The bro coolaid

No one can ever fully understand this country. Like there is this type of bro in upper class India who has always leaned right, and wants stability in the country but, recently, posted support for the student protests – tentative support. It was a little confusing.

First, a little bit about bro. He is rich. He can be fun. He studied at a B-grade university in UK/US where he read Milan Kundera. He can be casually mean to his wife but periodically appeases her with a Birkin bag or Budapest trip. His business sometimes engages in gentle white collar crime, supported by a club of other gentle WCCs. He spends time in boring countries like Malta (tax reasons) but votes in India.

Bro inherited a mythology of hatred that he didn’t question, maybe because it would impact his real inheritance. Besides, his dentist/golf buddy is Muslim. Bro guzzles Wagyu steak with single malt (when abroad), but votes for the party that bans beef. Bro firmly believes that youngsters must respect their elders.

But then…why did bro suddenly post against the party that he insists has done so much for India’s economy? Did he suddenly change his beliefs? What just happened? The answer lies in a fascinating new algorithm that might be reshaping political discourse in this country: Protest has suddenly become cool. Some girls told bro he was being a dated uncle-ji. And bro wants to be cool, even at the risk of shaking his apolitical politics.

Last month, the country released pent-up fear like a long fart after years of indigestion. People also laughed a lot. There is no right or left here. Now, you are either cool or uncool. Because, where do you place a Maharashtrian bikini model who stops a police van while FaceTiming her dad? Or a youngster from Jaipur who went to IIT and LSE and then gave up a dream multinational job to become a student leader? In Delhi, gamchha swag collided with Insta influencers. In Mumbai, young lesbians in hijab came to a march organised by those who once cleaved the city. India is kinetic and crazy, unpredictable, even bizarre.

No one can fully get it – or control it. But everyone gets ‘cool’. When Bob Dylan sang of revolution and Kabir challenged norms, they became cool. Last week, bro walked over to the ‘cool’ side. Tentatively.

END OF ARTICLE