It’s 2019 and if you still think that it’s OK to sit on the sidelines of political conversations, you may be in utter and complete denial. After the General Elections, public opinion has been polarised around the support of a certain right-wing party and its leader. And those who dislike Prime Minister Modi, also tend to dislike his followers.
If you have spent even one minute on Twitter, you know the choice words that each group has for the other. There are the ‘Bhakts’, nicknamed so because of their undying support of the BJP leader and then there are the ‘libtards’, who have been given the moniker by those who believe that their liberal politics makes them ‘retards’ (problematic phrasage, yes completely). If you thought Salman Khan fans were the most toxic demographic on social media, wait till you see the bile spewed by Modi supporters against anyone who expresses dissent.
Every aspect of public discourse is now coloured by these two factions. The Kathua rape-murder case, free travel for women – the discussion of all hot button topics eventually devolve into screaming matches between the two factions on social media. But what if you are a ‘Bhakt’ dating a ‘Libtard’? Actually the question should be, can a ‘Bhakt’ date a ‘Libtard’?
The answer according to me is a resounding ‘No’. Just like in the case of Salman Khan, when one supports a hyper masculine public figure with problematic history, one is condoning not just a single individual’s actions but also the larger ills of the world. If you are a ‘Bhai’ fan and proudly participate in that fandom, you are silently stating that you are OK with his misogynistic comments, his history of abuse and his criminal history. Similarly, you may have been taken in by the schpiel of development, churned out by a political leader. But, if you continue to support a political party despite its public hate mongering and use of jingoistic patriotism, the fact that you are a “good person otherwise” means zilch.
Our circle of empathy is often limited to our own realities-gender, class, caste, religion, region and our political affiliations often reflect that. For the greater good, sometimes we must expand our circle and support a group that speaks of concerns that are not immediately ours. Politics affects all aspects of our life. If you don’t care about politics, that means you have immense privilege. Not caring is a privileged act, the same way being a savarna, straight male, living within a certain tax bracket is. And romance honestly is too feeble a sentiment to bridge such diverse worlds.
