Ravish Kumar’s book gives voice to the many fears that
we have in our hearts. His book from the very beginning hints at the
extraordinary time that we are living in, when speaking out is no more a normal
activity but an act of bravery. Ravish Kumar talks about his own journey from
being fearful to giving up that fear. From myriad examples in his life, he
states how he came to terms with his own fears. The very first chapter titled
“Speaking Out” drives home the fact that there is a need to take silence head
on. As a journalist, he wages a daily war to be true to his profession and speak
the truth. Even if speaking out means facing the wrath of trolls. He recounts
how he has faced harassment for speaking out and questioning those at the helm
of power. Starting from death threats, to fake propaganda, to threat about
harming his family, he has faced it all.
The next chapter “The Robo-Public and the Building of
a New Democracy” tells us about the formation of a different kind of nation and
its people, in the form of an online troll army which is misguided and
misinformed in the worst possible way. The public no more has a mind of its
own, the new public has been engineered to question not the government but
those who question the government. In this new democracy, political leaders get
away with blatant lies spoken on public platforms. He gives the example of the
PM making absurd claims that the ex PM met Pakistani officials secretly in Mani
Shankar Aiyar’s house. When his lie was called out, he got away with a half
hearted clarification given by Arun Jaitley. But the damage was already done.
Such acts have made the larger political discourse take a nose dive. There is
no accountability and the minimum political ethics have been pushed to the
backburner.
The next two chapters “The National Project of
Instilling Fear” and “Wherever a mob gathers is Hitler’s Germany”, he talks
about the sinister project of systematic stifling of dissent that has been
undertaken by the supporters of the party in power. In terms of World Press
Freedom Index, India ranked 138th. Journalists are regularly targeted
for speaking truth to power – be it arrest or at times death (as in the case of
Gauri Lankesh). He further warns that the obsessive othering that a
majoritarian government indulges in, will lead to a nation which will have
second class citizens. The negative stereotyping of religious minorities,
dalits and their targeting have already created deep schisms in the society.
Continuing such propaganda will cause irreparable damage to our social fabric.
The next few chapters try to tell the people of what
can be done in such situation. How we must oppose the systematic decline of
democratic ethos, how we must not give up the right to speak for any fear. His
book further touches upon contemporary issues like the impact of godmen and the
role that news channels play in propagating their falsehoods and ensuring that
a scientific temper is not inculcated amongst the people, how in our country
love has become a bigger crime than murder. Young couples are constantly
harassed for being inter-caste, inter-religious or just for challenging the
regime of hatred and spreading love. They are separated, killed and castigated.
Be it Ankit or Hadiya, the story is more or less same.
Ravish Kumar’s book is an important read as it
reflects upon some of the most pressing issues of today. Be it the attack on
independent journalists or the ethical degradation of news media, his book
gives voice to the fear of common Indians like us. Apart from the uneven
translation, the book is an important commentary upon the current state of affairs
of the country.
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