Schrödinger’s Cat, Love, Art and the foundation of design.

This morning, while working on a caricature head in artificial clay, I found myself shaping the subtle features of its face to convey a particular expression. As I adjusted the muscles and contours, the face shifted through a spectrum of emotions, inner feelings, desires, decisions, determination, and even the marks of time and ageing. Together, these elements form the essence of an individual.

In Kathakali, I have heard of actors who strive to perfect two contrasting expressions on their faces simultaneously, an ability achieved only after years of disciplined practice. In everyday life, however, such a skill is rare. We sometimes see ambiguous or puzzling expressions, yet even these usually settle into one dominant emotional state. In other words, the human face naturally collapses all possible expressions into a single one, communicating a person’s present state of mind, feeling, or intention. Without expression, no one can honestly know whether such inner states exist. They cannot be touched, seen, heard, smelled, or tasted unless they manifest through expression.

Schrödinger illustrated this principle beautifully in his famous thought experiment. He imagined a cat inside a closed box, with a device that would release poison if triggered by the random decay of a particle. The decay is possible but unpredictable. Until the box is opened, the cat’s fate: alive or dead, remains unknowable. Observation collapses all possible states into one: life or death.

As I shaped the clay figure’s face, I realised I was holding my own version of Schrödinger’s box. Until I decided on a specific expression, collapsing all other possibilities, the character did not truly exist. Without that choice, it remained a face without identity, concealing its reality from the observer.
In Mahāyāna Buddhism, there is a related concept known as dependent arising. It teaches that a phenomenon exists only in relation to other phenomena. A child exists only because there are parents; likewise, parents only truly become “parents” when a child is born. Before that, they are simply two individuals capable of imagining parenthood, but not yet inhabiting it. While conception and birth may be described as cause and effect, the concept of “parent” becomes a lived reality only with the arrival of the child. Much like Schrödinger’s cat, all other possibilities collapse when one specific reality, in this case, parenthood, is realised.

This may be a simplistic way of explaining reality. In truth, it reveals a complex relationship, a trilogy of art, artist, and observer present in all things. The observer must first grasp the concept of life and death (art), as expressed through the symbolism of the cat and the box (artist), in order to observe and collapse all possibilities into one: alive or dead, through judgment. In the same way, dependent arising requires the interplay of observer, box, and cat as epistemological factors, and observation, concealment, and life as ontological factors.

From this perspective, when I mould the clay’s facial muscles into a particular expression, collapsing all other options into one, I define the individual for all who will see it. A smile will make the person seem pleasant; a shout will make them appear angry. The reality of the individual — perhaps long dead and now existing only in the abstract realm of memory — is replaced by my chosen perception.

My perception then gives birth to a new one. By fixing one facial expression, I create a “reality” — but not necessarily the truth of that person. I work with an abstract image drawn from the many abstractions others hold. That is what we do in life: we relate to people and things through our own perceptions, treating those as reality. Like Schrödinger’s description, we collapse possibilities into a single relationship with the “other” and live according to that chosen version.

Friends, family, partners, colleagues, neighbours, rivals, even enemies — all are filtered through such perspectives. We collapse countless possibilities into one or two narratives, and from them build our actions, reactions, and relationships. In this way, we ourselves become the trilogy: artist, art, and observer.
The “reality” we experience is not the objective truth, but an abstract perspective born with us. In the closed box, the cat may be dead or alive. What moves us to open the box: curiosity, compassion, or love, shapes not only what we see, but how we experience it. If curiosity drives us, we merely check the cat’s state and move on. If compassion drives us, we respond to the trauma if the cat is dead. But if love is our motive, the moment transcends the experiment: the cat’s state becomes a profoundly personal, transformative experience.

At that point, the box, the cat, and the experiment fade into the background. The act becomes spiritual. Unlike the ordinary emotions of pain, anger, hatred, or ambition, the grace of selfless love, sacrifice, and heroism redefines the reality before us. Here, the self dissolves. Only the “other” and their perceived worth remain.

As a sculptor, when I carve another person’s likeness, I realise we are all sculptors in our own way, shaping others in our imagination and treating that abstract as their reality. But when we abandon all other perspectives and choose to carve love, sacrifice, and heroism into the face, something shifts: the person is freed from the bonds of my own perspectives. The cat, beyond my sight, does not need my observation or my reference to exist. I cease to be relevant to the cat’s reality, just as the question of whether it is alive or dead ceases to matter from the cat’s own standpoint.

