The article explores India’s increasing efforts to regulate online discourse and the pushback it encounters from Elon Musk’s X platform, along with younger generations of climate activists and digitally engaged victims of financial scams. It emphasizes the Indian government’s utilization of the Information Technology Act to enforce extensive content removal, specifically targeting dissent and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. Recently, X has filed a lawsuit against these measures in the Karnataka High Court, claiming unlawful censorship. The piece outlines how this crackdown restricts free expression, particularly among tech-savvy youth who depend on platforms like X to articulate political and environmental discontent. Additionally, it connects these efforts to broader issues, such as attempts to silence the voices of defrauded citizens from the DHFL scam, preventing them from raising their grievances online. While Musk positions X as a champion of free speech, this scenario reveals a complicated struggle between state control, corporate interests, and grassroots digital activism against the backdrop of India’s escalating authoritarian tendencies.
Category Archives: Art of Resistance
Following the dictum “Cultural revolution must precede political revolution”, we are striving to create the scope for an alternative cultural space, which can offer resistance to all forms of coercion, and can also serve as a medium for conducting non-violent, horizontal dialogical exchanges.
Grok Against Indian Oligarchs?
The controversy surrounding AI chatbot Grok 3 in India highlights the intensifying digital resistance against the BJP-led government’s control over narratives. Grok’s candid responses on topics like Modi’s communal politics, RSS’s negligible role in India’s independence, and Adani’s corporate ties have triggered backlash from BJP supporters, who accuse it of bias. The Indian government’s pressure on X (formerly Twitter) to regulate AI responses mirrors previous crackdowns on digital activism, including restrictions on Fridays for Future and censoring dissenting voices. This uproar coincides with the renewed global scrutiny on Adani, particularly after U.S. legal actions against his business empire. The broader issue at stake is India’s declining free speech environment, as evidenced by its low ranking in global indices, reflecting growing censorship of politically inconvenient truths. The OBMA activist group, which has faced legal threats from Ajay Piramal’s DSK Legal for exposing financial scandals linked to BJP-affiliated corporates like DHFL, draws parallels between Grok’s suppression and their own experiences. This case underscores how India’s ruling establishment leverages legal and digital suppression to shield oligarchic interests while stifling criticism at home and abroad.
DHFL Victims Encountering a Moneyless Sage
This agit-prop “fiction” narrates an encounter between the authors, who are victims of the DHFL financial scam, and a reclusive sage in the Himalayan region near Joshimath, India. The authors describe their dismay at the environmental degradation caused by unplanned mega-projects like the Chardham initiative, which have led to significant ecological damage and increased landslides in the area. During their journey, they meet a naked sage and engage in a conversation about contemporary issues. The sage expresses disdain for commercialized religious figures and criticizes the current ruling party’s push for a Hindu Rashtra, labeling it as exclusivist and fascist. He emphasizes his belief in ‘Mānavagotra,’ viewing himself as part of a universal human identity beyond national, religious, caste, or class distinctions. When the authors share their plight as DHFL scam victims, the sage advises against seeking heroes or messiahs for salvation. Instead, he encourages them to take proactive, non-violent action to reclaim their rights, citing relevant verses from the Bhagavad Gītā that emphasize the importance of self-initiated action without attachment to outcomes, and also the attachment to passive inaction. The narrative intertwines themes of environmental conservation, criticism of religious commercialization, political dissent against crony establishment, and collective empowerment in the face of systemic financial injustices, with a focus on the DHFL “scam”.
Mr. Paramavaiṣṇava’s Trial: A Courtroom Drama
The trial of Mr. Paramavaiṣṇava—known as Mr. “P,” a high-profile business tycoon with alleged government ties—begins on a foggy morning in a dimly lit New Delhi courtroom. Accused of insider trading, environmental violations, contempts of court in the DHFL scam, and political cronyism as a whole, he faces intense scrutiny. At the outset, Mr. P swears on the Bhagavad Gītā, portraying himself as a philanthropic figure. The prosecution challenges this, arguing that his religious rhetoric masks unethical practices. Citing multiple legal violations, the prosecutor even references the Gītā to question Mr. P’s credibility. The courtroom drama intensifies with allegations of political favouritism, corporate maneuvering to evade accountability, and undue political influence. As pressure mounts, Mr. P lashes out, declaring India’s justice system unfit and hinting at fleeing abroad. The session ends chaotically when he collapses, forcing an adjournment, while his defense lawyer mysteriously vanishes. Beyond the legal battle, the trial serves as a broader critique of systemic corruption, judicial bias, and the misuse of religious imagery to shield corporate misconduct.
