Bald & bakc**

As the week is ending, I am getting all the more fidgety. There is something within that is preventing me from letting it go this time. I am filled with so much resentment and anger that no matter how much I procrastinate, I will just not be able to settle down till I vent it out — hence this blog.

But this only partially solves my problem, as I still have to overcome the dilemma of choosing between two experiences that have left me squirming. I will start with the one that came after the first during the week.

A famous travel vlogger, whose videos I enjoyed a lot until recently, just exposed himself as another petty influencer misusing his popularity. His vlogs stood out because of his honesty and humor, although the latter often took the form of sarcasm, but for healthy criticism (apparently). His humor usually induced a smile of admission among locals, who till that time had either ignored the issue or had perhaps learned to live with it.

He has been visiting my country as well, doing the same thing — traveling, exploring, and sharing his experiences, praising places, people, food, culture, and traditions that he likes. At the same time, he uses his typical humor to express his dislike. He is well-received everywhere, even after getting into trouble a few times for taking things too far.

I remember one incident when he tried to swim to a luxury hotel instead of taking the usual route, which was forbidden as it could pose a security threat to the guests. It could have inspired and encouraged unscrupulous elements looking for ways to get an access to reach the wealthy tourists. But as a viewer, I preferred to take it in jest.

However, his latest video has got me thinking deeply about his intentions, purpose, and agenda behind his work. What seemed like fun and entertainment until now suddenly started giving off an imperialistic stench. I could feel arrogance, disdain, and jealousy in his tone, mostly in the videos made in African countries, Russia, and India.

At the risk of being criticized for repeating the same arguments, I would say his choice of locations was premeditated, with a clear objective of maligning the image of the nation. He ridicules us unabated, takes veiled potshots at our leaders, culture, and sometimes even religion, but never showcases the other side — the side we proudly present to the world.

He was critical of the authorities, and perhaps indirectly his own government (i wonder if it was during that PM of Indian Origin), when he exposed the dilapidated conditions of buildings in a remote town of his country once. He does the same in his recent videos, especially in India. He talks about the great buildings left behind by his countrymen and complains about how we could not maintain or care for them.

He insinuates that we were better off as a colony because these buildings would have been well taken care of, the streets would have been cleaner, and the traffic would not have been as noisy. But conveniently, his memory fails him when it comes to how his country looted us and other colonies for centuries. Today, they struggle to maintain their own buildings, roads, and homeless population — a long list of failures ignored.

Trillions were taken away from just us and his Lord only knows how much more from other colonies, that just disappeared in farts and burps without even giving a moment’s thought about the ones left behind to starve and perish.  He conjectures that recovering from the endless atrocities and bloodshed of partition should be swift and easy. Like others, he is desperate to drive a narrative to the world because staying relevant in changing global dynamics is becoming insurmountable for them.

After winning the hearts of the very people his ancestors plundered, he still follows in their footsteps. Maybe he was lured, emotionally blackmailed, forced or his genetic makeup simply failed to evolve with time, making him end up towing the propaganda line, which in the current geopolitical environment does not favor us. Not because we are weak, without talent or purpose, but because we make them nervous.

We are an emerging power, making the ground slip from under their feet, and if they don’t change, it’s just a matter of time before they take the fall.