Every society has certain set of problems which needs to be solved. Various political groups put their claim to political power in order to solve them. They have different road-maps on how they plan to solve them which are based on certain ideas, beliefs, values and priorities. And what we often call them is an 'Ideology'. Thus ideologies in general are a set of ideas and beliefs based on a systemic pattern through which they look, understand and attach priorities to issues. And because people have different perspective towards issues, they have different ideologies. Thus, ideologies form the playground for different competing political groups based on which they lay their claim on why should they be in power.
India being home to vast diversities, has large number of varying ideologies and parties based on them. And it is good for any society to have such a scenario. However, we have been so entrenched in this game of ideologies that we have forgotten or ignored the fundamental things for which this game exists.
The objective of politics is to attain certain ends. And those ends are the issues that we face as a society. Economy, agriculture, health, education, security, culture and so on have been traditional issues around the world. Ideologies are supposed to be tools and means through which we can solve these issues. However, whats happening today is that we have made ideologies as our final ends and have left issues aside. When political groups are debating, arguing or competing for power, they develop the narrative around ideologies itself and not the issues! In this ideological fight, we must remind ourselves that our ends is not to establish an ideology but to attain and solve the issues with the help of our ideology. And if we do so, we find that what we are fighting for is actually the same objective!
We all want to remove poverty. We all want to push economy and create jobs. We all want the high quality education. We all want national security to be strengthened. We all want our culture to live. Yes there may be differences in priorities that we attach to these issues based on our social realities like caste, class, gender, religion, languages, etc. But even then we all want a peaceful and prosperous society in common. If this is the case, when where the question of disagreement comes at all? It arises because we intentionally or unintentionally don't use our ideologies to compete but to defeat.
We make our ideologies as the ends in itself. We don't realize when we start fighting not for issues but for our ideologies. When ideologies overpower issues, they even start replacing the actual issues of our society with the issues that suits their ideological narrative. We shift our focus from very basic and core issues towards those issues which are convenient for our ideology to attain. It is because now our goal is not to solve actual issues but to uphold our ideologies. Therefore our actions are now motivated only by biases of our ideologies. For example, my ideology is shaped around 'X' way of generating employment. However, due to market reasons, the current situation demand using 'Y' way to work towards that. And that 'Y' way is based on ideology of opposite group. So now I will oppose opting for 'Y' way because it is not according to my ideology. But I forget that my goal was actually to generate employment! But I become so engulfed by my ideology that I only fight for it and stop caring about issues at all.
We are increasingly seeing this to be reality in India. Before it totally engulfs the youth of this country, we must realize it and at least save ourselves from being prey to it to begin with. Lets not let our ideologies become our ego. Keep reminding yourself what objectives do you want to achieve with your ideology. Don't let enmity slip in among each other on ideological disagreements when issues are same for all of us. The kind of violence, anger and fury that is visible between opposing ideological groups in our society is dangerous. For what are we fighting for after all? Just remember that any two individuals who are fighting for ideology needs to remind themselves whether their fighting is serving any of their purposes of ending poverty, ensuring affordable health, encouraging business and so on? . And remember Ideologies makes you fight among each other and Issues will make you fight for each other!
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