Democracy Road

During a rally in Pindra, Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Rahul Gandhi compared Modi to the movie villain Gabbar Singh, accompanied by Uday Shankar and Ruchir. This encounter with pop culture left a lasting impression on us as publishers. The unpredictability of Indian politics was further emphasized when we visited Yogi Adityanath at a mutt in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh in 2017. Clad in his saffron robe, he sat in a saffron-colored room, creating a surreal atmosphere.

In 2015, we had a meeting with Amit Shah in Patna, during which he boldly proclaimed, "I know all of you are biased," wearing a saffron scarf to match his assertive demeanor. Our interaction with Modi at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Rajkot, Gujarat in 2007 left us pondering the statement, "What happened here isn’t good." The complexity and contradictions of Indian politics were reaffirmed during our visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 2009. M.G. Vaidya, standing in front of the borderless map of Akhand Bharat, spoke passionately about a mythical 'Greater India.'

In 2011, we met CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharya at his office in Kolkata. The decor, featuring a map of the world before the fall of the Soviet Union, reflected a sense of being trapped in the past. These encounters with key political figures and influencers highlighted the diverse perspectives and ideologies that shape the Indian political landscape, leaving us with a deeper understanding of the complexities at play.

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