For thousands of years the Brahmins dominated
the social and political narrative in India. They were always at the top in the
social hierarchy and controlled the way rest of the society behaved. They laid
down rules and acceptable behaviour for the rest to follow. Anyone who questioned
the status-quo was branded anti-dharma. The Brahmins prescribed how the rest should
treat them. They set the quantum of punishment to be meted out to those who
rejected dharma. They created a system where they always had the final say, no
matter what. They were the sole repository of truth.
Times changed and the role of the Brahmins was
no longer relevant. But they were too clever to be left behind. They too
changed and monopolised the modern system. They even managed to hoodwink the
Imperial forces from Europe. They established themselves in administrative
posts, became, clerks, accountants, mathematicians and professors. Their
strangle hold was always strong. Just like it was thousands of years ago.
Time never stops but it sure throws surprises.
According to the Brahmin declared cycle of time we are living in Kalyug. But
wait, the old order has long been dismantled and a new breed of Brahmins has
taken over. They are the neo-Brahmins. Like the Brahmins of antiquity, they
have established their own repository of truth. They have laid down rules,
which tell the rest how to treat them and what happens when someone digresses
from their truth. They call the present time, “Post-Truth”. It is the Kalyug
equivalent of the old Brahmin order.
Anyone who speaks against the established truth
of these Neo-Brahmins is shamed and ridiculed publicly. The Neo-Brahmins firmly
believe, much like the old order, that theirs is the purest version of truth.
The rest have limited intellect and hence have to follow what they are told.
But who are these Neo-Brahmins? Not
surprisingly they are the ones who are occupying influential positions, just
like the old order. They are the liberal, fiercely honest, secular, decorated
journalists. They are the socialist, people friendly, left of centre, liberal
politicians. They are the independent, scholarly, brave, students studying
liberal arts. They have collectively taken over the old order and established their
Neo-Brahmin order to dictate new rules.
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| When my truth no longer matters Image: oxforddictionaries.com |
Like the Brahmin of the yore, the Neo-Brahmins
have drawn clear boundaries around them. If the rest tries to cross over, they
will be condemned to eternal hell in the fascist nether earth. It is advisable
that the rest silently follow their rules. So when the Neo-Brahmins tell the
rest that Modi is Satan personified, the rest should have voted against him.
But then 2014 happened. They said Brexit is bad and the rest should have voted “remain”.
But guess what, the rest voted, “leave”. They told the Americans, Trump is a
clear and present danger to the American constitution. He now sits in the Oval
Office. Shattered and devastated the Neo-Brahmins declared the arrival of
Post-Truth.
It is the time where truth no longer matters.
Because people are no longer acknowledging the Neo-Brahmins as a repository of
truth. They are called out every single day. On social media. On news debates.
Almost everywhere where the rest can find a voice.
So when a student stands up and uses her right
to free speech, they make her a hero. But when someone counters her opinion,
all hell breaks loose. Because it goes against the established truth. The
Neo-Brahmin truth. The old order would have condemned the anti-dharma others to
eternal hell. The Neo-Brahmins condemn the rest to a modern version of hell.
They are labelled misogynists, communal, fascists, jingoists, far-right, and
much more.
The question is, when the modern society gave
us the opportunity to break away from the Brahmin dominance, should we appoint
a new order? A new order, which is repeating what the old order did, although in
English and dressed smarter than the old order.