Today, while making portraits, I realised that many of the confusions and complexities in our relationships with the unknown, with others, and with the future arise from our self-referential or human-centred worldview, where the act of observing, the observed, and the observer define reality, collapsing it to a single version with us at the centre. But if we release the unknown, others, and the future from this self-reference, with love, tolerance (sacrifice), and letting go (heroism), our egocentric perspectives dissolve, and with them much of our suffering and that of others.

With that awareness, as I carved the faces, I found myself for the first time in a long while holding beautiful people in my hands, people who had lived beautiful lives.

The cats of the world need not live or die because Schrödinger chooses to open or close the box in pursuit of the unknown from his self-referential quantum mechanics viewpoint.

The cat was never merely part of that thought experiment. It was the divine, the art of liberation, and the love hidden behind the unknown - the foundation of design. 

 

Quantum Entanglement, Ubuntu and Design Practice

 

In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology—especially in the Avatamsaka Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism—the idea of Indra's Net offers a powerful metaphor for how the universe works. Indra's Net is imagined as an endless web, where every knot or point is a shining jewel. Each jewel reflects all the others, showing that everything in the universe is connected and nothing exists in isolation. This reflects the Buddhist concept of dependent arising where everything comes into being through relationships, not on its own.

Similar ideas appear in Zen Buddhism and Daoism, which both reject the notion of separation between self and other. They see this separation as an illusion. In Advaita Vedanta, a school of Hindu philosophy, the same belief exists: the ultimate reality, Brahman, is not different from the individual soul or Atman. The idea that they are separate is a trick of perception, called Maya.

In Western philosophy, these views have parallels. For example, the 17th-century thinker Leibniz proposed a theory called Monadology, where reality is made up of indivisible units called monads. Each monad reflects the whole universe within itself, just like the jewels in Indra's Net. They don't interact directly, but remain in harmony, as if "pre-programmed" to move in sync.

Other Western philosophies also support the idea that reality is based on relationships. Plato's Theory of Forms says that the physical world is just a shadow of higher, unchanging truths. Phenomenology, especially in the writings of Husserl and Heidegger, focuses on how meaning and understanding come through the relationship between the observer and the world. Carl Jung's concept of synchronicity, where events seem connected in meaningful ways, even without direct cause—also echoes this idea. Even Marxist theory sees individuals and states as deeply interlinked through social and economic structures.

In this broader philosophical context, quantum entanglement in physics seems less like a revolutionary concept and more like a modern echo of ancient truths. In quantum theory, two or more particles can become entangled, meaning their states are linked. If you observe one particle, the state of the other changes instantly, even if it's on the other side of the universe. Einstein famously called this "spooky action at a distance".

This is strikingly similar to Indra's Net: a universe where touching one part immediately affects the whole, without sending any message or signal. Quantum entanglement shows us that everything might be far more connected than we usually believe.

Quantum Entanglement, Ubuntu, and Design Thinking

This concept becomes more than a scientific curiosity in today's networked, globalised society. It becomes a foundation for how we live and design. No matter how small, every person, event, or action has ripple effects that touch others. Systems like global trade, finance, the internet, transport, education, and energy shape our lives. On the surface, things may seem unrelated, but when seen through the lens of quantum entanglement, we realise that everything is deeply connected.

For example, a slight change in interest rates in India or the US might seem local. However, that change can influence international trade, affect prices of raw materials like fertiliser, change how farmers use chemicals, and even shift insect populations in faraway countries. Those changes then affect crop production, local economies, job markets, and global consumption patterns. Even insects, which don't use money or care about economics, are indirectly impacted by financial decisions made continents away. This example may be over simplified, but it illustrates the key point: local events have global consequences, whether we realise it or not.

This is where the African philosophy of Ubuntu becomes essential. Ubuntu is a design principle reflecting life's interconnected nature, much like quantum entanglement. The Zulu expression "Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" translates to "a person is a person through other people." Ubuntu teaches that we are who we are because of others.

At its core, Ubuntu is about shared humanity, compassion, and responsibility. It recognises that no person exists in isolation. Our well-being depends on the well-being of others. Ubuntu calls for empathy, kindness, and mutual respect. It also stresses the importance of healing rather than punishment, when conflicts arise, the goal should be to repair and reunite, not to isolate and harm. It is a system rooted in wholeness and restoration.

The Future of Design: Healing 

The crises we face today—environmental, political, economic, or cultural—result from divided thinking and actions based on separation rather than unity. If we hope to design a better future, we must change how we see the world. We must move beyond solving isolated problems and instead adopt a healing approach that considers each issue to be connected to others.

When viewed alongside ancient philosophies like Indra's Net or Ubuntu, Quantum entanglement teaches us this simple but profound truth: we are all part of one reality. There is no "us and them"; there is only we. And in design, this means moving away from short-term fixes and towards practices that restore, regenerate, and reconnect.

