Dear Reader,
Let me tell you this before you read
further. You have been invited only to read this. I do not want your
critiques, because others’ opinions matter little to me. In any case, I have
been declared the Indian of the Year. So, who are you to judge me?
However, rest assured that I am judging you all the while. Even as you read
this.
You cannot miss me. I am that person
in your group who believes that my opinions are a notch above those harbored by
the rest of you. Do I keep my opinions to myself? No. I impose them on the
group, because frankly, I do not see any point discussing with you. To me, any
discussion ends the moment I have tabled my points. You argue using logic and I
am allergic to that. If there is one thing I am intolerant to, that is logic. And
debate. And difference. And discussion. And dissent. And reason. And…
What brought me this far so that
today I am recognized as the Indian of the Year? Let me tell you the secret to
success.
I know that the opinion I have is
not the majority opinion. Most of you perhaps do not even have an opinion. So
before the logical brigade takes over, I start spreading my propaganda, my
half-informed opinion. I become the loudest voice in the house. If you have a
differing opinion or a reasoned argument, I make personal attacks at you because
I know I cannot win logically. “If you cannot convince, confuse.” That
is how I gain attention. That is how my views get attention. Overtime, you hear
them so much that you believe those to be your own opinions. (Inception!). So
when someone tries to give you a well-reasoned argument, you are armed to fight
it.
I am techsavvy too. I post my
opinions on facebook – as my status, as posts in a group. I am sure some
logical fool will comment opposing it. However, I am also sure that I will find
an apprentice for myself. The apprentice and I proceed to create a group on
WhatsApp with more such vulnerable, likeminded people, indoctrinating them day after
day, arming them to indoctrinate several others. As for the fool, the
apprentice and I troll and threaten him on social media. I am not supposing
that the fool is a woman because I believe that a woman is not entitled
to her own opinion. Even if she does have an opinion, along with my minions, I
resort to shaming her and threatening her with assault. That is the only thing
a free-thinking, logical woman is fit for, isn’t she? I am sure nobody will bat
an eyelid, because ours is a society which victimizes the victims. And women.
With people and technology at my
disposal, I decide what you wear, what you eat, who you love. I make long,
emotional posts and tell you which animal is your best friend, which animal is
your god. You might feel these animals are a nuisance. Perhaps I feel that too.
Perhaps I don’t even care. Yet, just because you have an opinion, I want to
have the opposite view and push it down your throat. I cannot stand it when you
invite me to a discussion. I only know how to shout before I think. So, I
provoke you. I ensure that you either shut up or you get down to my level. I
abuse my right to free speech. Yet, when I am targeted, I raise a red flag,
because I am a hypocrite. [And yes, I do not want you to credit someone sitting
in New Delhi for spreading intolerance. I deserve all the credit.]
If you still don’t believe that I
can be really loud while making my point, read this piece again. You will see
the redundancy in my arguments, simply because I am not accustomed to think. I
grab one point and continue to harp on it. Spreading propaganda a thousand
times doesn’t turn it into fact. However, it does make one forget the truth.
This is what I leave you with. Think it over…. No. Don’t think. I hate it when
you come to a different conclusion.
Yours Sincerely
The Intolerant Indian
[Indian of the Year 2017]
