God Complex

Narendra Modi’s State Department of Education has issued a circular to all schools in Gujarat to watch Modi’s “Teacher’s Day” live address on television. The principals are warned in the circular that non-compliance due to any reason will not be tolerated. There will be surprise checks and inspections in schools to ensure that all students and teachers are watching the CM’s address.
 
The directive asks the school principals to collect students in the playgrounds or auditoriums for this mass viewing, while the fact is that over 50% of the schools do not have any playground, let alone auditoriums. Televisions sets have to be arranged by the schools for the purpose, while the fact is that many village schools do not even have electricity, let alone access to television.
 
And we thought the “Teacher’s Day” was meant to mark the relationship between teachers and students, and express a recognition and gratitude from the students, for their teachers’ efforts. So where does the Chief Minister come into all this?
 
GOD COMPLEX
 
Senator J. William Fulbright, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the U.S. during the Vietnam era, wrote a book titled “The Arrogance of Power”.
 
“Power,” wrote the Senator, “has a way of undermining judgement, of planting delusions of grandeur in the minds of otherwise sensible people and otherwise sensible nations.”
 
Delusions of grandeur, or Megalomania, is an illness of the mind that results from excessive arrogance, that in turn results from excessive power.
 
The irony of the situation is that the megalomaniac who exhibits such gigantic ego and over-confidence about his authority, in reality has such low self-esteem that he wants the people to bow down before him in blind, unquestioned obedience. He does not allow room for dissent or independence of thought.
 
Anything that is not under the megalomaniac’s control is perceived as a threat.
 
In recent times, we have seen the humiliating ending of General Musharraf and a public hanging of his ego. Why and how did Musharraf lose his iron-like grip after 9 turbulent years? Because of a fundamental mistake. He was frank about seizing and retaining power by force. People knew about his crime, they knew all along of his illegitimacy.
 
The oldest art in the world is how to fool people to retain power over them endlessly. Musharraf did not know this art at all. He was like a raw animal of low intelligence who just grabbed power openly by force, and not by brain.
 
A smart politician uses his brain – and learns his tricks from God. He understands, unlike Musharraf, that people must not merely fear you, but also worship you.
 
God has two sides: the benevolent side and the punishing side. To ensure that people continue to bow down before God, it cannot be achieved by benevolence alone. Threat, or fear of punishment is equally important to retain that power. Rituals and practices are also important tools in this cult game.
 
The results of this combination of benevolence and fear are absolutely fatal. There is no chance of dissent or rebellion. In the last 5000 years, there has not been a single period when God went out of power, and lost his grip over the people’s minds. He has been in the seat of power uninterrupted ever since he was placed there.
 
In that sense, if there is an ultimate politician in the Universe, it is God.

And men like Narendra Modi are smart enough to know this truth, and apply its principles on this planet.