Ubuntu, as a practical philosophy, offers a guide for this shift. It already embodies the understanding that everything is linked, and that only through mutual care and healing can we truly thrive. The future of design—whether in education, architecture, policy, or systems—must embrace this unified view of reality, not just as an ideal but as a practical, necessary approach to healing the world that is affected by our partisan and sectorial thinking and actions.

Irony in Motion: Bernie the Capitalist Guardian, Trump the Oligarchic Wrecking Ball:

History has identified six dominant forms of oligarchic rule that have shaped societies across different eras:

1. Plutocracy – rule by the wealthy elite or billionaires

2. Technocracy – rule by experts and technocrats

3. Stratocracy – rule by military officials

4. Theocracy – rule by religious authorities

5. Corporate Oligarchy – rule by CEOs and business cartels

6. Criminal Oligarchy – rule by underworld networks or mafia-like syndicates

With the exception of criminal oligarchies, most of these forms have, over the last century, been assimilated—either openly or subtly—into various socio-political and economic systems. Today, nearly every nation exhibits traits of one or more of these oligarchic structures embedded within their governance and societal frameworks.

However, in post-Marxist Russia, a significant departure has occurred: criminal oligarchs have risen to dominate over all other types. This rise can be traced to the collapse of communism, the economic chaos of the 1990s, and the authoritarian consolidation under Vladimir Putin. Within this model, criminal oligarchy became not just influential but foundational. There is widespread belief—especially within Western political discourse—that even American presidential elections have been influenced by these criminal oligarchs, operating under the guise of "Russian influence."

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, anxiety among Western neoliberal societies, especially in Europe, has intensified. Many now openly worry about the infiltration of Russian criminal oligarchs into Western economies and business networks. Media and political commentators in these countries have even speculated about a covert alliance between Putin and Trump, with some going so far as to frame Trump as a Putin proxy. While no conclusive evidence has emerged to prove such a direct link, the narrative persists and continues to gain traction in Western policy and media circles.

At the root of this concern lies a deeper fear: that Western democratic capitalism could gradually mutate into a Russian-style criminal oligarchy. This fear isn’t unfounded. Under Trump, and through the influence of a narrow circle of techno-billionaires, America has shown signs of sliding toward a blend of technocracy, plutocracy, and corporate oligarchy. These trends point to a disturbing realignment of American political and economic structures—away from open-market capitalism and toward an increasingly centralised oligarchic power structure.

To evaluate whether a society is becoming oligarchic, five critical questions are often posed:

1. Does a small group of individuals control wealth, politics, and media?

2. Are elections free, fair, and competitive?

3. Can ordinary citizens influence major policy decisions?

4. Is dissent tolerated without retaliation or punishment?

5. Is economic mobility realistically achievable for most people?

By the second term of his presidency, Donald Trump and his inner circle had answered 'yes' to the first question and 'no' to the remaining four—a clear indicator of oligarchic drift. In response, Senator Bernie Sanders launched a public campaign centred on “fighting oligarchs in America,” a message that has increasingly resonated with disillusioned citizens across the political spectrum.

The deeper irony of oligarchy lies in its superficial resemblance to capitalism, while in reality, it undermines the foundational values of a capitalist economy. It:

Transfers ownership from competitive markets to entrenched family

or cartel networks

Replaces the profit motive with power consolidation among elites

Turns open markets into regulated enclaves shaped by backroom deals

Elevates corporate dominance into the unchecked supremacy of a few

oligarchs

Subverts regulation through tariff manipulation and state favoritism

Transforms meritocracy into identity-based preferences (race, class,

gender)

Restricts global free trade in favour of nationalism and protectionism

Among the core principles of American capitalism, the only two that Trump and his circle have not yet targeted directly for dismantlement are consumerism and commodification. These remain intact, largely because they serve as the economic lifeblood of elite capital accumulation.

As a result, Trump’s tenure has hollowed out key structures of American capitalism, replacing them with an increasingly oligarchic model dominated by a small, unaccountable elite. His actions represent a direct betrayal of the philosophical and structural foundations laid by the original architects of American capitalism.

This trend is starkly illustrated by figures like Elon Musk, who—under Trump’s administration—was empowered to act in ways that flout democratic oversight, labor regulations, and public accountability. Musk’s disregard for checks and balances exemplifies the rise of the corporate-criminal hybrid oligarch: one who merges technological dominance with political impunity.

Thus, the historical irony could not be greater: Trump’s far-right business cartel is systematically dismantling American capitalism, while Bernie Sanders—a democratic socialist—is one of its most visible defenders, fighting to protect it from collapse into oligarchic authoritarianism.

