Elections In India Are More About ‘Emotional Connect’ Than Hard Facts

In this post-modern world, where ‘truth’ remains a mere noun to be taught in moral science classes, we are constantly intoxicated by the ‘post-truth’ jingoism, so prevalent in all types of media around us. Tune yourself to the prime-time news shows and count the number of channels talking about employment rate and hard-data statistics. You will see a large-scale intoxication infused in the form of jingoism as a façade of nationalism, injections of ‘national’ values – what is patriotism and what is not? A debate which is more about issues that stir popular emotions and less about empirical evidence.

Post-modernism, which rejects grand meta-narratives, fuels the ‘post-truth’ politics (also called post-reality, post-factual politics) where political discourse and narratives are framed by emotionally appealing assertions. On the other hand, truth doesn’t care about emotions. It is what it is. The moment a news channel dubs the safe return of Flight Lft. Abhinandan from Pakistan as a ‘victory’ of Modi government, and not as a mandatory and obligatory action of a signatory of Geneva Convention, or when your social media is over-flowing with graphics showing PM washing the feet of manual scavengers, while completely overlooking the essential question of how much substantive fund been released by his government for the upliftment of those manual scavengers? – then understand that the truth is skewed and injected to the consumers of media.

This is how intoxication in the form of emotive content is injected into the news’ consumers, who have no idea that they are party to a particular political ideology or an interest. Undoubtedly, then the ‘post-truth’ discourse takes a front seat and is problematic to deal with. If the politicians start believing that ‘post-truth’ politics will give them dividends, they will cease to talk about truth and facts. If the ruling party of this country is brave enough to believe that emphasising on the emotive galore of a ‘chowkidaar’ image can win them elections, and feel immunised from the real, on-ground issues of unemployment and agrarian distress, then the country is in the grab of post-truth politics.

On the other hand, reasons and facts, well, are termed as having anti-national undertones. A bubble is created, as soon as emotionally appealing assertions intoxicate you, and non-conformists are treated as aliens. One automatically ceases to see the bigger picture because a national identity is ‘constructed’ within that hard shell or a bubble. This is how ‘definitions’ of nationalism are set. Whereas a nation is an ‘idea’ and holds a subjective value, it is objectified according to some set standards flowing from emotional appeals. Consequently, the truth is seen as a sceptical attack on a national agenda. And of course, who cares about truth and reality?

People are eager to gain social capital at ‘chai-wala’ discussions and media being in the ‘business’, would obviously want to make huge capital returns. Truth, unfortunately, is not a prerequisite to any of these wants. What one needs, is content to make a mark. A ‘storyline’, a scapegoat as a ‘villain’ and a powerful macho in the lead to make people listen to you. There cannot be a more convenient villain than a man who governed you in the normative years of your nation, whose image is so fresh yet so blurry. It comes with an added advantage that any prevalent problem with no visible root cause can be excused and blamed in his name – ‘The foundations were weak, you know?’ and you don’t need any more explanations. There cannot be a more convenient macho than a chest-thumping, self-proclaimed saviour who means everything but business.

Elections in India are coming with a wholesome package of satire, stirring emotions, jingoism, mass-hysteria and of course, ground level issues as in ancillary and secondarily-prioritised form. The driving force in the popular campaigns remains the emotional connect a leader can strike with the masses. The plot is set. The time is apt. The ‘macho man’ may come in a ‘sea-plane’ or a ‘bullet train’ to stone and make one ‘high’. Beware and stick to the ground. Talk business!