It is no wonder that politicians and priests get away with almost anything in our country.
Frankly, they deserve an award for consistency. We have spent generations training them by practising obedience with Olympic level discipline.
Nod on cue. Clap on command. Never ask why. If questioning were a crime, we would be the most law abiding nation on earth.
In the Indian home, respect for elders is treated like a divine commandment handed down with the pressure cooker. You may question the electricity bill, the neighbour’s dog, or even the existence of ghosts, but never an elder.
The moment you ask a question, someone gasps and says, “How can you talk like that?” Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, respect quietly turned into silence. Silence is very useful. It allows elders to get away with everything, including behaviour that would land others in serious trouble.
The child is told to keep quiet.
The adult masters the art of looking the other way. Politicians declare, “This is our Indian culture!”
This culture of obedience does not stop at the dining table. It obediently follows us into the temple, the church, and the mosque. Priests are placed on pedestals so high that even asking for an explanation requires oxygen support.
Questioning them feels sinful, dangerous, and somehow responsible for your phone falling suddenly, because when you add superstition, suddenly people believe that asking a priest a question will result in bad luck, family illness, or a delayed promotion.
The result is predictable. When nobody questions, corruption thrives. Today we have religious leaders who enjoy unquestioned authority and unquestioned wealth.
The second reason we do not question authority is our education system, which believes thinking is risky but memorising is safe. We are trained to reproduce answers like photocopy machines. Asking why is treated as a distraction. By hearting is celebrated. Curiosity is frowned upon. Governments love this system. A thinking citizen is inconvenient. A memorising citizen is manageable.
Lower the pass marks, shorten the syllabus, and everyone passes except logic.
The result is visible everywhere. A generation of well meaning uncles and aunties, fathers and mothers, who confuse obedience with patriotism and silence with stability.
They did not choose authoritarianism. They politely nodded their way into it.
The only hope lies with the younger generation. Please continue to ask irritating questions.
Please read the fine print, because our shortsightedness prevents us from doing so.
Please start being unimpressed by titles and suspicious of anyone who demands respect before earning it. If you succeed in separating respect from silence, authority in this country may finally learn to fear the most dangerous thing of all. A simple question…!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