Bernie Sanders, acrylic and charcoal on paper.

A Nation Destroyed for the Mullahs, by the Mullahs

After the Pahalgam attack, a writer and artist friend of mine remarked:

"India did what Pakistan once only dreamed of—bombing terrorists who pose as Mullahs."

I asked him, "Which Pakistan?"

He replied without pause, "The Pakistan that Lahore once was…"

Back in 1929, Lahore was the cradle of a dream. It was there that the historic call for Poorna Swaraj—complete independence—was made, a defining moment in India's freedom struggle. Lahore, then, was a city of poets, intellectuals, revolutionaries, and cultural icons. It breathed ambition and art. The dream of a free nation took shape in its libraries, cafés, and student circles.

That dream now chokes under the weight of fanaticism.

Post-partition, Lahore became the site of brutal communal riots. The spirit of the city—once elegant and inclusive—was suffocated by waves of xenophobic, Islamic fundamentalism. The dreamers, the reformers, and the liberals vanished, silenced by theocratic ideologues and power-hungry military men masquerading as saviours of Islam.

In the course of history, Pakistan failed three times.

First, it failed when Jinnah couldn't convince the Muslim League to adopt his vision of a liberal Muslim-majority state. His death left a vacuum quickly filled by hardliners who wanted theocracy, not democracy.

Second, it failed when it alienated its own people—treating refugees from Partition as Mohajirs, repressing Baloch aspirations, and neglecting or ruling over the Pashtuns with suspicion and violence. It fractured from within.

The third and perhaps most fatal blow came under General Zia. Backed by Western powers, he institutionalised religious extremism, turning Pakistan into a theocratic state where terror and gun culture became tools of governance. The Pakistan of culture, civility, and romance died then. The Lahore of Ghalib, Bhagat Singh, and Iqbal were finally buried.

What remains today is a state swinging between failed democracy and authoritarian religious (Military) rule. It is no longer governed by the people. It is ruled by the Mullahs, for the Mullahs, and in service of the Mullahs—a primitive, failed Islamic dungeon. On its streets, you'll find more bigoted xenophobes than empowered citizens. Freedom breathes only in the compounds of the military elite or the homes of corrupt politicians. The rest live under fear, dependency, or silence.

My friend, a liberal soul married to a non-Muslim, once dreamed of moving to India, if only to breathe the air of freedom. Now, he says that dream is fading. He sees in today's India the same shadows he once saw creep over Pakistan in the late 1970s—the rise of majoritarianism, cultural policing, and the slow corrosion of pluralism.

"They haven't yet killed the Lahore in me," he says. "But, with the passing of people like me, a nation will breath its last liberal breath and freedom".

Tragic!

ഭാരതമാത

 ഭാരതമാതയെക്കുറിച്ചു എല്ലാവരും പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നത് കൊണ്ട് വേണോ വേണ്ടയോ എന്ന് പലപ്രാവശ്യം ആലോചിച്ചു. ഓറോവില്ലയിലെ മരങ്ങൾക്കിടയിലൊളിച്ചോരു ഗസ്റ്റ്ഹൗസിന്റെ ബാൽക്കണിയിലിരുന്നു രാത്രിയുടെ നിശബ്ദതയിലേക്ക് നോക്കിയിരുന്നപ്പോൾ ഒറോബിന്ദോയുടെ സാവിത്രിയാണ് മനസ്സിലേക്ക് കടന്നുവന്നത്. തന്റെ പ്രിയതമനെ മരണത്തിൽ നിന്നും രക്ഷിക്കാൻ മരണത്തിന്റെ യജമാനനായ യമനോടൊപ്പം നടന്നു തോൽപ്പിച്ച പുരാണകഥയിലെ അനിതര സാധാരണയായ ഒരു സ്ത്രീയുടെ കഥയാണ് ഒറോബിന്ദോ തന്റെ തത്വശാസ്ത്രത്തിന്റെ സാരാംശമായി അവതരിപ്പിക്കാനായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തത്. സ്ത്രീ ശക്തിയുടെയും (കാളി) സമ്പത്തിന്റെയും (ദുർഗ്ഗ/ലക്ഷ്മി ) വിദ്യയുടെയും (സരസ്വതി) പ്രതീകങ്ങളായി ആരാധിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ശരാശരി ബംഗാളി കുടുംബത്തിൽ നിന്നും വന്ന ഒറോബിന്ദോ സാവിത്രിയുടെ കഥ തന്റെ തത്വശാസ്ത്രത്തിന്റെ പ്രതീകമായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തതിൽ അതിശയോക്തികളൊന്നുമില്ല. സാവിത്രി ആദ്യം കൈയിലെടുക്കുന്നത് ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് അത്ര വശമില്ലാത്തൊരു കാലത്താണ്. എങ്കിലും കൈയ്യിലൊതുങ്ങാത്ത പുസ്തകം എന്നും എന്റെകൂടെ എന്നുമുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. പിന്നീട് കുറെ കാലങ്ങൾക്കുശേഷം പലവുരു വായിച്ചതിനുശേഷമാണ് കുറച്ചെങ്കിലും മനസ്സിലാക്കാനായത്. അതിലെ ഓരോ വരികളും അർത്ഥവത്തായിരിക്കുന്നതിനോടൊപ്പം അനുവാചകന് ഭാവനാത്മകമായി വ്യഖ്യാനിക്കാനുള്ള അവസരവുമായിരിക്കണം എന്ന ഓറോബിന്ദോയുടെ നിർകർഷതയാണ് സാവിത്രിയെ വളരെ ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുള്ളൊരു കവിതയാക്കി മാറ്റുന്നത്. സാവിത്രിയെ പിന്നീടൊരിക്കലേക്കു മാറ്റിവെച്ചു മനസ്സ് വീണ്ടും ഭാരതമാതവിലേക്കെത്തി.

