Thread by @amitmehra

#Thread I saw one of the highly educated RW supporters gloat how his fav politician has started Uttarakhand elections campaign with a bang by doing miscellaneous religious rituals & how their opponents are late to collect such political, electoral brownie points. /1

Few years back, we were on the brink of a united civil society finally holding politicians accountable and making issues of public interests paramount. Today, politicians have not only divided civil society but have made cheerleaders of even educated or thinking people. /2

Now we're measuring politicians not by work but by performances at religious rituals. Issues of Governance, economy, jobs, inflation, national security have been long forgotten by masses. Truly, religion is the opium of the masses and nationalism is refuge of the scoundrels./3

Today, politicians have manipulated their flock amongst civil society to conduct themselves in an almost suicidal manner to propagate a political ideology. So from embracing unscientific Covid cures to excessive fireworks, people have become pawns & made to feel proud of it./4

Where will this all end? A subservient society drunk on religious, casteist Kool aid, blind to their own miseries, decaying democracy, zero accountability, derailment of progress & development is a perfect playground for few schemers to hold on to power & corner wealth./5

And civil society? In a way, will be back to where we started - small kingdoms & fiefdoms, divided, vulnerable to foreign invaders, oppressors, enemies & opportunists. All of us must wake up & look inwards at how we have been manipulated to act against our own interests./End.