“So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don’t even know that fire is hot.”

— George Orwell

The terms “Left” and “Right” in political discourse originated during the French Revolution of 1789. Members of the National Assembly who supported the revolution, secularism and social equality sat on the left side of the presiding officer, while those who favoured the monarchy, traditional institutions and the authority of the Church sat on the right. Over time, this seating arrangement evolved into the primary spectrum used worldwide to describe political ideologies, social philosophies and economic models.

The Left Ideology

The core of Left-wing political philosophy centres on equality, social justice and collective well-being. Left-leaning ideologies operate on the premise that society thrives when systemic inequalities are actively dismantled and economic resources are shared or regulated to protect vulnerable populations. Gradually, this crossed all human logic and reason. It went to such an extreme that its followers wanted to pulverise the entire structure of societal hierarchy, dismantle everything and reduce society to the ground.

Today, movements on the Left range from centre-left social democracy (welfare-state capitalism) to democratic socialism and radical communism, which advocates collective or state ownership of the means of production.

They have this firmly embedded in their heads: “If I do not have what you have, then you should not have what you have.” They are the “equalisers”, who would literally level society by burning everything so that nothing is left with anyone. They have a “dog in the manger” mentality.

“How selfish he is! He cannot eat the hay, and yet he will not let us eat it who are so hungry for it!”

— The goats, speaking of the dog

The Political Right

The core of Right-wing political philosophy emphasises liberty, traditional order, individualism and hierarchy. Right-leaning ideologies generally hold that individual initiative, natural economic forces and established cultural norms generate stable and prosperous societies. It is based on meritocracy. It prefers free-market capitalism, minimal state intervention, lower taxation, deregulation and property rights.

These are political ideologies, not religious beliefs. But just as people convert from one religion to another, there are political conversions too.

In religious conversions, people can be bribed to make the switch. Christianity, for instance, propagates the religion by enticing a poor person with money and the hope of a better life, and it works. The word “propaganda” evolved from “propagation” (initially of religion, and later of political ideas). Islam converts through coercion or “brainwashing”, called “radicalisation”, to the extent that a person is motivated to die for a cause, which is mostly a mirage.

Circumstantial Crossovers: For a Few Dollars More

Of late, the most prevalent reason for political conversion from Right to Left is an “economic hit” or the loss of a privilege, especially in Bharat. In recent times, some people who were right-wingers and supported the BJP government because it was working to make Bharat strong and prosperous have got pissed off for personal reasons.

A case in point is the government “taking back” land from certain organisations that were providing luxury, pomp, access and privilege to the privileged class.

The central government plans to reclaim prime land from elite clubs, golf courses and polo grounds in Lutyens Delhi. The broader drive follows similar government moves targeting other high-profile leased or encroached properties in the immediate vicinity of PM House and Lutyens Delhi, including the Air Force Golf Club, the Jaipur Polo Ground and Indian Polo Association, and even the Delhi Gymkhana Club.

Several eminent artists, including Padma Shri awardees, have been asked to vacate government accommodation allotted to them in posh localities of the capital. An assessment carried out by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry almost a decade ago had found that these artists were overstaying in government accommodation, in some cases for more than 30 years, paying a nominal licence fee against a limit of stay of six years. These accommodations are in posh colonies, including Lodhi Colony, Asian Games Village, Shahjahan Road, Kaka Nagar, Gulmohar Park, Pandara Road and R K Puram.

“Access is a privilege, not a right. A lot of people lose powerful relationships because they move with entitlement instead of gratitude.” — Anonymous

These are the high and mighty who look at themselves as the “elite” of society, the ones on the list of “Who’s Who”. Once this title is stripped off, they shout, “How can they?” The typical snarl of “Tu jaanta hai main kaun hoon?” (“Do you know who I am?”) jumps out of the skin of a so-called decent person.

Some people employed by the previous government were also asked to leave to make way for the team chosen by the new government. This happens across the world. But they “feel” they have been wronged.

Many times, mission- or task-based ad hoc committees are constituted and people from outside are brought in. Once the task is over, the committees are dissolved and the members are asked to leave. Even in the corporate world, in the case of mergers and acquisitions, a shake-up of top management takes place. If you are no longer required in the larger interest of the organisation, you have to go.

Government administrations do deploy specialists on a “contractual basis”. They are given ranks at different levels of the hierarchy: some retired industry experts can be used at joint secretary level, and an expert in geopolitics can get the salary of a Secretary to the Government of Bharat. This is to fit them into the structure officially. Once the contract is over, the person has to leave. None of these people can expect an automatic rollover or renewal of the contract. After all, a contract is a contract: task- and time-bound.

But some people feel very upset that their contract was not renewed and, since they can do nothing about it, they start bad-mouthing the organisation or the government that employed them.

Those who were on the Right become “leftists” for all practical purposes. These are the people who will join any protest organised by the Left or, at the very least, foul-mouth the government on social media as catharsis.

“You’re just pissed off. And when you’re pissed off, you lash out.”

— Dennis Lehane