ലോകത്തെല്ലാസംസ്കാരത്തിലെയും പോലെ സ്ത്രീയെ ആരാധിക്കുന്ന ഗോത്രങ്ങളും, മതങ്ങളും, ജാതികളും ഉൾപ്പെട്ടൊരു സംസ്കാരമാണ് ഇന്ത്യയുടേയും. ഈ രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ ചരിത്രത്തിലാദ്യമായി കഴിഞ്ഞ മുപ്പതുവര്ഷമായി സ്ത്രീകൾ പൊതുസ്ഥലങ്ങളും പൊതുബോധവും നിറഞ്ഞു നിൽക്കുന്ന നിയോ ലിബറൽ ലോകത്തിൽ പൊതു സ്ഥലങ്ങളിലെ സ്ത്രീ സ്വാധീനവും സാന്നിധ്യവും എങ്ങിനെ നേരിടണം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അംഗീകരിക്കണം എന്നറിയാത്തതിന്റെ പുരുഷസമൂഹത്തിന്റെയും, പുരുഷാധിപത്യത്തിന്റെയും പെരുമാറ്റ ദൂഷ്യങ്ങളും കുറ്റകൃത്യങ്ങളും ഒരു മാറ്റം വന്നുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ താൽക്കാലിക പരിണാമ ചെയ്തികളും അവയുടെ നിയമവശങ്ങളുമായി മാറ്റിവെച്ചാൽ, പല പേരിൽ, അമ്മയായും, മാരിയായും, പ്രേതമായും, യക്ഷിയായും, സീതയായും, പാഞ്ചാലിയായും, ഗംഗയായും, യമുനയായും, ദുർഗ്ഗയായും ലക്ഷ്മിയായും, സരസ്വതിയായും, പദ്മാവതിയായും, അംബികയായും, താരയായും, മാരിച്ചിയായും, പ്രജ്ഞാപരമിതയായും, ഗാർഗ്ഗിയായും, റാണിമാരായും അങ്ങിനെ എണ്ണിയാലൊടുങ്ങാത്ത ദൈവങ്ങളായും, ദേവതകളായും, കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളായും, പ്രേമികകളായും, തത്വചിന്തകരായും, മാതാവായും , പത്നിയായും, ധീര ശൂരരായും സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് അപ്രമാദിത്യമുള്ളൊരു സംസ്കാരമാണ് ഇന്ത്യയിലിൽ എല്ലാമത സംസ്കാരങ്ങളിലും ഉള്ളത്. ഹിന്ദു മതത്തിൽ പുരുഷകേന്ദ്രികൃത ദൈവശാഖകളായ ശൈവർക്കറും വൈഷ്‌ണവർക്കും പോലെ തന്നെ ഔന്നിദ്യമുള്ളതാണ് സ്ത്രീ കേന്ദ്രികൃതമായ ശാക്തേയ ശാഖ.

അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെയാകണം ഈസ്റ്റ് ഇന്ത്യ കമ്പനി നടത്തിയ അതി ഭീകരമായ ബംഗാൾ ക്ഷാമകാലത്തെ അടിസ്ഥാനമാക്കി ബങ്കിം ചന്ദ്ര ചതോപാധ്യായ എഴുതിയ വിപ്ലവകഥയിൽ രാജ്യം മാതാവായി അവതരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത്. ആദ്യമായി ശക്തിയുടെയും (കാളി) സമ്പത്തിന്റെയും (ദുർഗ്ഗ/ലക്ഷ്മി ) വിദ്യയുടെയും (സരസ്വതി) പ്രതീകമായി ഭാരതത്തെ അമ്മയായി അവതരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത് ആനന്ദമഠം എന്ന ഈ നോവലിൽ ആണ്. പിന്നീട് അതെന്നെന്നേക്കുമായി ഇന്ത്യ ചരിത്രത്തിൽ രാജ്യത്തെ അമ്മയായി കാണുന്നതിലേക്ക് നയിക്കുകയുമാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. വന്ദേ മാതരം ഒരു യുദ്ധ കാഹളത്തിനപ്പുറത്തു ഒരു രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ അഭിമാന ഗർജ്ജനമാകുന്നതും അതോടെയാണ്.

പിന്നീട് കാളിയിൽ നിന്നും ദുർഗ്ഗയിലേക്ക് പരിണാമം നേടിയപോലെ, ആനന്ദമഠത്തിലെ പ്രചണ്ഡ മാതാവ് അബനീന്ദ്രനാഥ ടാഗോറിന്റെ സാത്വീകതയുടെ പ്രമാണമായ വിദ്യയുടെയും, ധനത്തിന്റെയും, ധാർമീകതയുടെയും, ഉത്തരവാദിത്വ ബോധത്തിന്റെയും പ്രതീകമായ ഹിന്ദു ദൈവീകതയുള്ള ഭാരതമാതാവാവുകയാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. പിന്നീടുള്ള എല്ലാ സ്വാതന്ത്രസമര വേദികളിലും ഭാരത് മാതാ കി ജയ് എന്ന ജയാ കാഹള വിളി അനിവാര്യതയാവുകയായിരുന്നു. കൂടാതെ ഭാരതമാതാവ് എന്ന ചിഹ്നവും ചിന്തയും സാവിത്രി പോലുള്ള തത്വചിന്തയാധിഷ്ഠിതമായ പുസ്തകങ്ങൾക്ക് പ്രേരണതയായതു കൂടാതെ, കച്ചവട സാധ്യതകൾ എന്ന് വേണ്ട സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ എല്ലാ തട്ടുകളിലേക്കും എത്തിച്ചേർന്നൊരു ആശയമായി മാറുകയാണുണ്ടായത്.

1936ൽ വാരണാസിയിൽ ഗാന്ധിജി ഉദ്ഘാടനം ചെയ്ത ഒരമ്പലം പോലുമുണ്ട് ഭാരതമാതാവിന്. അന്ന് ക്രാന്തദർശിയായ ഗാന്ധിജി "ഭാരതമാതാവ് ഒരു വംശീയ വെറിയുടെ ആമുഖമാകരുത്" എന്ന് ചൂണ്ടി കാണിച്ചത് പോലെ, പിന്നീട് സ്വാതന്ത്രാനന്തര ഇന്ത്യയിൽ ഭാരതമാതാവിനെ തീവ്ര വലതുപക്ഷ രാഷ്ട്രീയ കക്ഷികളായ ഹിന്ദുത്വ കൈയേറി സ്വന്തമാക്കുന്ന കാഴ്ചയാണ് നാം കാണുന്നത്. നിയോ ലിബറലായ നെഹ്രുവിയൻ കോൺഗ്രെസ്സുകാർ അത് വിട്ടുകൊടുക്കുകയും, ലോകസാർവത്രീകതയിൽ വിശ്വസിച്ച കമ്മ്യൂണിസ്റ്റ്കാർ അതിനെ തിരസ്കരിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തതോടെ, ആനന്ദമഠത്തിനൽ തുടങ്ങിയ ഭാരതമാതാവ് ഹിന്ദുത്വയുടെ പ്രതീകമായി ഒടുങ്ങി.

എങ്കിലും ഭാരതമാതാവ് ജനങ്ങളുടെ മനസ്സിൽ ഒരു രാഷ്ട്രീയ പാർട്ടിയുടെയോ ആശയങ്ങളുടെയോ കുത്തകകളായി ഒരിക്കലും മാറിയില്ല. 'അമ്മ, അവർക്കു അത്തരം സങ്കുചിത ചിന്തകളിലൊതുക്കാവുന്ന ഒരു സങ്കൽപ്പമാകാൻ പറ്റുന്നൊരു കാര്യമല്ല. അതിനാൽ തന്നെ ഗവർണർ വച്ച കാവികൊടിയേന്തിയ ആർഎസ്എസിന്റെ ഭാരതമാതാവും, ഭാരതമാതാവ് ഹിന്ദുത്വയുടെ പ്രതീകമാണെന്നു എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞ മന്ത്രിയും, അവർക്കു സ്വീകാര്യമാകാനിടയില്ല. ഒരു ശരാശരി ഇന്ത്യക്കാരന് ഭാരതമാതാവ് തങ്ങളുടെ മാതാവിനോടൊപ്പം മനസ്സിൽ കരുതുന്ന മാതൃ രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ പ്രതീകം മാത്രമാണ്. അതിൽ യുക്തിക്കൊന്നും യാതൊരു പ്രസക്തിയുമില്ല. അമ്മയെന്ന വൈകാരികത മാത്രമാണ് അവിടെ പ്രധാനം . ഓറോബിന്ദോ തന്റെ തത്വശാസ്ത്ര ചിന്തകളുടെ സ്വാംശീകരണത്തിനായി സാവിത്രിയെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തപോലെ

