Machiavellian Politics at Its Scheming Best
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
19 December
2023
Fugitive
underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is neither poisoned nor dead, intelligence
sources told India Today on Monday.
The rumours
surrounding Ibrahim's alleged poisoning and hospitalisation began circulating
after a Pakistani YouTuber, relying on unverified social media reports,
speculated on the matter in a late-night video.
The
YouTuber also linked these rumours to an abrupt internet shutdown in Pakistan.
However, credible sources dismissed these claims, attributing the connectivity
disruptions to a virtual meeting of the opposition Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI).
This entire
tamasha (charade) of whether Dawood Ibrahim is dead or alive and idlers'
fondness for rumours reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe's famous quote, “Believe
nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.” Alas, we tend to believe
whatever we hear without verification.
That we're
wasting our time on a fugitive's life, existence and misdeeds is proof of our
collective frivolity. His rumoured death also activated BJP IT cell and it's
being projected as the triumph of India's intelligence agencies and Ajit
Doval's acumen in eliminating all such shady characters and Dushman-e-Hindustan
in other countries. Great! Desh Ke Dushman can be eliminated in foreign
countries but Desh Ke Lutere Aur Balatkari (plunderers, looters and
rapists of the country), viz, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi, 'Swami'
Nityanand, among others cannot be brought back to India!
Whenever a
big issue threatens to upset the apple cart of the current political
dispensation, a red herring in the form of a puerile Parliament attacks or
Dawood's alleged death is there to divert people's attention from facts to
frivolities. This is Machiavellian politics at its scheming best.
Now when
the general hustings are approaching, the inauguration of grand Ram temple in
UP is on the anvil. Religiously inebriated and bovine masses of India are
ecstatic that such a huge temple of some fictitious mythological characters is
being erected. Will these mythical characters give you a morsel or get you a
job? No one seems to be bothered.
Will
Dawood's death help unemployed youth find a job? So, why this Begaani Shadi
Mein Abdullah Deewana type euphoria? V S Naipaul and Nirad C Chaudhary
would often say, "India is a country of idlers and indolent lotus
eaters." Very true. What they opined more than half a century ago, is
still relevant in the 21st century.
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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/machiavellian-politics-scheming/d/131337
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