On Piyush Mishra

I recently came across a poster of the film JNU – Jahangir National University – a right wing spoof on the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. I was surprised to see Piyush Mishra in the cast list and even more surprised to see his interview with Lallantop where he says that “communism” destroyed 20 years of his life. Strangely, my first reaction was not anger. He says in the interview that it was Delhi which introduced him to communism and took him away from his family, made him a bad son and a bad husband.

Now he has vowed to become a “good father” by leaving behind communism and turning to right wing politics. He now respects “Modi Sahab” and has pledged his vote for him. Cute, isn’t it? Not the first actor and person to somersault between ideologies to make money. And as he says, what’s wrong in making money? It was his communism which taught him that making money is bad.

This black to white transition of Mishraji puzzled me with a couple of questions. Someone who says that they “understand” and have dedicated 20 years of their life to communism, why would such a person switch over to right wing politics and praise a hate-monger?

Mind you, I am not the one to oppose any criticism of the left. A student of JNU myself, I have seen so-called “left” activists speak of equal distribution of wealth while also owning luxury brands purses and watches. And I have also seen them go a complete 180 degrees on women’s issues and safety. I have also seen them fight for rights and their sheer resilience to save education institutions from autonomy. Ideologies are full of contradictions like the people who make them.

Coming back to Mishraji, I wonder why wouldn’t he question the “left” he was part of? Did he never read Phule, Ambedkar or Kanshiram that it was so easy for him to start mimicking the right? Or was it his caste privilege which made it easy for him to simply switch ladders? For someone who wrote songs like husna and ghar, did it not hurt his conscience to plagiarise Habib Jalib in support of an authoritarian rule? Mishraji, you prove the point of the politics you are now supporting – if you ask questions, you will have no money. If you comply, you will be celebrated!