Thread by @iIakobos

My fellow Indians, (I’m not talking to you sanghis and bhakts). Let me offer you a glimpse of what urban India has turned into
Context: a packed local train in Bombay.I enter,lackadaisical as usual, with my earphones stuffed into my ears: believe you me,you need to read this (1)

I suddenly realise that the compartment is more raucous and rowdy than usual.. I ignore it like a true blue Bombay-ite... but suddenly I can’t.. I pause my music to hear what’s happening..
Chants of ‘har har modi...’
4 urban youth not out of place in a corporate office.. (2)

They could be your teller in the bank or your network specialist. They are talking among themselves, chanting the obnoxious name of Modi.

Suddenly I realise that their words are being used to intimidate a Muslim family sitting in the compartment... (3)

They talk about how Muslims would be booted out in the ‘New India’, and how foreigners were unacceptable and unwelcome in India.

Let me clarify: they aren’t talking to this family directly. The conversation is between the 4 of them.... (4)

Some of the other passengers try to intervene, saying that India is a democracy and that we can vote for whoever we want, and we shouldn’t impose an ideology on any one.
The 4 guys retort that they aren’t talking to anyone, but are having a conversation amongst themselves.. (5)

Other chants heard:
Mandir wahi banega, humara mandir wahi banega.
Bharat ka sher kaun? Modi, modi, modi.

Please note: they aren’t talking to anyone else. They are having a very loud conversation between the 4 of them... (6)

Needless to say, the Muslim family visibly shaken (women and children included) get off at the next station and disappear into the crowd... (7)

Let me register my shock in a few points:
A. This happened in the first class compartment of a train in Bombay- a metro city.
B. These 4 goons managed to overpower everyone else’s objections using the name of Modi, nationalism, and religion... (8)

C. They weren’t talking directly to this Muslim family, but they managed to intimidate, harass, and drive them out from a train. (How much longer before they drive the Muslims out of our country?) (9)

D. This is the ‘new India’ where hate and psychological intimidation are new ammunition to subvert and oppress a particular community.
E. To be fair, a few people tried talking sense into these dickheads;and their response? We aren’t talking to anyone, only among ourselves (10)

F. These ‘moderates’ couldn’t talk sense into these people.
G. Even if we had to complain about them, what would we complain about? Or to whom? (11)

H. Dialogues of hate are as normal as a train ride, and there’s nothing that we can do.

This is what Modi and the BJP have done.. normalised hate against the other. (12)

I. What kind of India are we creating for the future?
F. There is no discourse about economic development, employment, etc. The BJP have fallen back to the only thing they know... the politics of polarisation and hate... (13)

Whether India boots out the BJP or not, I know that my country has taken a turn for the worse. I’m heartbroken.. utterly heartbroken... (14/n)

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