SynopsisAir a grievance against anything 'Indian' at your own risk, gaddaarAir a grievance against anything ‘Indian’ at your own risk, gaddaarHave a complaint about the System? Easy, tiger. Are you sure you're not, as Didi still suspects, a conspirator? Or as RWA Uncle thinks you to be: a traitor? One moment you're discussing the terrible state of potholes, or the jarring jaagran downstairs, and the next moment you're accused of plotting with Islamabad to destabilise the republic that Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had dreamed of after rereading about the French Revolution that had happened some 50 yrs before he was born. Take the latest critic of the System, Vedant Srivastava, a hapless Class 12 Delhi student who dared to grumble about a CBSE physics paper mix-up. Enter Doordarshan anchor Ashok Shrivastav (no relation to Srivastava, unless there's a mix-up during SIR), who promptly suggested Vedant was practically waving the Pakistani flag because his X account was found to be located in 'South Asia'.This tactic is super-effective. It transforms every critic into a cartoon villain. Complain about power cuts? You're working for ISI. Question tax returns? You're undermining national security. The most patriotic act is silence, and the most dangerous weapon is an X post. So, anyone complaining about something you don't want to hear complaints about, just hurl that grenade: 'Anti-national!' Or as the insult trending these days goes: 'Bangladeshi!' It's all the rage in MAGAland, too. ...moreElevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea.Subscribe Now