The world as we know it has perhaps never been this polarized or perhaps it has and we’ve been too blind to see the obvious.

What was once seen as being ‘deviant’ has become far more mainstream and while some of it can be attributed to a left-liberal way of thinking, how conservative are the conservatives in the first place? Not so much.

We’ve always been privy to madness in politics or even religion for that matter but a closer look at what is now openly visible to many more will show you that there has been an inherant distaste for fact and a deep love for rhetoric that is based on a suitable narrative.

Telling the truth from the lies is far more of a task for the common man. If there’s a story, there’s a counter-story and a further extension or derivative of the event itself that is suitably twisted to leave people confused.

Look at America for instance. I pity Americans today. I really do. If there was a case for a definition of ‘between a rock and a hard place’, this was certainly it for America. Between someone who is having difficulty making a coherent sentence aided along with a narrative and approach that may be as devious as the Hillary option of 2016 and an incumbent who has lied repeatedly and is now using his ‘lack of experience in politics’ and more of the same rhetoric to hide his absolute befuddlement on how to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, America is not a country to be envious of right now. What is shocking to see is the number of people driving around in some parts of the country openly sporting the Confederate flag and you thought there would have been a lesson in that. I absolutely love America, but they certainly have some serious issues to resolve and quickly.

Then there’s a place like India. My country. Yes. It still is my country. The UAE may be my home but India is still where I am from. In an effort to counter certain facts, people are leaning towards being stupidly liberal. Look, I have no problem with being liberal. Sure, it is a way forward, it is a way of thinking that ‘can’ work and it is an acceptable form of life. But leaving behind facts, logic, reason or even history behind to come out in front is downright absurd. And then you have radical right wing thinking that makes a centrist with a sense of balance feel alienated.

What part of the word ‘balance’ do people not understand? Take a word like ‘secular’ that has been bastardized by political agenda that leaves you feeling sick in the gut. It really isn’t. If there was a ‘balanced’ approach in the way people from all faiths in the country were treated from 1947, things wouldn’t have come to this. But they have. Interestingly enough, more and more countries across the world are understanding India’s need to take corrective action and bring in some sense of parity that is based on economic status and not just religious faith or leaning.

Countries are also leaning towards India because of the change in approach to governance. I hear of so many stories of ‘supposed’ corruption in the ranks in Government but those accusations are almost always from people who have been affected in business. A typical approach where negative sentiment is almost always attributed to Government.

But if we are to bring in a sense of balance, it will be important to swing the focus towards a centrist approach once corrective measures are taken and implemented. The ruling party in India, the BJP won a clear majority on the basis of an election manifesto so for sections of the public to have an objection to their fulfilling that manifesto is rather ludicrous. Aren’t we supposed to be happy that someone is doing what they’ve promised they would do? Since when was that a problem?

But a time for balance is near. And that is what will show true inspiring leadership. This is what I will expect from the party at the center. A radical right wing ‘we will teach you a lesson’ thinking (which Twitter is often so full of) will hurt India. The bullied becoming bullies is not what India represents. It ceratinly isn’t what ‘Sanatan Dharma’ is.

The world’s largest democracy can show the world’s second largest democracy how balance is achieved. That opportunity is close.

And THAT would be the making of a new age super power – India.

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