Lessons from a forgotten despot

A file photo of Venezuelans watching Nicolas Maduro on a television in Bolivar Square. Pic/istock

I have been thinking about dictators a lot over the past few years now, for reasons that aren't always clear to me. I don't know what prompts me to think about these pompous, semi-literate men in charge of countries, and laugh at their obsession with themselves. It's a particularly strange topic to think about because India has no experience with people like these. And yet, they came to mind again a few days ago while I was reading a report from Venezuela about life after Nicolás Maduro.

Everyone knows what happened in that country when America decided to step in and do what the Americans have been doing for a long time now. It's what happened in the weeks and months after they left that I found interesting. According to the report, the dictator who had portrayed himself as his people's protector is already being erased, physically and metaphorically. Billboards with his face on them are being painted over, and his reputation as a superhero is already being forgotten by a nation that has moved on. It reminded me of how lucky India is to not have a cartoonish figure like this in Parliament. Imagine an Indian politician trying to con people into believing he was some sort of demigod? It would never happen here.

A lot of what Maduro did bordered on the puerile. Journalists say he insisted on being everywhere, with every scheme and state building carrying his name or visage in some form. He was obsessed with publicity, appearing on state television as often as possible, performing for the cameras all the time. Again, I thought, how lucky that India has never had to deal with a clown like this who is obsessed with public relations. Maduro danced while his country's economy slowly collapsed around him, which points to a combination of ignorance and hubris - qualities that would automatically disqualify an Indian politician from winning an election.

Then again, these are interesting patterns that crop up whenever one thinks of dictators everywhere, throughout history. They appear to share a number of characteristics, starting with their desperate need to hold on to power at any cost. This has been done through the centralizing of authority and suppression of civil liberties. When freedom of the press is threatened, and dissent is met with imprisonment, that's when people ought to panic. Again, India will never have to worry about any of these things happening.

Another common characteristic that cops up time and again is the cult of personality, which Maduro clearly subscribed to. Time and again, this involves hero-worship through propaganda to portray themselves as infallible leaders who are essential to a country's survival. I can't imagine this happening in India because we have always been able to see through cheap tricks. It's also why propaganda has never made its presence felt in this part of the world.

Psychologists have also pointed out that autocratic rulers exhibit similar personality disorders, from narcissism to their tendency to prioritize ego over the well-being of people they are supposed to take care of. It's why I felt such pity for the people of Venezuela and wished they could experience what life in a sane country like India is like. We would never tolerate a narcissistic ruler obsessed with his ego here.

In fact, I can't think of a single Indian politician who is narcissistic, and who would prioritize a photo opportunity over actual work. I believe Maduro could have learned a lot from Indian politicians and become a better human being in the process.

One last thing that comes to mind is how dictators have always used force and fear to maintain control and ensure blind submission. They have avoided accountability and are always cowards who shy away from answering tough questions. Maduro tried this for decades and look where it got him. It only makes me proud of being Indian today because of how none of these things can take place in the world's most robust democracy. It's why I have nothing but optimism for the glorious future all Indians are inevitably marching towards.

India has nothing to learn from what occurred in Venezuela, but the episode should still serve as a reminder to other countries still governed by dim-witted narcissists. Dictators need to remember that their lives are short and the collective memory of their people is longer. Luckily, we will never know what it's like to be governed by a megalomaniac obsessed with publicity or distracted by delusions of grandeur.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He can be contacted at www.lindsaypereira.com
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