THE TRUTH VERSUS HYPE After pushing a lot of propaganda and elaborate instructions with special Covid government site and glitches corrected App, I was surprised to see live on TV the chaotic plight of senior citizens and patients in hospitals shown in Mumbai and Bangalore. The PM was the first patient vaccinated in Delhi leading from the front. But we have a minister getting vaccination organized in his house!The government though it preaches, does not bother about the comman man too much! The daily shooting up high price of petrol and LPG, where small business is impossible to survive, the transportation costs serverly crippling movement in these Covid days, the kitchen budget sending them back to the grass eating days? Starvation deaths in India were already at unacceptable levells compared worldwide. Phase one of vaccination was far below the target. Vaccine diplomacy, praise fom other nations, the biggest cricket stadium, highest statue, PMs photo and Bhagwad Gita in space etc must not be at the cost of the common man. The PM wants to quickly build his bigger cake to be able to give the poor a slice. How long must he suffer and what use if he is in the grave before that? We have often seen headlines of Jungle Raj in UP and have witnessed trigger happy police lodging FIRs with ridiculous charges like attempt to murder in routine road accidents, and sedition in criticism of government. Some courts have been pulling up the police, but by and large state patronage prevails. We have Reliance Jio cornering most of the spectrum auctioned by the governemnt and Adani group increasingly running airports and harbours, coal mining, India Inc and merger of banks and the big powerful well organised and funded BJP election machine wanting to win every election, with every trick in the book and pulling out all their big guns right from PM to overwhelm the opposition. Protests by citizens and stake holders have no meaning in our democracy all subject to the enforced grand vision? The farmers agitation surviving for over 100 days and counting, not yet crushed, have now reportedly decided to enter the political space by deciding to canvas in election due states against the "decisive" BJP government. The torrent of mainstream and social media propaganda will be something to witness. In this scenario, who will be able to counter the facts versus fiction and truth versus hype?
