Some time ago I read a viral tweet by a teenager from Delhi University, claiming Punjabi farmers are lower caste and therefore the govt is not listening to them. None of the admirers of that tweet seemed too concerned with the fact that Punjabi farmers are the most dominant caste in Punjab, far more than any other caste in any other state.
Then, when a Dalit day labourer, Lakhbir Singh was ceremoniously murdered by these farmers for religious “blasphemy” at the Singhu border protest site last week, the same great-granddaughter of Einstein was missing in offering a caste analysis.
Nothing even when Lakhbir Singh’s family in Punjab was intimidated into disowning him and he was denied religious last rites. It reminded me of another tweet by another young girl claiming vegetarianism is a tool of caste oppression. I’m pretty sure all of us have read such bold but selective claims made with supreme confidence that has made us doubt our own sanity. WOKEISM.
Most educated and socio-politically active Indians today know there is something called Woke Culture or Wokeism that is sweeping Universities and colleges across liberal democracies. In India, it is dominating new age popular culture.
All OTT platforms have the same themes on loop – caste, gender, Islamophobia etc. In North America, it has already progressed to become an electoral force too. But what is this woke culture? A political movement? A social theory? Economic model? Or something that encompasses all this and more, like an Abrahamic religion?
I will try to list out some signs that it is indeed a new age Abrahamic religion. As India has struggled against invasions by Abrahamic religions for a millennium, this comparison is relatable.
10 signs of Abrahamic Religions:
1.Us vs Them false dichotomy
The world is divided into believers and nonbelievers, oppressors and oppressed. This language has easy appeal as it satisfies our genetic tribal urges of belonging to a group while pretending to espouse egalitarian values.
2. Destroy the ‘other’
Seeking complete destruction of opponents is common. Be it cancelling someone who said something ‘wrong’ or completely wiping out civilisations. There is no room for co-existence. Dehumanising the opponent is key. The glee when Hindus were killed in Bengal followed the logic that ‘while I hate human suffering, Sanghis are not human’.
3. Membership matters, not your actions
Your membership to the group and adherence to gang code decides your value, not the merit of your actions. Gang members will always be backed, even if they are terrorists or rapists. Therefore, there is no mention of common human morality in Abrahamic literature.
4. Blind faith
You cannot question an Abrahamic faith or put it to scrutiny. If your question, you are a heretic or a caste/race/gender traitor and you deserve even worse treatment than your enemies.
5. Expansionist victimhood
Enemy making, enemy seeking is core. Enmity is forced upon the target group. But an aggressor needs a grievance, hence always talk victimhood.
6. Dogma based
Dogma is supreme. Complete submission to dogmatic rules, no exception. When an LGBTQ activist merely mentioned that the Modi govt may not be anti-LGBTQ based on his reading of their policies, he is promptly cancelled. He went against the rule ‘Modi is right-wing; right-wing is anti-LGBTQ’.
7. Indoctrination of the young
Meticulous emphasis is placed on indoctrination at a young age. Constant lowering of teaching age for Critical Race Theory or Gender Studies is proof. Young people and women in show positions are considered very useful foot soldiers.
8. Self-righteousness
An unshakeable belief that you are right, even by ignoring or rejecting empirical or scientific data. When I tried to present data to support Aarey Metro shed, the data was simply ignored and all I got was ‘climate change is here dude’.
9. Controlling history
Expansionist religions have always sought to control the recording and reading of history. World history as we know it today is almost exclusively recorded by missionaries from Abrahamic faiths. Wokeism is no different. Try to post facts related to woke-sensitive topics on Wikipedia, and you will know how determined they are to record misleading narratives.
10. Replacing old Gods
Abrahamic religions recognise that as long as old systems of reverence and beliefs remain, minds can not be fully controlled. Hence the stress on removing idols and Hindu forms of worship or celebration. Traditional culture is enemy number one.
Here it is pertinent to note that this similarity between expansionist Abrahamic religions and Wokeism goes back to the very roots of Wokeism. The genesis of Wokeism lies in countries with a history of centuries of zealous religious movements.
The foundation of Wokeism, Critical Theory, comes from Germany, where Christian theologian Martin Luther had proposed Protestant reforms in the 16th century. Luther’s reforms were then implemented in England and America and shaped those countries, not unlike how Wokeism is being ruthlessly implemented in those countries today.
As to why some Indian academic institutions are following the same path, that has a much simpler explanation – aping the ‘superior West’. That, for another day. For now, please stay away from drugs and Wokeism.
