Appeal to citizen, don't get deceived by the officers on the social media

Most readers who are  25+ year in age will be agreed with me that - 10 years ago, most of us take the name of a god or drink water first after waking up in the morning. Today most of us check our mobile first form bed and only then put a leg on the floor. This is how mobile change our life. We all know that mobile brings a fundamental change in our lifestyle but how we can't simply understand that it also changed the governance also. Internet and social media is being used by the officers to deceive the innocent citizen.

I am quite sure that most of you watch the Youtube videos or the Facebook post where officers portrayed as the Hero, Dabang and macho man. I am not saying that there is no officer who is doing their duty by going out of the way but they are only a few while most of the other fakes. Many officers have the PR team to make their image. Your clicks on videos and Likes on Facebook is generating capital for them - both Financial capital and also Political/Social capital for them and that also on your (our) cost.

Now, let me come to the main point that how these officers use social media platforms to deceive citizen. I found a modus oprendi and here it is. Let take the story of the X who become municipal commissioner of the city A. X take charge of the A city. On next day, he takes some strong step against some club which considers as the elite's club and no officer dared to touch illegality of club earlier. This makes him a hero in the news. After a week, He begins efforts to reach with citizen through facebook and twitter. Then he follows some semi-Celeb citizen of the city A on facebook and twitter. Then X build a solid group of the 25 Semi-Celeb of a citizen of the city on twitter-FB. X also helps these 25 people in some way to fulfil their personal interest as well. Now these 25 citizen literally become Chamcha of the X. Then these people act like the government spokesperson on twitter and facebook. These people blindly follows the policy of the Govt and make others citizen to believe that govt. running campaign ABC for the benefit of the citizen.

To decode this, one must have to read Gramsci and it's very tough to understand the Gramsci. ( I only read 4 pages of Gramsci till yet). Gramsci said that the elite always try to establish their ideology on the mass ( poor) and for that they need intellectuals and in this case - Elite ( is X), Mass ( Citizen of city A) and Intellectuals ( 20-25 citizen of the city)

Now let understand that how X "impose" his ideology on "Mass". X launches a campaign to make the city free of traffic. That’s a Nobel cause. But there is a political restriction on X that he cannot demolish the illegal or encroached property of the rich people. So, He targets the Poor citizen. He demolishes the roadside food stalls, cycle repairing shop etc. from footpath. Here the role of those 20-25 citizens comes. These people actively try to establish that X doing this for the betterment of the city and a citizen and so it's a civic duty for all to support them. When some citizen question Mr.X that why he doesn’t dare to touch rich people, these 25 people launch an assault on him/her and try to isolate him/her voice and also many time portrayed the person who questions as an anti-social or anti-development agent.

Let's take another example. Now this time X launch the campaign to make a river cleans. It's also a Nobel cause. But as all know, Industries pollute the river but due to political restriction, X cannot take action against industrialists. So, he seeks support from NGOs to make the river clean. Here again, Those 25 people come to the riverfront with a broom and take selfies with Mr X. This is a way for Mr.X to build up a bond with those 25. When some ask Mr X to take action on industries, These 25 men come in role to defend Mr.X and launch an assault on the citizen who questions Mr X.

I know most of you find this as a cynic. You find it's cynic cause the ideology of Mr.X through those 25 get success to root deeply in your mind and most of you lose your own rational way of thinking. Sorry but this is true.

Gramsci said that Mass also have to build up an ideology to counter the elite's ideology. For that, you have to think rationally and it's simple. Don’t believe in anyone and just question yourself, you will get an answer. Here are some tests that you can apply daily -

• Mr X wants to make city traffic free and so he gives strict order to the tow vehicle parked in no parking zone >> Try to find an answer that how many Honda Activa and how many Honda city cars policy towed in one week.

• Mr X wants to make the city clean and so order to demolish encroached construction. >> Just read the news of encroachment closely, Most of the encroachment drive on poor home and reality is that rich are the biggest encroachers. You will rarely get the name off the posh area of the city in anti-encroachment drive.

• Mr X wants to make the river clean >> Find out how many industrialists got punished who discharged their polluted water untreated in the river.

I request to citizen special the middle-class citizens, please don’t follow or participate blindly any Govt. campaign on the name of the "Civic duty". This "Civic Duty" become a tool of the officers to fulfil their narrow interest with ease.  Keep remembering the words of the former Supreme court Judge ( On the case of the Naxal region) - "The word development is a horror for many citizens of this country". Officers are selling the dream of the "Smart city" and those 25 are the salesmen without pay. But this schemes pushing our poor brothers in the oblivion. Shining scheme of the "Smart city" pushed the life of many our poor brothers and sisters into darkness. Please don’t become a crime partner on the name of the "Civil duty".

I am not saying that, don't support the government or cooperate with officers. Do support and cooperate but only on your "Rational decision" and not with driven by the ideology imposed upon you by those "25 people". Do support anti-traffic drive of administration if they dared to towed the BMW parked in no parking zone. This is the simplest test!

( I am not good to communicate, I know that. But if you keep these words in mind while reading FB post of an officer or those 25 salesmen, I hope you can understand what I want to convey)