Anti west posturing of Indian right wing politics

Despite a succession of policy missteps, administrative blunders, and recurring social unrest, the Modi government retained a decisive political edge over the opposition, anchored by three pillars: social welfare, infrastructure, and foreign policy.

1. Social Welfare Initiatives:

The Modi administration expanded welfare delivery with notable intensity and scale. From enhancing direct benefit transfers and increasing allocations for MGNREGA, to promoting Ayush medicine outlets, large-scale toilet construction, and mass housing programs, its performance in the social sector—while not revolutionary—marked a significant improvement over previous regimes.

Rather than dilute expectations, the government consistently raised the baseline for delivery. Unlike UPA-2, which lost ground politically by shifting too visibly against industrial interests, the Modi government chose to underplay its welfare achievements despite its overt pro-business stance. This may have been a deliberate strategy to avoid ideological scrutiny while efficiently expanding basic service delivery across the population.

2. Infrastructure Strategy:

Infrastructure became another terrain of strategic manoeuvring. The Modi regime systematically outsourced infrastructure development and maintenance to the private sector. This move unburdened the state exchequer from one of the most capital-intensive and corruption-prone governance domains. While such privatisation raises valid concerns about regulation, equitable access, and long-term public accountability, it freed the state from recurring liabilities and is projected to open up significant fiscal space for future administrations.

3. Foreign Policy and Strategic Realignment:

Foreign policy emerged as an early strength for the Modi government. To appreciate the strategic realignment, one must trace the historic relationship between India and the West—particularly the United States.

During the Cold War, the capitalist West viewed non-aligned, socialist-leaning India with suspicion. In response, it deployed two instruments to contain India's ideological orientation: Pakistan and the Indian Right. The U.S. nurtured Pakistan as a regional counterweight and simultaneously invested in the RSS-led Hindu right as a domestic ideological alternative to Nehruvian socialism. This dual strategy dates back to the Janata Party umbrella coalition, including Indian communist parties that briefly unseated Indira Gandhi.

While Pakistan kept the Kashmir issue alive, the Indian right cultivated Hindu majoritarianism—together destabilising Indian politics through the 1980s and '90s. Movements like Ram Janmabhoomi, paired with Pakistan-sponsored militancy in Kashmir and Punjab, created a perpetual crisis environment—one that was only partially resolved through the economic liberalisation of the early 1990s, initiated under the West-aligned leadership of Manmohan Singh during Narasimha Rao's tenure.

Congress's Transformation and BJP's Rise:

Narasimha Rao understood that the old Nehruvian Congress was incompatible with globalisation and its economy. Like Rahul Gandhi in 2012, he effectively dismantled his party's ideological legacy to make way for political change—paving the way for the BJP's ascendancy. Ironically, when the West's long-groomed right wing finally assumed power, it was led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee—a moderate Nehruvian who tempered the BJP's more radical neoliberal impulses.

This ideological moderation prompted the West to revert to its trusted technocrat, Manmohan Singh. His second stint as Prime Minister saw aggressive liberalisation and controversial policies—such as mercenary SEZ policies to enable corporate rural land acquisitions. At one point, his home minister, Chidambaram, contemplated even bombing adivasis to oppress their resistance. Singh, while a consistent ally of the Western liberal order, was never fully embraced by the Indian Right, which had by then become the principal political vehicle of U.S.-backed capitalism.

Two Competing Capitalisms: U.S. vs EU Models

A critical distinction exists between U.S.-driven capitalism and its European counterpart. The U.S. model views welfare as a charity, while the European model insists on codified social rights. Sonia Gandhi's National Advisory Council (NAC) leaned toward the latter, legislating entitlements like the Right to Food, Education, and Land—directly challenging U.S. economic orthodoxy.

