I saw Prasoon Joshi interviewing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was disquieting to see him talk. Prasoon is an outstanding advertising professional and a poet par excellence. Whether advertising or poetry, you cannot be recognised unless you are a disruptor. You are respected because you disrupt thoughts by shaking existing foundations, norms and practices.
But Prasoon did none of that. His first question to Modi made me realise what he was up to. Didn't he realise this for himself?
More than a decade back, Prasoon Joshi wrote Rang De Basanti – a film about young rebels who question the system and kill themselves to uphold the Constitutional values of India. He also composed the songs for that movie. ‘Masti ki Paathshala’ inspired a generation of youth to rebel against the system, to question the system.
The film broke all records at the box office. Twelve years after its release, the film is still considered iconic for the message it gives to the youngsters of this country – ‘be a rebel.’
In a song called Khoon Chala, Prasoon Joshi wrote: “Khulisi Chhot Lekar, Barisi Tich Lekar, Ahista Ahista Sawaalon Ki Ungli, Jawaabon Ki Mutthi Sang Lekar, Khoon Chala...”
"Sawaalon Ki Ungli, Jawaabon Ki Mutthi..." – what powerful lines!
It is said that the India Against Corruption movement, the student agitations against Nirbhaya rapes were inspired by the scenes and songs from Rang De Basanti. Such was the power of the film and the lyrics that Prasoon wrote.
In Taare Zameen Par, he made every soul in the theatre sob during the ‘Maa’ song. The movie was about a rebel kid and a rebel teacher who discover themselves after meeting each other. There was a song about the state of kids in India today called ‘Jame Raho’ (stay put where you are).
Prasoon wrote:
"Yeh Hardum Socha Karte Hain
Yeh Khud Se Poocha Karte Hain
Kyon Duniya Ka Naara Jame Raho
Kyon Manzil ka Ishaara Jame Raho? "
The same Prasoon Joshi, two days ago, literally crawled in front of Modi. The post of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief and a Padma Shri probably did the trick. That was all that was required to change a rebel to a follower.
And I watched this transformation of Prasoon Joshi with horror. Every time he spoke, I tried to see if he was faking his compliance in front of the prime minister. He wasn't. He was genuinely overawed and decided to succumb to the power of the PM.
He scripted his questions. In fact, Narendra Modi was 10x more honest and genuine in his answers than Prasoon’s poorly framed questions. Prasoon was pathetic.
To me, it was a meek surrender of an inspiring intellectual of this country amidst chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram. It was amusing, disgusting, and unnerving – all in one.
This is not about Narendra Modi. This is not about Prasoon Joshi as well. This is about the decline of rationality in this country. This is about how we have created political icons out of people who should be serving us, and in the process, we have engaged ourselves in political servitude.
For years, I saw this happen to MPs, MLAs and corporators. But now I see it happening to the educated man as well. It's not a good sign. But, as usual, I am in a minority and, as usual, this article will be criticised as my bias against the BJP.
The fact is that the past four years has seen a systematic downfall of intellectual liberalism in India. So much so that ‘liberal’ is a swear word used in political parlance of this country. I don't blame the Right-wing for criticising liberals. Because there is a section of individuals and media houses in India who have been parading as liberals but who are essentially as biased as Right-wing media. Abuse and name calling has replaced open debate and disagreements.
Unfortunately, there is a gap between true liberalism and how our liberals behave in public. Liberalism is a state of mind that allows everyone and everything to exist peacefully. Questions are asked and answers are debated to make the world a better place. I don't see that happening around me.
These days, I see a lot of fakes who have hijacked liberalism. They are as intolerant as the Right-wing, but masquerade themselves as liberals.
Which is why I am not sure if real liberalism can be revived in this country so soon. I believed that Prasoon Joshi was a true liberal who was above petty politics and propaganda. I am convinced he is not. His spineless subjugation on an international platform, seen live on TV by millions across the world, makes me feel that this is probably the beginning of the end of liberalism in India.
Am I only the one who is angry and crestfallen about this?
I will be happy to be proven wrong :)
(The writer is a 48-year-old resident of Mumbai. )
(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit send)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)