How People Slowly Turn into Andhbhakts – Part 1
Even after repeated failures, lack of transparency and favors in major decisions, rising inflation, over taxing, still many people keep saying things like,
“I will still vote for this government even if petrol reaches ₹1000 per liter.”
“If current government is failure, then opposition was even worst.”
“If he is not patriot, then who is?”
“For whom he would do the corruption, he got no family, this whole country is his only family.”
And It makes me wonder — what really happened to these people? How does a normal, rational, thinking individual slowly stop questioning power? How does political support turn into emotional devotion? At what point does a citizen become an andhbhakt?
The answer, perhaps, does not lie in a single reason. It lies in a carefully built ecosystem of emotional influence, religious conditioning, media narratives, hero worship, fear, and psychological manipulation.
One of the strongest forces behind this transformation is the misuse of religion.
Religion has always carried emotional power because faith naturally reduces doubt. A devotee trusts. A devotee surrenders. A devotee rarely questions. When spiritual leaders or religious babas enter into politics or openly endorse a political leader, millions of followers emotionally move in the same direction. In such situations, political support is no longer based on fair governance, accountability, or people centric policies — it becomes an extension of devotion itself.
This is where the situation becomes dangerous.
Many so-called spiritual babas, who have millions of followers, openly supported political leadership by selling grand dreams and emotional promises — ease of living, corruption-free governance, economic growth, transparency, development, smart cities, and national revival. People were emotionally charged with hope and gave the opportunity gracefully. However, even after many years in power, most of those promises remained distant realities, while the common person’s ease of living only became more difficult. but these babas shamelessly keep endorsing the same political party and leaders, never criticized them for their unfulfilled promises.
That silence itself speaks loudly.
If these religious figures genuinely started criticizing the government, a large portion of their followers could immediately begin questioning the system too. This reveals how deeply political influence has become connected with spiritual obedience. It creates a strange and unsettling mixture where religion becomes a political tool, and devotion slowly transforms into political blindness.
And this is the most dangerous stage in any democracy — when citizens stop behaving like citizens and start behaving like followers.
Democracy survives only when people question power fearlessly. No political leader should become emotionally “untouchable.” Awareness, critical thinking, and independent questioning are the only real safeguards of democracy.
Blind devotion may strengthen political power temporarily, but only aware citizens can protect democracy permanently.