For those catching up, the US Federal government has covertly and overtly attacked DEI policies, fired entire departments, attacked transgender existence (eliminated binary and transgender identification), tried to remove birthright citizenship, and most recently deported students on questionable grounds, allegedly for making 'noise'. This is just on the social front, which has an economic impact of course.
The word 'just' is quite unjust here, but such has been the suddenness. The flux. The floodgates have been opened. The word just here merely notes that these exclude the chaos on the economic front from direct actions on tariff and removal of oversights.
Are the recent US surprising? To me, they are. Despite premonitions, I was caught off-guard. One of the things I had taken quite for granted was the privilege this nation had allowed me to express my views. I touted to friends and family members that what they call bravery is not real bravery, for I am not at risk of having my accounts targeted and deleted, my family assets vandalized, or worse, ending up without employment – behind bars – or in a hospital – for expressing my views, no matter whom it offends. When the Paris attack happened for cartoons of the Prophet getting published, I had read through justifiable comments that humor, interpreted representation, and criticism are fair game in Western democracies, especially the US – no matter who it targets. Christ, the government, no matter how high the authority – this country can take a joke. I felt bad that my motherland couldn't.
From Hussain to Kunal Kamra, things haven't changed. Well, unfortunately – they have in the US. I know of many now lying low, taking the resistance (as in their differing opinions) off social media – deleting website presence.
Valid fear or mere paranoia? Well, universities are sending emails, and advisors are urging students to lay low. I have had a hard time getting people to talk on social media about my book – Queer Chronicles - the matter is too risky now. DEI advocacy awards, under normal times, would be badges of honors – now, needs to be hidden or removed from profiles. Lastly, I have filled up corporate forms (tech giants - not the company I work for) which sadly confirm the worries. It's an eerie fear I never expected to see in this country (the United States). Keeping our views to ourselves or taking them underground (or to anonymity) - both are choices with severe consequences.
The how can this be happening question is lingering, but the why question is not being asked. The 'what', rather 'so what' question is the most important. So, I will start with that.
The 'so what' is this: the autocratic precedence being set by a country like the US – the land of the free - is fatally calamitic for the rest of the world, for this will be modeled with brutality to trample upon life, liberties, and pursuit of equality. This is why India should care. Following the US model, DEI initiatives are getting deprioritized silently within Indian corporations. These are not shiny things needed for the brand anymore. A country where imbalance in the workforce affects GDP growth potential significantly and corporate policies that don't favor work-life balance hits women a thousand times harder due to patriarchal expectations- this is not good news. But this is a lesser problem. We need to think about what such blatantly autocratic role-modeling and effective implementation of suppression techniques mean for extremist sentiments within India and minority rights (caste, gender, religion). We need to care.
The 'why' is less black and white.
For example, are the transgender rights and DEI initiatives, specifically transgender rights, under attack because of strategic targeting? As in, there's a will to disassemble the left, and transgender population size being less than 1% makes it the easiest segment to start with. CNN says so (to be exact, some experts called into CNN panels present this view). But it's not so simple. For, what is 'the left'? Is it anyone not part of the 'white patriarchy'? Or is it people - groups - identities - who might be left, right, or center ideologically but offend the sensibilities by threatening the what is? Also, the patriarchy - is it really all white? All male? Who is targeting and who's the target?
The Project 2025 was published in 2023, so the current President, can't be the only one to blame. What caused such strong sentiments that have allowed for the momentum to build for extreme measures? Is it only US right-wing extremists who are spewing hate? Or is there a harder-to-face truth: there was, and still is some amount of support from the masses that provided the needed catalyst?
The second argument is around the unforgiving cancel culture which was brutal to dissenters. Ignorance wasn't forgiven; fears weren't disarmed gently. Instead - questions were criticized. Why do we need to be gentle? Some ask. Don't be. Change can be brought in many ways. I believe in bringing people along, I used to believe in force. The former is sustainable and far-reaching. If we'd rather have a war, we might have gotten what we have asked for. In the book I just published - Queer Chronicles - I penned stories to elaborate on this. Some of the stories have been misunderstood and criticized. I welcome that. For that is the point. The story 'I need to pee', that of a troubled father who becomes transphobic trying to make sense of personal tragedy through blame shifting, is not a story to spread transphobia. Nor is it against the father or such fathers. The stories in this book exist because these individuals exist – I have met them. So, the stories are for bringing forward all lenses. Who will we change otherwise? How will we? The point is - yes, rights have been trampled upon for decades and yes, it's not good to be ignorant. But it does no good if that point is made with judgment. Pronouns, bathrooms, sports...property, marriage...human rights for all. Absolutely. Getting there will take patience, balance, and time, unfortunately.
The third argument is related to the one above. Overstepping or policies - rather poor implementation, lack of clarity, and fearmongering moved the center to the right. Where did the fear that was mongered come from? Misinformation and change. The former is possibly avoidable. The latter, not. So, there was fear to monger. It's undeniable no one wanted the terrible things that are happening today to happen. Not all at once at least. But many wanted 'a bit' of it. Here and there. Migrants coming without not standing in line - reducing opportunities. Taxpayer money getting wasted. Men in women's bathrooms. Gender identification vs. assignment. Gender neutrality is not easy to conceptualize for most, let alone compromise around. And then of course, reduced spending and tax breaks were supposed to be so lovely. The only group of idiots I can't understand (excuse my language) are the ones who abstained from voting or voted against the previous administration's failure to take a stronger stance on that which shall not be named. As if the other side would do so much better. But alas, that's the power of time and the unavoidable folly erring humans are destined to make. Shortsighted and misplaced action. Interests are narrow, as the lens, and hope is eternal.
The current administration(s) didn't come out of a vacuum. That doesn't happen in any nation or state. So, the question is - how do we understand the why and face it honestly? For those who don't, are condemned to repeat. That’s a power stroke of time.
To summarize: there are lessons to reflect upon for everyone. Can small choices do big harm? Yes. Can everyone be next? Anywhere? Yes. Can cancel culture and force cause backlash? Yes. Can misunderstandings and shutting down of perspectives trigger misplaced survival mode reactions? Yes. But freedom of expression, democracy, and equal rights for all are vital things. Lessons learnt on time and counter action is needed to ensure humanity doesn’t go through unnecessary pain that undoes decades of progress.
Posts are disappearing without reason and this might too. The entire account might and will at some point. A small price to pay today where to paraphrase Roy in The God of Small Things, bigger evils are happening. A video of ours which crossed 50K views was taken down by FB without warning. Some I know have deleted their accounts - self-deportation out of free speech before being asked to. Can't blame them. We humans destroy the most beautiful things we create - so much for social media democratizing freedom of speech. But the power granted by freedom is a choice often. I would rather speak and be deleted into non-existence than stay silent and exist.
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