoritarian power that was capturing the nation.
Businesses and business houses, too, fell in line with the party ideologies and were coerced into compliance for business gain or survival.
Like all parties, there was internal dissent, but then that dissent was silenced, and the conscience was crushed under the weight of a leader's ruthlessness.
Private lives were challenged, and they came under threat.
So, that's how the internal dissent was put on the block. Over time, authoritarianism took root, and it started to consolidate power and quash individual liberties in the name of national strength. People started to justify the restrictions.
People started to justify indoctrination as national unity in allegiance to the leader.
Those who protested it were trifled, the dissenters were silenced through force and intimidation, and their rights were stripped away. They were executed without charge.
Of course, consequentially, freedom of speech dwindled. If it was not the party, the government would come in with swift retribution revenge to enforce silence. So, what happened to the parliament, as it was a democratic nation?
Very quickly and with justification, democratic processes were subverted, and the regime circumvented legal channels to consolidate power.
They started to bypass the law using administrative methods. The laws which were enacted were overturned.
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Private lives were challenged, and they came under threat
So, as we can see in this story, what began as a modest party's ascent to power and how it culminated in leaders' embodiment of national
identity, a nation's destiny and how leaders, one person, one nation, shaped the ideology of the nation, the ideology of the country and how it guided the future of the population.
So, dear readers, you would have guessed which country I am talking about in my story by now.
Yes, you are right.
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