Maha Kumbh Celebration: Is it Sign Of New Orwellian State?

The posters banners, and slogans at the venue speak volumes about the real intent of the entire exercise. The content and ground-level activities there reveal the real character. We find saints speaking political language and corporates distributing books of prayers

The Indian situation is pathetic. No one can decipher what is going on in the country. Chaos is also not the right word to describe it. How can a country that has institutions with well-defined power be termed chaotic? It is also difficult to name the state an Orwellian one where a centralised system controls everything from the body to an individual's mind, and institutions have an in-built capacity to weed out elements opposed to the state.

Here, technology plays a decisive role in the surveillance and control of the masses. In the present world, we cannot think of repeating the old Orwellian state model. In the new model, the state outsources its authority to various interests and they manage the things. We can see how the state collects personal data through social welfare schemes, and private companies use it for their benefit. At times, the state does not have to interfere; the companies do it on their own.

People have been debating how internet connectivity destroys your privacy, and your single search on the internet will let others know about personal preferences. Many may interpret it as the weakening of the state. But it is not that. Outsourcing of the state’s authority to keep surveillance on you makes people vulnerable. Earlier, the state was taping your phone, and you could challenge it in court, when a company extracts the information about your choice of shirt or trousers you cannot drag him to court because through some technology they do it and have extracted your permission for it too. The question of how a common man should save himself from this attack on his privacy is a global concern. However, there is no visible solution to it.

For some time now, the Indian state has been trying to adopt an Orwellian model by outsourcing authority to others. The Mahakumbh showcases the character of this new Orwellian state. Tourism, publicity, or any other ministry is hardly playing any big role. Even the party machinery has little presence. Hired agencies are doing everything. The compliant media does the rest. The state only provides the template and other players develop it. If someone errs, others will correct it.

We have seen how the National Green Tribunal pulled up the UP Pollution Control Board for not appropriately informing the pollution level of water in Ganga and Yamuna. The Central Pollution Control Board, in its report, has revealed the levels of bacterial pollution in both rivers. It is 700,000 MPN/100 ml in Ganga and 330,000 MPN/100 ml in Yamuna. The permissible level of coliform is 500 MPN/100 ml. It shows how polluted the water is where crores of people are taking a dip.

The response of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is on the expected lines. He does not feel accountable to the people and appears defiant as usual. He sees political conspiracy in all these reports and criticisms. He is doing so even after a report from the agency that functions under the government run by his party. Here also we find the trait of a neo-Orwellian state where one arm of the establishment will tell you one thing and the other something else. And you will fail to know the truth because the media blocks the path of inquiry. Had the National Green Tribunal kept silent, we would have hardly known about the alarming level of pollution in two holy rivers.

The worst aspect of the Mahakumbh celebration has been its political exploitation. How can a Prime Minister use his identity as the supreme leader of the country to woo voters in a small state? He and his party and for that matter, the Election Commission of India could deny that the image of the prime minister taking a holy dip in Mahakumbh will not impress Hindu voters in Delhi. It could also be made possible because of the presence of a servile media. So, the new state does not require dedicated departments to control the minds of the people.

It has outsourced it to others. And let us not make the mistake that the corporate media do all the jobs. There are other outlets as well. They include social media platforms, IT cells, WhatsApp groups, and opinionated print materials. They need not be controlled by the state. There is a non-state actor in the form of the Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS). It controls the narrative and fights on the ground.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah, and other BJP claim that Mahakumbh is a matter of faith, and it does not have to do anything with politics. The posters banners, and slogans at the venue speak volumes about the real intent of the entire exercise. The content and ground-level activities there reveal the real character. We find saints speaking political language and corporates distributing books of prayers. Is it in any way related to religion? Does it help enrich people in terms of spiritualism or culture? Does it not expose the saints who helped the Home Minister take the holy dip? These activities reduce a religious exercise to a political game meant to mobilize people in the name of religion.

One more aspect requires our attention. This discriminatory nature of the celebration. Had the government limited its presence by playing the role of a manager or facilitator, it would have been a different case. It was the responsibility of the government to manage the crowd and provide the pilgrims all the facilities.

It was quite different when instead of managing things they started presiding over ceremonies and usurping the role of religious leaders. It is unconstitutional. The constitution does not allow to play the role of a religious leader of a particular faith while remaining in office. The constitution does not allow any state to promote one particular religion.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)