The World Through Rakesh Sharma's Eyes

  Trump’s America Isn’t a Clean-Up Job—It’s Controlled Demolition When Donald Trump was elected in 2016, many viewed it as a disruption—a break from stale political norms. In truth, it was just the trailer. The 2024 re-election campaign was the feature-length film, and this time, roughly 75 million voters bought tickets for a sequel that promised to “clean up” America. But what exactly was the mess? And what does cleaning look like when the method is to throw more dirt on the floor? Trump’s appeal to many is still rooted in the fantasy that his anger is surgically targeted—aimed only at the "corrupt elites" or, more darkly, at immigrants and marginalized groups. But anger doesn’t stay confined for long. And the broom he promised would sweep the nation clean has turned into a wrecking ball with no reverse gear. To understand how we got here, we also have to confront an uncomfortable truth: Trump didn’t emerge from nowhere. The decay in American politics was already well underw...

  Bribes, Bhagwans, and Ballots: How India Perfected the Art of Political Confusion Thanks to INDIA TODAY for the Image Welcome to the golden age of corruption—where trust is optional, honesty is quaint, and truth is just another casualty in the political war room. Today, corruption isn't just a side effect of governance; it's the operating system itself. In India, we’ve finally achieved what some thought impossible: a judicial jackpot . A judge, purely by the cosmic coincidence of a house fire, was found sitting on mountains of cash—hundreds of millions of rupees—stashed away as if planning for an apocalypse where currency notes replace oxygen. Naturally, the discovery was met with swift and decisive action. Oh wait, no—it triggered the usual damage-control circus. Cue the planted stories, biased debates, and a crash course in spin doctoring. Media outlets that once reported news now function as mood-setters for whichever powerful entity is footing the bill. The governme...

  BJP’s Rigged Democracy: How India’s Ruling Party Steals Elections While the Opposition Watches In a moment of rare assertiveness, the Leader of the Opposition recently stood up in Parliament and raised the issue of election fraud, forcing the ruling party to at least acknowledge the growing concerns over manipulated voter data and rigged elections. After sustained pressure, the Election Commission of India reluctantly announced changes to the voter registration process, claiming these reforms would bring more transparency. But does anyone truly believe the Election Commission suddenly developed a sense of fairness? The BJP-controlled system does not correct itself; it simply finds new ways to disguise its manipulation. These "reforms" could just as easily be another layer of deception, creating an illusion of integrity while ensuring that the backdoor mechanisms of election fraud remain intact. The only real question is what kind of rigging strategy is being cooked up in ...

  How to Love Being Screwed Over: A Masterclass by India’s Blind Faith Brigade https://www.facebook.com/YuvaDesh/videos/1130273421943975 Ah, democracy! That beautiful illusion where people parade around thinking they have a voice, all while gleefully handing over their rights on a silver platter. And yet, here we are—modern India, where dictatorship is out of fashion, so we rebranded it as nationalism. So today, I stumbled across a video of Amol Palekar, a relic from an era when people still had spines and the ability to form independent thoughts. In this video, he reminisced about the Emergency period—you know, the one we were all told was the worst time in Indian democracy. He talked about how his film was banned by then-Communications Minister Basant Sathe for daring to show poverty, because apparently, acknowledging reality was already offensive back then. But here’s where it gets fun. Mr. Palekar did something radical—he appealed directly to Indira Gandhi, the so-called dictat...

  Rebels, Traditions, and the Art of Psychological Manipulation Ah, the age-old dilemma—should we celebrate rebels for dragging humanity into the modern era, or should we have simply continued basking in the cozy nostalgia of the 19th century, twiddling our thumbs and waiting for progress to arrive on a bullock cart? After all, who really needed steam engines, electricity, or, heaven forbid, the internet? Life was so much simpler when a village gossip session was the peak of social networking. And speaking of nostalgia, let’s take a moment to appreciate the intellectual gems that social media bestows upon us. Take, for instance, the recent revelation from an online philosopher who declared that women who cover their heads are inherently more respected than those who wear “tiny tiny” clothes. Ah, yes—because respect, a concept that should be based on character and integrity, is apparently determined by square inches of fabric. At first glance, this seemed like a harmless statement, ...

  Trump’s America: The Art of Self-Inflicted Economic Suicide Thanks to Bloomberg for the Image Ah, America—the land of endless possibilities, where people can chase their dreams, build fortunes, and, elect a man whose greatest skill is convincing them to set their wallets on fire. Once upon a time, the United States was a global economic leader, a beacon of stability, and a model of rational governance. But then came the Trump wave, bringing with it a revolutionary new strategy: blaming everyone else for America’s problems while making them exponentially worse. The American people, in their infinite wisdom, decided that what the country needed was another four years of chaos, believing that Trump would somehow fix inflation, strengthen the economy, and restore decisive leadership. And what a brilliant move that was. Because as every economically literate person knows, slapping tariffs on imported goods makes things cheaper. It’s basic math: add a tax, and magically, prices go down...

