Yesterday, I found this screenshot doing the rounds on Twitter.

If you have been on social media, you would know that such sentiments are not uncommon. The above is just an example of a much larger phenomenon. Nothing personal.

“Warmongering” Indian cricket team? Seriously? It is clear that such people have active imaginations are out of a touch of reality. Surely, this is a symptom that they are deeply disturbed and unhappy on the inside. This hatred, where is it coming from?

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The elite liberal consensus has always had contempt for common Indians. Narendra Modi became the focal point of their hatred. And as his political star shone brighter and brighter, liberals were driven further and further over the edge.

They went from hating Modi to hating Hindus to hating India.

With the General Election victory, the BJP is set to get a hold of the establishment (which is different from holding power). As the BJP enters its second successive term in office with a full majority of its own, there is real worry that BJP supporters might slowly become the very thing they despise. They might become like liberals.

It is to address such worries that one must identify fundamental differences between BJP supporters and the elite liberals who ruled before them.

The simplest test lies in how BJP supporters see the country. The BJP was out cold and in the opposition for decades, but do you know of one BJP supporter who wanted India to lose a cricket match to Pakistan because of that?

You might ask: what does BJP being in power have to do with cheering for India in cricket? You would be right. It’s always natural to support one’s country in the international sporting arena. It comes automatically to everyone.

Except we are finding out now that it is not natural and it does not apply to everybody. It is possible to hate the ruling party so much that you cannot even tolerate the idea of the Indian team winning a cricket game.

Remember this?

Remember how ‘intellectual’ Ashis Nandy was worried that India winning the World Cup might intensify nationalism in India?

Do you remember a BJP supporter thinking this way in all the decades that the BJP was out of power?

Therein lies the difference.

Let’s take something much more serious than cricket. Who remembers the Pathankot terrorist attack in 2015? It was the first major terror attack during PM Modi’s tenure outside of Jammu and Kashmir. As the nation went into mourning, a certain group of liberals appeared thrilled, because they hoped Modi would lose face.

The pattern continued after the terror attack in Uri, in which 19 of our jawans lost their lives. Ironically, the ‘celebrations’ on the left ended abruptly after the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control. After that, liberals became eager mouthpieces for enemy propaganda, giving strength to every rumour floated by the Pakistani side to cast doubt on the strikes.

But what really brought out the worst of Indian ‘liberalism’ was their response to Pulwama. Supposedly respectable liberals from many walks of life; public intellectuals, journalists working for top media houses, executives of MNCs, students, etc came forward with some of the most despicable views ever. Some equated the actions of the Indian Army in Kashmir with those of terrorists. Other spread lies about Indian Army raping and murdering innocent people. Some of them went all the way and openly celebrated the Pulwama attack by saying “How’s the Jaish?”

Do you remember any BJP supporter ever speaking about the 26/11 attacks like that?

But in the aftermath of Pulwama, liberals went low. Very low. One media outlet actually boasted a report in which they described how they had called up the grieving relatives of the dead to find out the caste of the fallen soldiers! Because, you know, elections were coming. And liberals knew that only caste consolidation could stop Modi. So, if you lost your loved ones to a terrorist attack, you can expect a call from a liberal journalist asking they belonged to one of the castes that the opposition has identified as politically useful for votebank purposes.

It’s hard to go lower than that.

Again, our response to terror should be something that is above our domestic party politics. When 44 of our jawans are killed by terrorists, we are all on Team India.

Shockingly, not everyone feels the same way.

Perhaps it goes to the heart of how the two sides see the nation. Perhaps for liberals, the country is worth only what they can pillage, plunder and strip mine it for. When India stops being the hen that lays golden eggs for them, does India become a thorn in their flesh?

Be it on the battlefield or the cricket field.

You might have noticed that the usual suspects are somewhat muted during this World Cup. I doubt that they have changed their mind. More likely they realize that standing with the Tukde Tukde gang was a PR disaster of epic proportions for them. And they don’t want to be seen going down that way again. It’s not good for their business… err…I mean their politics.

For BJP supporters, I will say this: there is never a perfect world. Power brings with it many vices. But as long as you remember that the nation is above everything else, you’ll do just fine.