Reflections #0018

Ankit Chhabra
2 min readJul 25, 2021

Let’s be the opposition

A government that focuses on protecting its image than acknowledging its failures is digging its own grave.

On the first day of the parliament, I saw our Prime Marketer (PM) visibly upset in public for the first time. When he could not speak out the names of his expanded list of able sycophants, he seemed to lose control and probably scared from what he had been hiding all the while.

For the first time in many years, the opposition has circled the government on multiple lingering issues.

The Farmer’s protest is stronger than ever. Every household in the country demands an account from the government on the mishandling of the second wave. With the Pegasus issue, illegal, immoral means of subversion signature Shah and Modi are now known.

It is time that we let our rage lose, and we allow our emotions to be seen. These moments of acknowledgements are essential to counter all the false denials of authority and its reckless use of power in every form possible.

From past experiences, we know the playbook. A distracting news item will be overhyped; there will be shifting of the blame to polarise the opinion, and they will recede in a hideout till they can claim the victory. But let’s not fall for these again.

Let’s continue to ask hard questions, through all means, in all the forums -

1. Why not take responsibility for all the Covid Deaths and, hence, the pandemic’s mismanagement instead of blatantly lying? In doing this, also accept that electoral gains and appeasement of the majority are higher up on the priority than welfare and equity.

2. Why not repeal the farm laws and accept the request for legalising MSP for the farmers all over India? In doing this, accept the risk of losing the anonymous donations in electoral bonds from the very obvious friends.

3. Why not tell the truth on the use of military-level surveillance tech against the common people of India? In doing this, accept the immorality of the act and resign in shame for subverting the democratic system comprising 140 crore people and 74-year-old institutions.

For a template on how to do this, here is a heartfelt speech by Prof Manoj Jha where he calls out the government's lies as a responsible citizen and fellow human being.

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