  गद्दारों का टोला इस आज़ाद ख़्यालों की दुनिया में कुछ लोग यहाँ मिल जाते हैं, वो झूठे वादे करके सबसे दुनिया पे ये राज यहाँ कर जाते हैं। इन धर्म के ठेकेदारों से बच पाते नहीं जब लोग यहाँ, कहते हैं देश पे ये मर सकते, गाते हैं गीत इन ही के यहाँ। कुछ लोगों ने यहाँ लूटा है देश की सारी धन-दौलत को, झूठे वादे किए सारी जनता से यहाँ मूर्ख बनाया है उन सबको। जिन लोगों ने देश बनाया था उनको कहते हैं गद्दार ये सब, इन्होने देश को खुल के लूटा है, इनको नहीं माफ़ करेगा कभी रब। पकड़े जाते चोरी करते हुए, तब ध्यान जनता का भटकाते हैं। कभी साधु बन बैठे गुफा में, कभी औरों को चोर बताते हैं। हो सकता है कि कुछ दिनों में, जब जागेंगे सब लोग यहाँ। पाएंगे खाली खजाने देश के, पूछेंगे उनका धन है कहाँ। तब पता चलेगा उन सबको, कोई साधु बनकर यहाँ आया था। फैलाया था झूठ का जाल उसने, और सबका मूर्ख बनाया था। कहता था बजाओ थाली जमके, सब रोग तुम्हारे हो जाएंगे ख़त्म। तुम थाली बजाते रह गए यहाँ पे, पीछे से कर दिया सारा काम ख़त्म। अब मिलकर ढूँढो उस साधु को, जो झोला उठाकर भाग गया। इस देश क...

  The Modi Wave: A Masterclass in Intellectual Erosion and Democratic Amnesia Picture is from NDTV Ah, India—the land of ancient wisdom, rich traditions, and, apparently, a newfound enthusiasm for blind obedience. A nation that once fought tooth and nail against colonial rule, only to now voluntarily surrender its democracy to a government that thrives on lies, religious division, and economic mismanagement. But who cares about facts when you have the Modi wave? One of the most fascinating side effects of this wave is the sheer number of educated individuals who have decided that civil responsibility is an outdated concept. They have willingly traded logic for propaganda, facts for WhatsApp forwards, and civic duty for cheerleading a government that excels in nothing but self-promotion. And why? Because the alternative, Rahul Gandhi, comes from a horror family that, ironically, built the nation from zero to what it is today. Apparently, in today’s India, leadership is no longer ab...

  2025 Championship Trophy Win जीत की ख़ुशी आज इस ख़ुशी की लहरों में, जिनमें हम फिर से बहने लगे। ये जैसे सब कुछ हमने किया, गलियों में फिर से हम मँडराने लगे। चेहरों पे है मुस्कान यहाँ, इस जीत की ख़ुशी के गीत हम गा रहे। सर ऊँचा किया है इस टीम ने, जिसका हम गौरव यहाँ पे मना रहे। अपने इस इतिहास के अंदर, कभी ऐसा नहीं हमने देखा है। एक माँ के आगे झुक कर किसी ने, अपना ही मान बढ़ाया है। इस जीत से लगता है हमको, भारत में हम सब एक हैं। यहाँ भेदभाव अब कोई नहीं, हम एक-दूजे के मीत हैं।   काश सच में ऐसा हो जाए, इस टीम की तरह हम सब एक हो जाएँ। मिट जाएँ सारे भेदभाव यहाँ, एक-दूजे से हम मिल जाएँ। मगर सच में ऐसा होता नहीं, कुछ दिन में सब भूल जाते हैं। नफ़रत फैलाने वालों के चक्कर में, हम फिर से यहाँ फँस जाते हैं।   मालूम नहीं ये सब खुशियाँ, हम कब तक इनको रख पाएंगे। इस देश में इतने पाखंडी भरे, हम उनसे कैसे बच पाएंगे। ये सब जाने कैसे हमको, एक-दूजे से लड़वाना है। इसी ख़ुशी में शामिल होना, बस झूठा प्यार दिखाना है। इस जीत की ख़ुशी जो है सबको, इस टीम से अब कुछ सीखें सारे। ...

  The Grand Illusion of Wealth: How Governments and Corporations Have Perfected Economic Deception Wealth is one of those fascinating illusions that has fooled entire civilizations. Economists define it as the accumulation of valuable resources, assets, and power, but in reality, it has been carefully manipulated to serve the interests of a select few. Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes all had their theories, but what we see today is not that wealth as envisioned by any economist—it is an elaborate con, an illusion designed to keep the masses chasing an unattainable dream while those in power pull the strings. The world has been led to believe that economic progress means unlimited debt, financial markets manipulated by a handful of corporations, and a currency system detached from any real value. This illusion has allowed governments to run up debt without consequence, convincing citizens that this is a sign of strength rather than reckless irresponsibility. Long befo...

  When a Cricketer’s Lunch Becomes National Politics Thanks for this Image from Hindustan Times In a country of over 1.4 billion people, with a history so ancient it could give the world a lesson or two in civilization, the most burning question of the day somehow became — why didn’t Mohammad Shami keep roza. Yes, in a nation battling unemployment, economic slowdown, a crumbling education system, and a healthcare sector held together by prayers, the biggest headline was about a cricketer’s personal religious choice. What makes it even more ridiculous is that this question didn’t even come from the common public. It came from the self-appointed custodians of Islam — the very same religious gatekeepers who believe piety is measured by public displays of faith, not by personal integrity or contribution to society. These are the people who conveniently forget that Islam itself allows flexibility for those performing their duties, especially when they are representing the nation. But th...

  Delhi’s Political Circus – The Greatest Show of Deception on Earth Delhi’s Grand Masterclass in Political Deception: Enjoy Your ₹1,100 Ah, the people of Delhi. Ever the optimists, always ready to believe that this time the BJP’s promises might actually be real. And why not? After all, they were promised ₹2,500 per month for every woman over eighteen. That’s a lot of money! More than AAP’s ₹2,100. A deal so good it almost sounded… too good to be true. And guess what? It was too good to be true. Now that the election dust has settled and the BJP has miraculously secured yet another “victory” (thanks, Election Commission, always a pleasure), the grand mystery remains—where is that ₹2,500? Any sign of it? Any government order? Any budget allocation? No? Didn’t think so. But let’s not act surprised. This isn’t the first time the BJP has pulled off the political equivalent of a disappearing act, and judging by how easily voters keep falling for it, it certainly won’t be the last....