Hypocrisy of the Indian Elite
When I say 'elite,' I am not talking about the high net worth individuals as one would imagine. A person who has had the luxury of private education, is employed in a white-collar job, and lives in an urban area is an Indian Elite. Statistically, such a person would figure in the top 2% of our country. Let's call him 'Leo' for easier reference hereafter.
Leo proudly flaunts his expensive smartphone, which, by the way, he uses only to make phone calls and check WhatsApp or Facebook. He affords a Rs 200 monthly 3G plan to keep his phone smart. Yet when the Railways Budget announces a passenger fare hike of Rs 1.20, he is up in arms with his armchair brigade, passionately debating the ills of inflation. Interestingly, Leo obtains this information from a shared WhatsApp message requesting to be shared further to spread the anti-government word. Funny as it is, Leo last traveled by train ten years back. But Leo feels obliged to rebel against such a fascist hike.
Leo is educated and, thus, by self-implication, the voice of the voiceless. He is entitled to have an opinion on everything, credibility, or the inadequacy of his information notwithstanding. Leo calls this Freedom of Speech. He read on Facebook that the Indian Constitution provides for such liberty. Leo has never read the Indian Constitution…
