In recent times, there has been a rising concern on the growing trend of personality cult in democratic politics. This alarming trend of blind devotion and sycophancy is epitomized by the supporters of the current dispensation, as highlighted in a recent videos compilation released by the renowned YouTube channel The Deshbhakt. The videos feature interviews of commoners from various news agencies like The Lallantop, TNF India, The Print, etc. expressing unwavering support to the incumbent.
Many of the respondents in these videos claim that our Current honorable prime minister has accomplished every commendable deed possible for the country. Further queried on, ironically, they are unable to mention one or two of his policies. Some of them define patriotism as obsequiously agreeing to every policy of the incumbent while considering opposition to be synonymous with treason. One credits PM for toiling hard for successful launching of Chandrayaan-3, while another thinks that there is no need of conducting press conference as there is no scope of questioning the ‘flawless’ working of the government.
Shockingly, some of them unequivocally claim that even if the prices of necessary commodities soar and reach sky-rocketing heights, they will continue to support ‘Modiji’ blindly. A group of women clamor that soon Sanskrit will be made a coding language as has been already done in NASA!! It is baffling to witness an elderly man blaming commoners’ aspirations rather than inflation for their financial struggles and penury.
Another unsettling fact is the construction of temples where the PM is worshipped as a deity. This elevates him to the status of omniscient, thus obliterating the practice of holding leaders accountable and responsive towards layman.
This very idea of personality cult thwarts the spirit of democracy. The ideal of ‘by the people, of the people, for the people’ morphs into ‘by the leader, of the leader, for the leader.’
Loss of individuality and accountability-
The tag of ‘infallible leader’ or ‘supreme leader’ results in the loss of individuality and accountability. Often people with more competence and efficiency in the respective party are looked down upon and not given the deserved post befitting their qualifications due to the blind devotion of the supporters displayed to one person.
The overwhelming trust entrusted in one leader by the masses culminates in his decisions and comments going unquestioned and unchallenged. This not only results in the loss of accountability but also reduces decision-makers (people) to mere onlookers.
Manipulation and Propaganda-
It is no longer onerous for the party members to manipulate people and make them cheer for their party during elections till the ‘supreme leader’ is their primary representative. Deliberate majoritarian policies nurture aversion towards criticism in the fragile minds of people thereby fueling hostility towards opposition, the kernel of healthy democracy. Moreover, the backing of mainstream media strengthens this narrative.
Clamping down on dissenters and increased authoritarianism: –
In the recent years, there have been umpteen attempts by the ruling party in the central government to usurp more and more power and undermine the federal powers and constitutional validity of the oppositions. The weaving of the popular narrative of “anti-nationals” while targeting the opposition, spouting harangue disregarding opposing ideologues and critiques, thereby fomenting vigilantism to keep them under pressure, arresting independent journalists and framing them up with charges of UAPA and Sedition laws for criticizing the government, bringing up “reforms” in several laws to seize more power, spying in the devices of opposition leaders, etc. have become the modus operandi of the current incumbent. This way the ruling party believes to have successfully suppressed the dissenters and will continue doing so.
Curtailing academic freedom: –
Academicians and intellectuals have always enjoyed the privilege of dissenting without being easily dodged as their perspicacity adds weight to their questions and arguments. Hence, the ruling party has employed some effective methods to evade them, and the most important one is labelling them as ‘urban Naxals’. Manipulating curriculum and textbooks, proximity with private institutions, discrimination in allocating funds to institutions that have an indirect influence on ongoing research works are some of the other methods employed by the ruling party to curb academic freedom.
The repercussions of personality cult are fatal for a democracy, especially for a developing country like ours. Nurturing of scientific temperament, relentless questioning, critical thinking are the golden rules that must be ingrained in a developing society. Hence, we cannot afford to partake in this insinuating trend of celebrating ‘Vishwa guru’ uncritically.