Sunday, January 29, 2017

Parasites of power

Politics is dynamics of dominant power-relations. Power is often based on perceptions of a given space and time. And perception keep changing based on the location of experience and perspective. So often power is not what we have - but what other perceive we have. Most of the people tend to confirm to the dominant power-structures of the day. And they adopt politics of convenience and conformism, instead of politics of conviction. They will sing hosanna to whoever is in power. 

Most of the poets and writers grew up in the shadow of the dominant power of a particular age. They would be 'red' when the 'red' is in power- and they could change the colour easily when the perceptions of colour of the dominant power changes. Many 'intellectuals ' too are the parasites of power-establishment as they need positions of 'legitimacy'. In India, the present perceptions of power is dominated by Modi and co- and its perceived colour is 'saffron'. So the very same people who sang hosanna to Indira Gandhi or Manmohan Sing may now sing hosanna to Modi- as they want to confirm to politics of convenience. Their seeming posturing of politics of 'conviction' is often a camouflage for self-preservation and self-promotion. They simply change the coolour when dynamics of power changes. Their ideology is the ideology of self-preservation. So I am not surprised many 'artists', 'writers' and 'activists' , film stars' changed the coloure fast. They will change the coloure fast when the colore of the power changes in Delhi or elsewhere.

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