Talking Shop: Arrogance. Apathy. Chutzpah.

“Arrogance is a creature.

It does not have senses. It

has only a sharp tongue

and the pointed finger.”

— Toda Beta

The world will remember Year 2024 for reasons good, bad and ugly, but it has been unmistakably etched in our collective innards. The year was about bloated egos and self-righteousness that didn’t flinch even when causing widespread misery in a shameless climb up the ladder to further infamy and notoriety. The arrogance and chutzpah of the Lords was as blatant as it was malevolent to the common person. And it was left to a few remaining good men to painstakingly nurse and temper in cast-iron lathes our rotting steel. If only for this reason, Year 2024 is eminently forgettable.

The year kicked off with a Union Budget shrouded in parsimony, promising a lot but providing next to nought. The General Elections drilled into those still willing to learn the disparity between homo sapiens, simians and equus africanus asinus. Global military skirmishes unmasked the haves who want still more. A debased leadership saw merit in putting up posters and hoardings, but not in ending misery and bloodshed. Bollywood stars repeatedly changed tune and tack to market questionable film projects. And the mainstream media continued to be as biased as it is spineless and ‘news-less’…

The eye-openers were India’s average Joes on the streets, who modulated the real, larger story. They showed us that we are changing. For the worse. Money and power rule. Everything else can take a hike down memory lane, humming yesteryears’ achche din lullaby while they can, before the dictatorial moral police and its globally-aspirational superpower counterparts snatch the troubadour’s ageing lute and harp, along with our few remaining vestiges of self-respect and national pride.

We have fallen indeed

In a final insult added to the injury suffered in the last week of the year, even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not spared. Shockingly, the recently-departed nonagenarian was called not very kind names by a section of political leaders and mediapersons, even as much of the educated world mourned the passing of a benign man and a brilliant economist. It wasn’t just bad manners and awful timing. It was something just not done or said when someone has just passed, no matter how good or bad. But it happened. Behind the bad show and cacophony was a dark revelation of the insurgence of acrid taste and political vitriol that make up India’s Global Village today.

Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM was marked by economic reforms, global diplomacy and a focus on inclusive growth. Despite political turbulence, he retained a reputation for honesty and simplicity. His quiet demeanour often drew criticism, some branding him as ‘weak’. Yet, global leaders recognized his value. At a press conference in 2010, then US President Barack Obama was asked how his country could assist India in countering Pakistan’s terrorist threats. Obama’s response began with “Your Prime Minister is a good man”, underscoring the respect Singh commanded on the world stage.

Contrast this with recent reactions. Voices in politics and media, driven by ideological biases, agendas and pure ‘bhakti’, tarnished Manmohan Singh’s legacy with disrespectful comments. These utterances exposed not just shallowness, but also reflected a societal shift where decency is being increasingly sacrificed at the altar of sensationalism. And the less said about the timing, the better.

Manmohan Singh’s passing has evoked tributes from around the globe, yet it has disinterred a darker side of society—the propensity to malign a noble figure, even one who has just passed on. All such statements do is reveal an erosion of decency and fairness in today’s world.

Complete Moral Freefall?

India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, stood as a beacon of peace and learning. Today’s narrative is starkly different. Dissent is frowned upon or punished, power and money dictate decisions, with instant gains often overshadowing moral correctitude. The ethical decline is not unique to India alone, but symptomatic of a global trend. It is particularly jarring, though, in a country whose foundations are rooted in ethics and knowledge.

There are lessons to be learnt from history, cautionary tales about the consequences of societal moral bankruptcy. The first that comes to mind is the Roman Empire, which was renowned for governance, engineering and culture, but eventually succumbed to corruption, power struggles and moral decay. Historian Edward Gibbon, in his seminal work ‘The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’, noted that “internal rot often precedes external collapse”.

The French Revolution of 1789 is another example. Marked by a quest for liberty and equality, the revolution was a response to the aristocracy’s moral and economic excesses. Historian Simon Schama observed that “privilege without responsibility” was a key factor in the uprising.

We cannot talk of subjugation in India without speaking of the Mughals and the British. The decline of the Mughals was hastened by court intrigue, corruption and a loss of connect with the people. This weakened the empire, allowing colonial powers to exploit the vulnerabilities. These powers, ruling by the sword or the bullet, were undone by their own prodigality and intemperance.

History reveals a universal truth—when lies replace the truth and slander replaces debate, society digs its own grave. Arrogance and moral decline invariably lead to downfall.

Slicing Modern-Day Swords

The un-tempered and flagrant rise of the social media is adding fuel and re-igniting quenched fires. It amplifies negativity and fosters an environment where accusations and verbal attacks thrive. Traits that reflect dignity are craftily misrepresented and end up misconstrued as weaknesses in a world that equates noise with strength. The rise of populism is now deepening global ideological divides, causing ad hominem attacks, an anthesis of yesterday’s substantive debates. Today, criticism nonchalantly crosses the line into personal slander. Thus, Manmohan Singh, a man Henry Kissinger called “a statesman among politicians” is being deviously thrust into transient controversies post mortem.

The current societal ethos prioritizes short-term gains over long-term vision. This is evident in how public figures are being judged. Maligning once-tall personalities is a shameless and insolent attempt to disregard globally-compelling and enduring contributions. As a society, we have to ask ourselves—are we so consumed by partisanship and greed that we no longer recognize or respect genuine merit? Are we straying from our roots, prioritizing arrogance and power over decency and fairness?

“The line between confidence and arrogance is very fine, and the line between arrogance and stupidity even finer,” Michael Scott once said. History also teaches us a similar lesson; that arrogance precedes a fall. Let’s cast aside this weakness before it consumes us. Let us attain a moral high ground, a ‘vantage point’ if you will, one essential for success and bonhomie.

The writer is a veteran journalist and communications specialist. He can be reached on [email protected]. Views expressed are personal