Let something uncomfortable be said aloud. Society is a sham. Not entirely, not in every breath, but at its core, the whole arrangement the laws, the elections, the flags, the courts rests on a single, fragile agreement: let us pretend this works. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, humans lived in small, terrified groups. One wrong look meant a spear in the chest. There was no justice, only revenge.
Then, slowly, someone said: what if rules were made? Not because rules are noble, but because without them, a neighbor might kill for stealing a goat, an uncle might marry a daughter by force, teenagers might smash every shop window just because Tuesday was boring. So the first laws arrived: the Code of Hammurabi, 282 rules carved into stone around 1754 BCE. "An eye for an eye"brutal, but predictable. Then the Magna Carta in 1215, not for peasants, but because barons were tired of a king stealing their land. Fast forward to today: the Constitution of India, the longest written constitution in the world, with 470+ Articles (after amendments), and the UK's unwritten constitution, scattered like loose pages in a storm. Impressive? Yes. But ask yourself: who wrote these rules? Not you. Not any ordinary person.
Now imagine a killing. Right now, in front of witnesses. What happens? Society does not ask why first. It reaches for a book the penal code, the bare act. It flips pages. It searches for the paragraph that says: murder. Section 302. Punishment: death or life imprisonment. Now imagine the same act done in self-defense. A man lunges at a throat, a push, a fall, a head hitting stone, death. Without the law's careful distinctions, that person would be hanged next to a serial killer. That would be monstrous. So the law invents categories: culpable homicide, murder, justifiable homicide, sudden provocation. Beautiful distinctions. Necessary fictions.
But here is the crack in the mirror. A politician flawed, yet honest in this one sentence once said: law should not necessarily be fair. It should look like it is fair. Read that again. Look like. Justice is not delivered. One cannot hand someone justice like a parcel. Justice must be felt. Seen. A judge in a black robe. A gavel. A courtroom with high ceilings. The performance of fairness matters more than fairness itself, because if people stop believing the system is fair, they stop believing in the system entirely. And then? Then the world returns to spears and smashed windows.
Consider democracy. A vote, every five years. A citizen walks into a booth, presses a button, and emerges with a marked finger. That ink feels like power: I choose. I matter. But do they? Trace the chain. A local candidate is voted in. That candidate reaches a majority. That majority sends someone to the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha. Those members then elect a president or approve a prime minister. By the time a single vote reaches the top, it has passed through ten hands, ten compromises, ten closed-door meetings. That voice is still there somewhere but thinner than smoke. Look at the West Bengal elections. Millions queued. Felt proud. Felt heard. Yet the same problems remained: poverty, corruption, broken roads. Democracy is not designed to solve problems. It is designed to manage disappointment. Every five years, old anger is flushed and the tank is refilled with fresh hope. That is not conspiracy; that is structure. The French philosopher Rousseau warned: British people think they are free. They are mistaken. They are free only during the election of members of parliament. The real controllers call them aristocrats, call them what you will do not need to rig votes. They simply need the population busy. Working. Worrying about rent. Scrolling phones. Fighting cousins over religion.
Here is their smartest invention: groups. Religious groups, caste groups, political tribes, nationalities, gangs, fandoms. Pick one. Any one. Suddenly a person is not a lonely, confused human. They are a Hindu, a Muslim, a BJP supporter, a TMC loyalist, a Bengali, a northeasterner. Identity comes pre-loaded with opinions. No need to think about a policy; just ask: what does my group say? This is not freedom. This is a shortcut. Sociologists call it social identity theory; call it instead the velvet leash. There is a feeling of protection inside the herd. But the herd's leaders the ones who truly benefit stay comfortable. Because while the crowd is busy defending its group in WhatsApp forwards, no one is asking the real questions: who owns the factories? Who decides the price of fuel? Why does a child still breathe poison air?
So where does one go from here? Communism? Socialism? The far right? The far left? Some new -ism born last week in a Twitter thread? No. Every ideology eventually becomes the same thing: a fresh set of rules written by clever people who want obedience. The only remaining belief is this: every person holds their own identity, and every person should pursue their own interest not the interest of their party, their priest, or their politician. But here is the fatal hit. The moment a person truly pursues their own interest, they collide with society's leaders. The spiritual guide calls them a traitor. The local politician calls them a troublemaker. And if they persist? Assassination. Mob lynching. An "accident." Look at the pattern. Look at the bubble. It is inflating right now on social media, in parliament, in every temple and church. The bubble is made of lies that have been agreed upon and called truth. Laws that look fair. Democracy that feels good. Identities that keep everyone separate. Bubbles always burst. Either a Great Reset some deliberate, global redesign of norms or a slow, ugly crack. No one knows the date. But the feeling is unmistakable: everyone is walking on a frozen lake, pretending the ice is stone.
This is not a call to burn the constitution. This is not a call to march without laws. This is a call to see the sham while still obeying it. Vote, but do not worship the act. Follow the law, but do not mistake it for morality. Love a community, but do not let it think for you. The truth is not that society is evil. The truth is that society is made by scared people, for scared people. And what is made can be remade. But first, one must stop believing the theater. Stop.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of the publisher, its management, employees, affiliates, or representatives. This publication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. The publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information contained herein.
.jpeg)
