For the Love of God
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement of medieval India. It sought to bring religious reforms by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Reaching its zenith between the 15th and 17th century, the movement defined an individualistic loving relationship with a personally defined God.
The “love for God” and a staunch belief that “My God knows what is best for me” form the core of Bhakti. Such a devotional thought process which can at times reach extreme proportions, has perhaps no parallel in the West. Today in our eternal quest for newer Gods, the term has metamorphized into its political avatar. A form defined by unquestionable admiration and loyalty.
Very often, love makes us blind and that is where the ‘Blind Bhakt (BB)’ comes to the fore. Armed with absolute faith, his adulation claims that ‘He can never be wrong’. Any contrarian view is to be stamped out undauntingly, with aggression if need be. And God forgive you, if you commit the blasphemy of saying anything derogatory about ‘His God’. He will be defended and protected at any cost by ‘crusadean’ soldiers of the faith.
The intertwining of the digital bhakts (the troll masters) and the physical bhakts has achieved amazing seamlessness. Getting on their wrong side is at your own risk and best avoided. Much like the United States, the Bhakt is always on a quasi-perennial lookout for a new Frankenstein to engage. A challenging trigger at regular intervals to reinvigorate his devotion. That is his steroidal injection.
Engaging an ‘Anti-Bhakt (AB)’ (synonyms being sickular, liptards, tukde-tukde gang etc) brings out the best in his debating skills. It is nothing less than war after all. He cannot and will never lose. But the whole engagement can often be enlightening.
BB: I tell you, this girl DP has crossed all limits this time. She is asking for big trouble.
AB: You mean for dancing or for her scant attire?
BB: No not that standard teeny-weeny stuff. It is actually for her choice of colour. How could she even dream of wearing a saffron itsy-bitsy? Does she not know that she has crossed a red line?
AB: Red line? You mean saffron? I thought saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. How come you are so interested?
BB (ignoring the corrective interjection): Last time we had objected to her exposed waistline. This time except for the waist line, everything else is exposed.
AB: How do you know that?
BB: I have watched the gross video more than ten times. There is no doubt that she has insulted our faith. A colour lab has also certified that the hues are indeed closer to saffron and not orange. We will file a case for hurting our religious sentiments.
AB: But don’t you think that this will give her movie undue free publicity? Remember last time, Padmavat made 450 crores on the box office.
BB: Rubbish claims. Had it not been for our protests, the movie would have easily made 900 crores. Besides that, now everyone in the world knows that they can’t mess with us.
AB: But has Bilawal from across the border not messed with you this time? Like in control engineering, he has provided a small stimulus and now enjoying the response.
BB: He has indeed crossed the Laxman Rekha. Can’t you see that we are planning protest marches all over the country?
AB: I am sure Bilawal is having a hot cup of tea in his living room at the moment. And courtesy you, he has become famous. Till yesterday , no one knew that he was the FMOP.
BB: Oh Boy! He will pray the price. We are burning his effigies in every city.
AB: I don’t still understand. How will it hurt Bilawal Bhutto (a different BB)?
BB: Silly! Have you never heard of putting needles in a voodoo doll and casting a spell? Burning effigies has the same effect.
AB: But won’t burning cause a rise in pollution levels?
BB: Slightly, I agree. But we can deal with that later. At the moment the temper(atures) are shooting up. And He needs to be protected.
AB: Why should He need protection? He is a strong man. In fact, He should be protecting you all the time. Isn’t it?
BB: Without a doubt. However you obviously don’t understand solidarity. It is an integral part of our Bhakti movement.
AB: But don’t you think a friend of yours has gone too far in announcing a reward of 2 crore rupees for his head? Is it not illegal and outrightly unethical?
BB: Please go and teach ethics and law to that Besharam (shameless character). Incidentally, all of us are quite annoyed with our guy internally for such a low quotation.
AB: To me it sounds like a supari or a fatwa. Are we not turning around to the medieval ages?
BB: Turning around yes!, That is exactly what Ghoomar is all about. Isn’t it?
AB: My head is dizzy by now BB. I give up, you win. But tell me, how do you always manage to come out victorious?
BB (smilingly): That is elementary AB……
When you are on the ‘Right’, you can never be wrong!
Finally getting it right,
Horax (Casper)
First published at seekmediation.com on 19/12/22.
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