My Little Experiment on MK Gandhi (Modi/Kejriwal/Gandhi)

‘If you don’t support Modi, then you must be an AAPtard or Khangress’.

And I hear that a lot. During tea-time at office or free-time in home or even at pee-time in toilet, I actually hear that sentence a lot.

I never applied any of the sociological experiments on me. Who wants to be a guinea pig, despite their cute elongated faces and black pearl eyes? But these days are interesting. The very fun loving care-free guys surrounding me are transforming rapidly into dare-to-oppose tough hardliners, the beer-buddies into ‘cheer-leaders’ and suddenly there is a craze of part-time psephologists all over country and social media has become their fighting ring or if I want to sound realistic, a bloody underground pit.

But don’t get me wrong, I kind of like that. Sadistic huh! But guess what, who can’t be tempted watching a guy outpouring his ever-so-blocked emotions through downloaded funny picture comments or morphed pictures with insult-intending sentences in the guise of criticism? Who can’t be entertained by some status updates in ‘postmodern’ English language, where concept of grammar is totally irrelevant and the ideas, comparable only to crude bombs? Hell yeah. I’m lovin’ it. Now-a-days my most of boring time in office passes with smile, awe and indigestion. The first two emotions are for laughing-out-loud and puke posts in social media and the last one is for oily fried snacks, used for digesting those posts.

My Experiment

Have I mentioned ‘sociological experiment’ before? Oh I did? I learned that term when I was in class of sociology for few months, before my great debacle in preparation. I was never interested in the tiresome methodology of experiments, barred the results, but as I’ve said, these days are interesting and after seeing several short videos based on ‘sociological experiments’ gone viral, experiments were never so fun! And I too decided for an experiment. A small one. Let’s play a critic.

No doubt, AAP is a phenomenon in Indian politics. And as this party has been formed in the golden era of social media, a truly democratic borderless virtual world, this phenomenon has become a buzz word. Formed on a principle, AAP had grabbed imagination of frustrated middle class and like others, me too was hopeful about the bright future of this party. But, BJP was also not a short of phenomenon. For the last few months BJP brand has probably surpassed Google or Apple in public acceptance and popularity. With the careful utilisation of public resentment against misrule of Congress and glorious presentation of an alternative of ‘silent’ PM, BJP has achieved something more than empire, a future case study in top management schools. Government will come and go; but phenomenon creates history and history is immortal.

As a worshipper of ‘change’ and ‘new’, I welcome both Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal. But when I have started to play a Devil’s Advocate, a ‘Modified’ before an ‘AAPtard’ and an ‘AAPian’ before a ‘Modist’; the methodology has been far interesting than the result, which often ends with verbal duet.

a.         My colleagues are way too aggressive in their opinions and our office room becomes intensely hot in discussion turned debate turned verbal-fight. Everyone is of same rank, so nobody listen others.

b.         My close friends, though different in choices, try to remain sober, but not so close ones fight like dedicated soldiers.

c.        My father is a diehard fan of Didi and when I did the experiment with him, result was unprecedented. He stopped talking with me properly, until the election results were declared and Didi won.

d.       My wife doesn’t want to listen anything wrong about someone, whom she likes. And surprisingly, she has soft corner for AAP and Rahul Gandhi in person! Playing a critic to her choices was both tricky and risky, because if she would imitate my father’s strategy, it could’ve been a tragedy to me. I did that with caution and praised Modi and probably in response to that, she started to share AAP’s statuses directly in her Facebook timeline. Amazing!

Modi and Kejri have no slightest idea that how many relationships change everyday due to them!

Modi vs. Kejriwal vs. Rahul

After 16^th May, I got several visits or calls with little insults in voices. The debacle of Kejri led AAP and triumph of Modi led BJP have polarised my surrounding further. The flood of picture comments and morphed faces in social media are pointing towards that polarisation like open wounds. And, lastly when I did that experiment on me, I found a peculiar answer.

Obviously, this little experiment gave me different and opposite perspectives and in this process I learned the relativity of truth. But, more than that, I’ve come clear to my choices. Now I know that I like Modi’s chest, Kejriwal’s moustache and Rahul’s face. And I dislike Modi’s beard, Kejriwal’s cough and Rahul’s women empowerment. Whereas, I am fond of Modi’s iron image, Kejriwal’s bravery and Rahul’s articulation; I hate Modi’s misleading ‘Gujrat Model’, Kejriwal’s pathetic hog for lime-lights and Rahul’s indifference.

Now I know, whatever my surrounding may sound, I’m not comfortable with trio; and with this result possibly a new episode starts in my life. You can love or hate your opponents, but can’t ignore; but what about no-takers! Just ignore them.