If Amrit Kaal, so passionately hawked by the rulers for the last few years, had a face, what would it look like? A scintillating beauty that disarms even critics and opponents? A pleasing face lit up by the nobility of heart and mind? Let’s imagine Amrit Kaal’s face, its distinct features and countenance on the basis of objective realities. Let’s explore what kind of an image the philosophy and actions of her creators conjure.The prime minister calls for national celebration for the robust economic growth India registered in this quarter but economists point to the prevailing gloom, dismissing the data as dubious.The government is compelled to condemn the US-Israel attack on Iran at the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), exposing the infirmities of foreign policy that isolated India in the global community over the years.Mohan Bhagwat, the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is forced to advocate inclusive politics on foreign tours, almost delegitimising the divisive agenda pursued back home.The judiciary cancelled the draconian National Security Act (NSA) imposed on a young girl, who works for poor workers, because the charges were concocted.Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demands justice for the tallest Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge because a purification ritual was performed at the venue he attended in Uttarakhand. Instead, an FIR was registered against Gandhi under the SC-ST Act. The NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) is forced to halt its order of settling a debt of Rs 22,006 crore for Rs 6.2 crore because the nation was shocked by its generosity towards a tycoon close to the regime. A petty ruffian publicly admits he was let off the hook by the police after he broke the head of an old man at Jantar Mantar protest site because of the patronage of BJP leaders.The victims of state repression see the LoP as the only ray of hope, indicating that the citizens were not expecting the prime minister, the home minister or any other BJP leader to deliver justice.Two young girls from the media are assaulted by the police for asking questions and the victims allege their Muslim identity emboldened the tormentors. What kind of an image is woven by these recent incidents? The mainstream media has worked so hard to spruce up the image, using luxurious cosmetics and ornaments, but the face looks ugly, like a dreadful monster. Amrit Kaal throws up such horrifying details, ripping into the visage of alluring propaganda. Let’s dig deeper to find whether this disgusting phase is just a fleeting aberration casting its shadows on the elemental beauty of Amrit Kaal. After all, how can anybody visualise a divine phase without the ‘ease of living’ that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had so famously promised. How can fear and despondency override hope and pleasure in Amrit Kaal?Look back and what flits through the mind is accusations of diminishing democracy and subversion of constitutional scheme. The discourse has largely revolved around political blackmail, vendetta and coercion, apart from institutional capture, purchase of MLAs and MPs, crony capitalism and undesirable compromises with the US and China. The most outrageous is the suspicion among political parties and a large section of society that elections are manipulated. The prime minister has not been known for truth, commitment to justice and compassion. The government was never seen seeking redemption; they instead relied on the power of propaganda to spread blatant lies. Accountability lies buried under the heap of brazenness. The world knows Narendra Modi doesn’t take questions. Less said the better about the rise of toxic communalism and falling standards of political conversation. Amrit Kaal doubtless needs a better character, a brighter face. Moral crisis The verdict by Allahabad high court judges, justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev, sent ripples of joy across the country. It was difficult to find a dissenter who felt that young activist Akriti Chaudhary deserved to rot in jail under the National Security Act (NSA). How the Noida police and the district magistrate who sanctioned the imposition of NSA felt is difficult to guess. But the common citizens were delighted to know that the compensation of Rs 5 lakh would be extracted from the district magistrate’s salary. Reactions on social media suggested the nation yearned for harsher punishment to officers who framed an innocent girl in false charges only because she supported workers who were demanding a small hike in salaries. Such incidents flood the mind with stupid queries. Like, imagine how much better the society would be if most judges dispassionately and fearlessly gave judgments! Doesn’t the thought of a compromised or corrupt judge give an unnerving feel of rot within? What if most of the journalists are committed to truth and justice? What if IAS and IPS officers strictly adhered to their professional ethics? Why should the public or opposition parties organise protests to force the prime minister to be prime-ministerial? Why should mass movements be needed to get a proper FIR registered in genuine cases? Have you ever dreamt of a public protest to force Virat Kohli or Shubman Gill to play properly and score runs? Will there ever be a dharna or a rally to compel Naseeruddin Shah to act with intensity in a film? They naturally give their best.American historian Timothy Snyder wrote “most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given”, insisting that “anticipatory obedience” is a political tragedy. It’s indeed a political tragedy that corrodes liberal democracies. If citizens stood up for their rights and opposed injustice, the ruling elite can’t have a free run. Judges like Atul Shreedharan or Srinivasan Murlidhar don’t eat gold to muster special courage. They too survive on roti-subzi, religiously avoiding the lust for gold. They don’t become rats to participate in the rate race. They stay human. Journalists, police officers, professors who haven’t compromised on morality are ordinary humans. What they get is more precious than gold. They get self-esteem instead of the despicable feeling of rot within. Statistical ruseModi was probably the only Indian ecstatic about the 7.8% GDP growth in this quarter. He congratulated citizens and called for celebration but nobody responded. No singing and dancing, no taali-thali followed his appeal. What advertised the true political mood in the country was the response to his tweet on the subject. People posted visuals and messages to show him the mirror, brutally tearing apart the veneer of exceptional accomplishment that the prime minister wore after the 7.8% announcement.Videos of infrastructure in tatters and children eating uneatable meals in schools, and messages laden with sarcasm and taunts flooded his timeline. Much of the messaging was negative, loudly declaring that the prime minister was misleading the nation. Such disconnect with reality is harmful for politicians who believe that the power of propaganda can override striking realities. Truth, after all, is not dependent on headlines to manifest itself. Hundreds of messages and videos painted a dark picture about people living in wretched poverty. Even random surveys on the streets evoked angry responses as both the poor and the middle class appeared completely disenchanted with the government. People talked about unemployment, stagnant wages, rising prices and social unrest. Many of them fearlessly hurled abuses, arguing that they didn’t have the stomach for Modi’s lies and jumlas anymore. Even ordinary people have discovered Modi’s tendency to mislead. Pakistani writer Shaukat Thanvi’s couplet comes to mind, “Fareb-e-zauq ko har rang mein ayaan dekha/ Jahan jahan tujhe dhundha wahan wahan dekha (Saw the deceit of desire in every colour/ found it wherever I searched for you).Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.