Is it worth dying for a Political Ideology?
Is it worth dying for a political ideology?
The recent bloodbath in West Bengal between the party workers of two political parties has left me with a question – What makes people so committed to their Political ideology that without hesitation they can die or take other people’s lives ? Is it really worth dying for a Political ideology ?
The world has always suffered for the political ideologies which were imposed on people from time to time, sometimes forcefully and sometimes because people truly believed in those ideologies. Today all kind of ideologies exists in the world, you name it – Nationalists, Communists, Left-wing, Right-wing, Progressive, Liberal, Religion-based, Race supremacy and many more.
The tendency of power play in humans has led to devising new ideologies. People who propagate the ideologies manipulate our psyche so much that many of us get over obsessed with them. The influence of these ideologies is so high on people’s mind that people can die for it and even can take other’s lives.
Why talk about the world, let us look at the current environment in our country. We have a nationalist party in power, we have communists and then we have people who believe in the middle path. Then there are Progressive, Liberals, Maoism and Naxalism. Every ideology which exists in the world is also present in our country. Why? Because in a democracy, everyone has the freedom to devise or follow an ideology.
The result – more the ideologies, more the conflicts.
One must ask, have these ideologies done any good to our country? Has it uplifted the lives of our people? Not really. Instead, they have created a deep furrow in the minds of people, and all in the name of democracy.
To say that this is a recent phenomenon, may not be true. The divide was always there, but in the last few years, the tolerance levels have crossed. The Kashmir conflict, JNU student protests or Naxalism, or the recent bloodbath in West Bengal between TMC and BJP party workers, has shown that Political ideologies are deep-rooted in the psyche of the people.
Every day, one can see such clashes on media and social media where people are name-calling and abusing each other. The families are getting divided and the friends have become foes. The ideologies have got into everyone’s skin. One must have a political ideology or one is an outcast. To me it appears a Zombie effect – everyone is affected, everyone is scratching the other’s back.
One must ponder, where we are heading to?
Let us traverse through history to understand what the obsession with Political ideologies has given to the world.
In the last century, the world has seen more blood in the name of Political ideology – Hitler, Stalin, Mao, British supremacy or Religion based ideology, many more. These leaders rose by showing a dream to the people, influenced their minds, and those who did not buy in, they imposed their ideologies forcefully on them. The question I ask, those who believed in these leaders, did they gained anything out of it?
Hitler raised the extreme nationalism and Aryan blood supremacy cry. The Nazi regime was responsible for the genocide of about 6 million Jews and millions of other victims. They were also responsible for the killing of an estimated 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war. In addition, 28.7 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of military action in the European theatre. The number of civilians killed during World War II constitutes the deadliest conflict in history.
Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 to 1953. He ruled by terror, and millions of his citizens died during his brutal reign. His ideology Stalinism was an adaptation of Marxism and Leninism. But then Communism crumbled, and USSR became Russia again.
But the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. It was Mao Zedong. According to the authoritative book “Black Book of Communism,” an estimated 65 million Chinese died as a result of Mao’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “socialist” China. Anyone who got in his way was done away with — by execution, imprisonment, or forced famine. Then how can one forget the bloody crackdown of student protests in 1989 at the Tiananmen Square for democracy, free speech, and a free press in China?
In recent times, the world is engulfed in a new conflict where religion has become a tool to drive the Political ideology to govern people. Religion is the way to reach God. What it has to do with a political agenda? On top of that, fanatics’ commitment to the religious ideology is so high that without any hesitation, they can take their own or others lives.
All the Political ideologies claim to make people’s lives better. What do people need to live a decent life? People’s needs are very basic – food, shelter, water, education, health, and Security. Instead, these ideologies when in governance, try to impose on people what to wear, what to eat, what to study, what to dream, and what to enjoy? Why do they want to limit human life, which God has made limitless?
It bewilders me to find a reason for what makes people die or take lives for a political ideology? I just wonder, do all these ideologies exists in God’s dictionary? After death, would God consider if I died or took lives to establish a political ideology? Is it worth it then?
Many do not believe in God or Spirituality. For them, any explanation would not help. But if you believe in God, then just think over, is it worth to spend your whole life for a Political ideology, when God created one Earth.
One must re-consider, what must be the priority and purpose of his life. I believe, the only purpose of human life on earth should be to improve oneself through humanity. Our Karma is the truth of our existence. Dying for Political ideology will not earn any points. It would only create Negative Karma.
Political ideologies only limit our thinking and growth. In fact, it creates a retarded Human, one who cannot think beyond what is prescribed to him or her. One must ask oneself, is it worth giving your life for a Political ideology that adds no value to a human in the court of God ?
–
Rakhi Sunil Kumar
In my view political ideology is aligned to the aspirations of people. The political parties not fulfilling the aspirations of people doesn’t become successful whatever ideology they may have.
Most of the do or die thing happens to show the supremacy over others.
Even expansion of religion is the result of criminal activity except sanatan or Hindu.
The ideology of ruling the world a day has made a religion committing more crime than others.
Nationalist government comes to rule because people want it and not vice versa.
Last few years we have seen nationalist government in US UK New Zealand Australia etc because people have selected it. It may be a result of a perception of discriminatory behaviour of previous government.
Most of the people don’t want to work for their livelihood and are totally dependent on the freebies made available by the government. For such people it becomes do or die business thinking of loosing such government. It’s been seen in Bengal. So many people committed suicide in Tamil Nadu after death of jaylalitha, Bihar and UP.
It’s difficult to say that political ideology is the cause of crime. It’s people’s aspirations which makes political ideology successful.
In the end I will like to say that reason for all crime and dispute is to show supremacy over the other and that’s basic human nature.
Very true.. Indian democracy is a victim of same. To me, leadership matters. As we hv seen in US, Trump’ s period left the country divided. Democracy will bloom if it is led well.