Harry Potter and the Order/Anarchy of the Aam Aadmi.

Do stories, especially stories of wizards and witches have any to do with real life?

Here is one of our volunteers explaining how Harry Porter stories work in the present context in India.

Radheshyam

Hi Everyone,

While most of us have already got used to spotting biased/paid media coverage, I think it has been particularly pervasive lately. And it has to be so since the stakes are now going national level with Lok Sabha elections coming.

So, we've been seeing the President warning people against 'anarchy', our Finance minister is using/abusing Davos forum to voice the same opinion and so on. Kejriwal is being called: mad, item girl etc. etc. Because obviously there is no evil worse in India right now other than him. Mocking and ridicule has taken the center stage rather than any discussion on real issues.

Such attacks aren't exactly a new tactic. They follow set patterns and sometimes it's funny to see how uncannily these patterns have been recorded in literature.

After seeing yet another social media post/video mocking Kejriwal, got reminded of this part of the political parable 'Harry Potter and the Order of Phoneix' where the fictional government is running a subtle campaign against Harry Potter to discredit him. In this extract, Hermione explains to Harry how the smear campaign is being run.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Pg. 73-74.

....

Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldnt, said Hermione, shaking her head.

I'm not talking about big articles. They just slip you in, like you're a standing joke.

What d'you ?

Its quite nasty, actually, said Hermione in a voice of forced calm.

They're just building on Ritas stuff.

But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?

Oh no, she's kept her promise not that she's got any choice, Hermione added with satisfaction. But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now.

Which is what? said Harry impatiently.

Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?

Yeah, said Harry, who was not likely to forget Rita Skeeters stories about him in a hurry.

Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something, said Hermione, very fast, as though it would be less unpleasant for Harry to hear these facts quickly. They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears they say something like a tale worthy of Harry Potter and if anyone has a funny accident or anything its lets hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next

I don't want anyone to worship Harry began hotly.

I know you don't, said Hermione quickly, looking frightened.I know, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, Ill bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going. ....

Reminds us of something?

P.S:

Such campaigns work, and that's why are repeatedly used. (After all, the fake sting tapes, Anna controversy creation and other underhanded tactic did help opposition in reducing AAP's projected 47 seats to 28 actual seats in only few months. That was quite an effective smear campaign.)

In the book, the campaign continues for a long time. Many characters who were earlier close to Harry began doubting him and even apolitical normal people around him distrust him heavily.

How does it end?

How does it end in literature and how -as history often shows- does it end in the real life? Well, it ends through the facts.

It's up to Arvind to continue tackling the real issues, to make AAP's promises to become facts, and it is up to us to continue keeping a close watch and to act accordingly.

Saiba Kataruka