Majority Is Mediocrity: Socio-Political Scenario in India Will Help Us Understand This Phenomenon

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 16 April 2024 The Sold Out Print and Visual Media, A Huge Team of IT Crusaders Working Overtime for This Government and Completely Spineless Sycophants Like Major Gaurav Arya, Maj Gen. G D Bakshi, Shrillest Warmonger in The Media, Pushpendra Kulshreshta, Whose Day Begins and Ends with Abusing Muslims, Among Others Have Been Extolling The 'Exploits' Of This Government and Condemning Muslims Relentlessly ------ "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." Mark Twain Hujoom Jab Bhi Kahe Ke Ye Sahi Hai Samajhna, Mulk-E-Jaahilaan Yahi Hai Jaun Elia (Whenever the crowd says that this is right / Rest assured, this is the country of ignorant people) Mark Twain's quote, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" and Jaun Elia's almost similar Urdu couplet invite us to question the inherent nature of conformity and the allure it often holds. Twain reminds us that blindly aligning ourselves with the collective mentality can obscure independent thought and critical analysis. By advocating for a pause and reflection, he challenges the notion that popular opinion is always infallible or just. This quote serves as a call to action, urging us to consider our own principles and values before accepting consensus, emphasizing the importance of individual thought and introspection as essential virtues in navigating the complexities of societal dynamics. Jaun Elia's couplet also underscores the age-old wisdom that sanity and majority are seldom friends. Majority is like a herd of sheep; always in a state of submission and stupor. The current socio-political scenario in India will help us understand this phenomenon. Despite the existing political dispensation's failure on all fronts, a large number of people in India still believe that this is the best government India has ever got. The sold out print and visual media, a huge team of IT crusaders working overtime for this government and completely spineless sycophants like Major Gaurav Arya, Maj Gen. G D Bakshi, shrillest warmonger in the media, Pushpendra Kulshreshta, whose day begins and ends with abusing Muslims, among others have been extolling the 'exploits' of this government and condemning Muslims relentlessly. A majority of people think that these absolutely unethical characters with vested interests are bang on and this government is the best government. The credulous individuals have an aversion to using their brains because they blindly follow the majority. Bheed Mein Gum Ho Jaati Hai Aawaaz Apni/ Sun-Ni Ho Ise Toh Bheed Ka Hissa Na Ban (The voice is lost in the mayhem of crowd/ If you want to listen, stay away from the crowd). Voices of sanity, sensibility and sensitivity can thrive and survive only when we think individually and independently and avoid the majoritarian spirit. If you follow the nameless, faceless and brainless crowd, chances are that you too will become like them because majority is mediocrity. One must question and challenge the zeitgeist. So, instead of staying the course, charter your own path. Think individually, not collectively. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/majority-mediocrity-socio-political-india-phenomenon/d/132145 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism