Hypocricy or Ostrich

“Don’t lead a hypocrite’s life. That’s all I say”,thundered “V” in response to the discussion we were having. She was not following the discussion that was happening but citing superficial examples of how capitalism is the only way forward. It was eerily similar to her famous words “The media is the torchbearer of truth and without it the world would be in hell”. Yet her comment on hypocrisy sounded instinctive and absolutely natural, I couldn’t deny that, even to her. I thought, “this was one of the few moments were a genuine reaction has come out of hermind. I should respect that. maybe I should do more discuss that. Am I a hypocrite ? and if so ? is that necessarily bad ?"

Today Indian economy is ruled by a pervert version ofcapitalist economy where very little government spending happens for the benefit of the poor and reaches the poor. Most of it goes to sustaining the age-old feudal systems re-born in new avatars as corporates. Fairness is sacrificed for profits and justice for equity. In this equity and profit culture everyone else is sucked into. By virtue of engaging in gainful economic activity, many Indians are part of this create-more-wealth mania. In this stampede, we step on others, laws and justice are manipulated to suit balance sheets, and standards of humanity are re-defined to suit our own “Arrived instyle” Image. Otherwise how would you explain Government giving a drug offender a certificate of good conduct and help secure his release ? (Read : Bidappa released from dubai Jail) Obviously money has exchanged hands. Shouldn’t there be seething anger at this? There are hundreds of innocents languishing in foreign prisons for small and petty crimes. In this seasaw debate on communist and capitalist debate the commonest of all statements is "Dont be a hypocrite". There is no middle ground and we free thinkers have no place.

The political spectrum is crudely and falsely divided in India as “Left” and “Right” based on ill-fitting western classification. If on some opinions I agree with a particular group’s views, Do I have to conformto all views of that group? And If I don’t I am labeled a hypocrite ? The economic views of the communists and RSS are very similar , but that of BJP and Congress (allies of both the right and left) are exactly the opposite. “How would then one analyse the spectrum and give it labels?”, one is tempted to ask. Do we require labels tohelp us analyse ? Is it really useful ? Can we not adopt stances purely based on issues ?

The basis of everyone’s political position is on what is good for himself/herself. This infinite variation in a huge population of ours is funneled into a few political choices. Depending on the primacy of these chosen. The government however is a combination of changing people’s representative and an unchanging structure (bureaucracy) that can be manipulated by people who know which levers to pull and which buttons to push (basically the rich and famous). Here money and influence talks. This is where capitalism has succeeded in influencing the rules to suit itself against a set of disadvantaged people who don’t know how to influence the rules. Is it possible in this wide spectrum, to isolate a few opinions and call a person hypocrite?

The answer is Yes and is because of a narrow black and white analysis of the issue. Hence the outburst “You are a hypocrite” carries withit the sting of adverse judgment and humiliation. My political views are never etched in stone and are constantly calibrated to changing situations. Being McCauley kids we are taught the Victorian views of black and white in an Anglo-Saxon context. Obviously the delirious among us still believe in the same Anglo-Saxon context to exist in an India werehardly 10 % speak the language. The language is not a major issue here, The issue is of the context. Good and bad. Right and Wrong. God and Devil. Such black and white thinking pattern spills liberally in political analysis thus forcing everyone to take sides across an artificially drawn line, which serves no purpose, except enact a distractive battle. This artificial line is drawn and re-drawn all the time to divert attention to other pressing problems. It also diverts the attention of simple folks who trust and believe in our form of governance. “Hypocrisy” has become what “Witch” was during the dark ages in Salem,USA. Anyone raising uncomfortable questions is labeled “hypocrite”. It is the style of looking at people using pre-defined labels.

It starts from the assumption

"If one is working in a capitalistic structure, he or she has to defend the structure".

I can for matters of survival and benifit be a part of a structure but still think of poor and marginalised. Profit need not be the guiding motive for everything in life. I know everyone dies and deserves a decent life before he dies. If you are an American you can still stand up against the wrong policies of your country. It is not hypocricy. It is being brave and standing up for your beliefs. If you are an Indian and see corruption and unbriddled capitalism harming the poor, you can stand up and say "this should stop". The very aspect that you are part of the wheel which churns out the profit cannot deny you the right.

It is choosing to become an ostrich in fear of becoming a hypocrite.

Between becoming an ostrich and a hypocrite,

I chose to be a hypocrite.

Now How is that huh ?