The world did not take a serious pictorial message that came from China on 22nd October so seriously. When Hu was escorted out of the meeting, the other members looked ahead, might be in fear of what could one day come to them too. Hu was made sick, though no one knew whether he was sick. The world may never know about his sickness. The sorrowful picture may never be the subject of media discussion in the world. All secrets remain secret within the impregnable great wall of China, and all dissenting voices also fall silent.
The picture of the Chinese President Xi Jinping sitting as if he does not know why his predecessor Hu Jintao has been escorted out of the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China must have said a lot of things. One message was more prominent but silent; that was the message of an authoritarian. That may have conveyed enough for all dissenting voices seeking an explanation from a tyrant. Xi sent a message to everyone in the world. The world may never again know where his predecessor may be.
While the world has begun to forget the pandemic of Covid-19, China is not ready to forgive it. The Plenary meeting is over. Xi has sealed a third term in the despotic power in his iron hand. Very soon the world will get the answer to why China is compensating for everything in the name of Covid-19. The picture is a cognizable answer without directly answering any potential question.
The action is a testimony to how unlimited political power changes a person. Powers for ruling make a person blind. Tyrants never open their eyes for fear of enemies around. They are afraid of people and facts. And they are always afraid of people who raise their voices. The retention of power is crucial for them. Xi forgot Hu, who handed over the powers smoothly. Subsequently, he consolidated the power by removing the tenure after completing the first five-year tenure.
In India also, we see similar examples of how people change when they get power. The way adopted by Xi Jinping to remain in power in China is not possible in India, a democratic country. But who can say it will not happen in India? To remove the old guards, new leaders bring age stipulations instead of escorting them out of the meeting. Their other intentions are unknown.
The picture of the 79-year-old Hu being escorted out of the meeting, in the manner a criminal was taken out, shocked the world where democracy is a political culture. That was an insult and warning of more harsh punishment for dissenters.
We have Chinese communist party fans in India, who are seemingly very proud of China’s economic achievements. They look at China for betterment. But it is unclear whether the Chinese model is for the betterment of people or the high echelons of the party cadre. With feet on democracy, Indian communists seemed to have found nothing to castigate in the shocking picture. Instead, they seemed to take the right model and nurse a pipedream to happen once.