Piramal Bound: The DHFL Gordian Knot (Movie)
The Movie deals with CBI’s 2025 clean chit for the Wadhawans, which perhaps changes the ongoing trajectory of justice in favour of the DHFL victims, who are still suffering financial ruin under the IBC’s brutal promise for “reform.” The CoC, acting as judge, jury, and executioner, sacrificed lakhs while BJP backed crony corporate profiteers like Ajay Piramal, whose empire thrives amid a number of scandals. DHFL, through mergers, became a ghost—existing simultaneously as PCHFL, and/or PEL…. yet erased. Will Piramal’s illusion hold? Can justice prevail? The fight isn’t over—history proves ghosts never die.
Haircuts: The Most Unkindest Cut of All! (A Satirical Skit)
The skit humorously explores the absurdity of two different “haircuts”—a financial disaster and a physical one. Y’s father loses his savings due to a bad investment as he narrates the episode to X, while Y follows his guru’s advice to donate all his hair to Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati. The skit critiques crony capitalism, government corruption, and the societal fixation on rituals, blending satire with social commentary as observed through X’s statements. It ends with Y realizing the futility of both haircuts and the systemic failures of the Indian state.
The House of Cards: The DHFL Debacle (MOVIE)
This agit-prop short film chronicles the origins of the DHFL scam, unraveling the layers of corruption and systemic failures that enabled one of India’s largest financial frauds. It delves into the root causes of the hardships endured by financially abused DHFL victims, exposing the exploitative mechanisms behind the so-called ‘bankruptcy’ and ‘insolvency’ narratives surrounding the AAA-rated NBFC DHFL. The film critically examines the unanswered questions that continue to haunt ordinary citizens, whose hard-earned savings were sacrificed at the altar of crony capitalism, facilitated by a regime deeply intertwined with the super-rich elite and their corporate allies. Yet, amidst the bleak revelations, the film concludes with a glimmer of hope. It envisions the power of collective struggle—a united front spanning both national and global arenas, taking shape on the streets and resonating across social media platforms. This cinematic effort by OBMA stands as a resolute call for justice in its truest sense, urging viewers to engage, resist, and advocate for accountability and systemic change. LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
Challenging the IBC: No Shortcuts, No Surrenders! (DIGITAL POSTERS)
This collage of posters emphasizes the need for unwavering determination in challenging the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) without resorting to compromises or half-measures. It highlights the DHFL case as a crucial battleground, where systemic flaws in the IBC must be exposed to prevent exploitation by powerful corporate players. The message is clear: true justice demands resilience, not convenient shortcuts. The posters are intended to inspire collective action and raise awareness about the broader implications of this struggle.
Embers of Resistance: DHFL (Movie)
On a rain-soaked evening in New Delhi, DHFL scam victims march with quiet determination, their flickering candles symbolizing resilience. Youth protesters join, their chants and fiery defiance casting grotesque shadows of injustice. Chaos erupts as riot police attack, and an elderly woman’s tragic cry as she is consumed by flames becomes a harrowing symbol of justice crushed under crony capitalism.
This AI-crafted agit-prop film juxtaposes despair and defiance, capturing the indomitable spirit of solidarity. Dedicated to DHFL victims, it is a haunting call to resist oppression and fight for accountability.
Scam 2019: The DHFL Massacre
This #OBMA_video_collage vividly captures the intricate narrative of the DHFL Scam, one of the most monumental financial scandals in post-independence India. Through a compelling interplay of visuals and commentary, it unveils the layers of systemic malfeasance underpinning this saga. The video delves into the discursive formations and critical texts that expose the BJP’s entrenched crony-oligarchic framework, orchestrating financial exploitation at an unprecedented scale. It highlights the calculated siphoning of wealth from DHFL victims to enrich a select cohort of favored capitalists, offering a powerful critique of the nexus between power and profit.
Once in a Blue Moon Academia 