The art of deception

Magic shows were such fun, till I grew older and got disenchanted... And now, weirdly, magic shows leave me irritated. I could not understand this strong irrational dislike for magic when I usually like anything that involves talent, creativity and skill. And I understand that magic has loads of all of these. So what was it?
After some pondering I found this explanation - maybe I had had enough of being fooled. Deception is such an indelible part of our lives. Do we really need a magic show to further that?

Is there a dearth of magicians in this world? Have they not been beguiling us, fooling us, deceiving us with their bag of tricks since centuries? We have always been vulnerable to dazzle. And tricksters have used this vulnerability to their advantage. They trick us with religions, institutions(social, economic, political...), morals, ethics...such a make-believe world they have created for us. And, we are so charmed...we go about following their dictats, dazed and hypnotized. Can we ever snap out of it? We have godmen bestowing us hope -- an end to all our miseries. We have politicians promising us peace and prosperity. We have social institutions like the family offering us love and security.
And the magic never wears off... 

The Secular Debate

It's election time! And most of us are not able to resist the temptation to indulge in a bit of political discussion. And a talk on Indian politics invariably ends up becoming a debate on secularism. 

I get a little perplexed when I hear only BJP being branded communal. Are the other so-called ‘secular’ parties less communal? in fact, they are more so. 
The policy of appeasement that is followed by most parties towards minorities has only led to increased communalism in the country. These parties exploit the minority communities as vote banks and use them by manipulating their emotions to meet their own ends. By overlooking certain grave issues, these parties dig the grave for India and mankind. Does secularism mean tolerating wrongs? 

A wrong cannot be overlooked just because you fear being labelled communal. In India, many suffer a pseudo-secular syndrome. 

When will our politicians, political parties,  media, other systems and the common man learn to treat everyone equal?

People cannot forget Gujarat riots but they conveniently forget the Godhra train massacre. Why do people have selective amnesia? It’s true that an act of violence has to be condemned but why is this condemnation selective? Why are certain things never spoken about? Why is it that many Indians prefer to act blind and refuse to call a spade a spade? 

All do wrong -- irrespective of the community. What we need is a uniform policy to deal with these. Appeasement has to stop. Justice has to prevail. 

Is being blind and mute the only way to be secular?

Who do I vote for?

I do not seek miracles. Is access to good food, quality education, and hygienic living conditions for all a Utopian desire? Isn't basic respect for human rights and individual dignity a necessity? Shouldn't every person, irrespective of gender, religion, caste, or class, have equal access to rights and opportunities? And all this need not necessarily come with ‘development’. In other words, more skyscrapers, IT parks, or malls are not the solution. Development entails access to a certain way of life for all – good education, healthcare, and equal opportunities, among other basic human necessities. In a truly developed state every human life is valued and gets the required support to live as a free human being. 
Now, how can I play a part in ensuring this? Who do I bring to power? Which party can promise me a state of equality and growth for all?
Unfortunately, this question can only lead to disappointment. What do you hope or expect for a nation of people which prioritizes construction of temples, churches or mosques over toilets, schools and homes. What do you do when you are only given options that do not meet your requirements; get disillusioned and shy away from the system?
There are stereotyped perceptions created by the media and the so-called ‘thinking’ interpreters of everything. If you are secular you can’t like BJP. If you are against corruption, you are with AAP. If you are so-called secular and think AAP is ineffective, you go with Congress. The rest of the parties are mostly region-based (in other words caste-based). These are the choices a regular Indian has.
I do not worry about the consequences of the choice I make. I worry about the lack of consequences of any choice I make. After all, aren't all choices exactly the same; only disguised as different entities to fool us, yet again?