By 2011, as the NAC deepened its commitment to the European model, similar movements globally were challenging U.S. hegemony. In response, U.S. strategy evolved. Recognising the growing power of digital ecosystems, it pivoted toward narrative control through social media, moving beyond structural reforms to embrace psychological and communicative warfare.

They invested in platforms that simulated decentralised, community-like interactions—infused with parochialism but packaged as universal. Long-form, rational discourse (once dominant on Facebook) was systematically eroded by fragmenting the communicative landscape into superficial formats: image-sharing (Instagram) and punchy, emotion-driven statements (Twitter). The shift was not accidental—it mirrored the symbolic economy of U.S. capitalism, which prefers chaos and individualism to structured, rights-based communication (as in the EU model).

Social Media and Global Political Realignments:

Between 2012 and 2014, this recalibrated media strategy paid global dividends. Twitter's short-form narrative warfare destabilised many nations. The new "gossip without substance" format undermined legitimacy, displaced deliberative discourse, and elevated populist strongmen.

Across the globe, U.S. - Right-wing aligned leaders emerged—many drawn from corporate or right-wing ranks: Trump (USA), Macron (France), Bolsonaro (Brazil), Shinzo Abe (Japan), Enrique Peña Nieto (Mexico), Tony Abbott (Australia), Matteo Renzi (Italy), Erdoğan (Turkey), Park Geun-hye (South Korea), Netanyahu (Israel), and Modi (India), among others.

In India, the installation of Narendra Modi marked the culmination of decades of U.S. investment in Hindutva. Foreign policy was entrusted to Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, a U.S.-friendly diplomat, even as Sushma Swaraj retained the nominal title of Foreign Minister. The real decision-making apparatus operated out of the Prime Minister's Office, coordinated by Ajit Doval—who had earlier founded the pro-West Vivekananda International Foundation with support from ex-military personnel.

Second Term: Geopolitical Balancing Act:

By Modi's second term, India faced complex challenges. While maintaining alignment with the West, the government navigated:

-Energy security amid sanctions on Russia,

-Escalating border tensions and trade imbalances with China,

-Delicate diplomacy with the Islamic world and OIC, especially given Pakistan's influence.

India diversified energy partnerships—turning to former Soviet states like Armenia—and made significant headway in alternative energy development. In foreign policy terms, these were notable successes achieved without compromising the pro-Western core of the regime.

Global Shifts and Cracks in the Model:

The model began to falter when many of these U.S.-backed strongmen lost power. Trump was voted out. Bolsonaro was imprisoned. Shinzo Abe was assassinated. Others, like Park Geun-hye, were impeached. The only figures who retained their grip were those who had fused nationalism with religious or racial politics—like Netanyahu and Modi.

Despite the turbulence, Doval and Jaishankar's foreign affairs team delivered one key achievement: decoupling Indian foreign policy from its Pakistan-centric trap—a legacy of Cold War containment strategies. However, this success was undermined by a strategic blind spot: the alienation of India's immediate neighbours.

Strategic Failures and Isolation :

India's pro-West posture led to estrangement from neighbours—who in turn deepened ties with China. The consequences became stark after the Pehalgam attack: none of India's neighbours nor its Western ally stood firmly by its side. Despite years of diplomatic investments and huge trade orders to the Western power, India found itself isolated now—scrambling to dispatch parliamentary delegations worldwide in search of support.

This was a diplomatic catastrophe. Indian foreign policy, shaped by right-wing ideological loyalty to the West, particularly to the U.S. right wing, had led the country into geopolitical isolation. India had regressed to a pre-2014 status quo—trapped once again in Pakistan-centric diplomacy, albeit now without reliable allies.

Lessons Un/learned:

Instead of introspection, the Indian Right doubled down. Today, when the government planted media narratives tried to project a course correction (the news clipping given above), a senior RSS functionary who is also the go-between the government and the RSS proudly announced his participation at a Western right-wing conference—boasting that he was the only non-Western (read: racist non white) organisation represented in the conference. This marked the continuation of ideological submission—what might be described as India's "yes-master" voice within the Western right-wing political sphere. What was promised as an independent, strategic India had become little more than a loyal outpost in the larger architecture of Western ideological warfare or orthodoxy.

While the long-term outcome of the U.S.'s five-decade investment in India's right wing remains uncertain, the entrenched subservience of the Indian right to American right-wing interests appears far from waning. The Biden administration made a brief attempt to recalibrate this alignment, but the resurgence of Trump-era politics has cast renewed doubt on any enduring shift. Moreover, with the ongoing threat of China in the region, India's current trajectory toward global isolation must be critically assessed for its long-term implications—particularly for the future of right-wing politics and its leadership in the country. So, this anti-West posturing looks more like a pretension than a real one.