Political Correctness

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Political Correctness or politically correct, more so in its abbreviated form, PC,

happens to be one such term that animates the chatterati to no end. Through
overuse and diffusion to differing, even contradictory espousers of causes, the
term PC has lost its original meaning and is now blown about as verbal free-for-
all. At some point in time, say, in the 1990s, PC was used to “describe language,
ideas, policies, or behaviour seen as seeking to minimize offense to racial,
cultural, or other identity groups. Conversely, the term ‘politically incorrect’ is
used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are
unconstrained by orthodoxy.”
Currently, the term PC and its usage are controversial, while “politically incorrect”
is used to imply positive self-description.
According to some commentators, “political correctness” is a straw man or effigy

conservatives devised in the 1990s in order to frighten progressive social change
concerning race, religion and gender. Ruth Perry traces PC to Mao’s Little Red
Book, later adopted by the radical left in the 1960s, initially seriously and later as
a self-criticism of dogmatic attitudes. In the 1990s, PC was associated with radical
politics and communist censorship by the political right in the United States to
discredit the Old and New Left. But soon the New Left turned the tables on the
political right and re-appropriated the term political correctness as satirical self-
criticism.
Although the dominant usage is pejorative, a few writers use political correctness
to describe inclusive language or civility. To its advocates, political correctness
denotes:
1. The rights, opportunities, and freedoms of certain people who get restricted
because of their being stereotyped by dominant groups.
2. Stereotyping often is implicit, unconscious, facilitated by pejorative labels and

terms.
3. If above is correct, then, people must consciously think about how they
describe someone unlike themselves.
But the nature of discourse causes complications. For instance, when a group
chooses a term to describe its identity and as acceptable descriptor of
themselves, the so-chosen term eventually passes into common usage, reaching
even those very people whose racism and sexism, orthodoxy et cetera, the new
term was intended to supersede. The new term thus gets devalued, and other
set of words have to be coined, giving rise to lengthy progressions, such as Negro,
Coloured, Black, African-American and so on. We would recall that once Indians
were referred as “natives” by the English people but now the term with its
pejorative connotation has disappeared from common speech of the English
people. An Indian equivalent is the commonly current usage of Dalit—from
Shudra to Harijan to Scheduled Caste to Dalit. Interestingly, in the wake of OBC
debate, re-introduction of “SC” in government job application forms is being
resented by Dalits.
According to some observers, there never was a “Political Correctness

movement” anywhere, and the term has been used to distract attention from
substantive debates over discrimination and unequal treatment based on race,
class and gender. Polly Toynbee argues that “the phrase is an empty rightwing
smear designed only to elevate its user”.
Some Rightist critics view political correctness as a Marxist-inspired effort aimed

at undermining Western values. Peter Hitchens, in The Abolition of Britain,
observes: “What Americans describe with the casual phrase ... political
correctness is the most intolerant system of thought to dominate the British Isles
since the Reformation.” Lind and Buchanan believe that PC is a technique
originated by the Frankfurt School for subverting Western values by influencing
popular culture through Cultural Marxism. Buchanan, in his The Death of the
West, states: “Political Correctness is Cultural Marxism, a regime to punish dissent
and to stigmatize social heresy as the Inquisition punished religious heresy. Its
trademark is intolerance.”
There appears to be some justification in the argument that political correctness

is censorship and hazardous to free speech as it restricts acceptable public
discourse, especially in the university and political forums. Pennsylvania
University Professor Alan Charles Kors and lawyer Harvey A. Silverglate, connect
political correctness to Marxist philosopher Herbert Marcuse and his view that
liberal ideas of free speech were, in fact, repressive.
Some critics point out that politically correct terms are merely awkward
euphemisms for the original, stark language and compare them to George
Orwell’s Newspeak. George Orwell, the author of Animal Farm, a trenchant satire
on Communism and leaders of the Soviet Union as practitioners of the
dictatorship of the proletariat. Camille Paglia, a self-styled “libertarian Democrat”,
argues that political correctness gives more power to the Left’s enemies and
alienates the masses against feminism.
According to certain linguists, political correctness “marginalizes certain words,

phrases, actions or attitudes through the instrumentation of public disesteem”.
Conservatively inclined critics of political correctness look at PC as a form of
coercion because, in a political context, power implies the dominion of some
men over others, or the “human control of human life” which, ultimately, leads
to force or compulsion. Further, it is argued that correctness is subjective, and
corresponds to the sponsored view of the government, minority, or special
interest group.
In our country, political correctness has been making inroads in our education
system in the form of reservations and revision of text books. Particularly, history
books have been subjected to all kinds onslaught from the Left and the Right,
requiring court interventions. Facts of history get interpreted according to what
the writer or re-writer of text books believes to be politically correct. Even the
tyrannical rule of Aurangzeb and the taxes he imposed on non-muslims now find
justification, if not praise by government appointed writers of text books. Children
will never know the facts of their history and will carry impressions of what has
been portrayed in their text books, depending on which politically correct books,
written by Leftists or Rightists, have been prescribed in their schools. These
children have been deprived of the option to choose between different versions
of history, thus denying them the scope for developing the ability to sift facts
critically.
Evolution, global warming, passive smoking, AIDS and other like issues face a
predicament as Political Correctness impedes a fair airing and hearing of these
issues. In India, as in other democratic countries, all issues as have national or
collective significance get lost in the dust of political correctness.
In Bollywood films, we often see highly contrived situations and characters to

portray themes of secularism and other beliefs. Some of our painters also take
advantage of the peculiar kind of secularism that prevails in India. Painter like
M.F. Hussain portrays Hindu goddesses and even Bharat Mata in distorted and
naked forms while timidly shunning from similar themes from Islam, his own
religion. But, he is accepted as a politically correct painter, even by our High
Courts, in the garb of politically correct secularism!
In fact, the Politically Correct are more intolerant than traditional liberals, even
conservatives. They are self-righteous like the religious dogmatists. They do not
accept that the voters or consumers are capable of making the right judgment for
themselves. They must impose reforms. Does Political Correctness aim to achieve
its objectives without violence? If so, why the politically correct, do not come out
to condemn terrorism committed by Islamic outfits as enthusiastically as they
condemn other factions for even less violent acts or even threats.
Surprisingly, India’s politically correct, are vocal for equal treatment to all but
highly evasive about and even resistant to any suggestion of a nationally uniform
code. Not the Nation, but castes, sub-castes and minorities appear to be
politically more correct in India.

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POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Political Correctness or politically correct, more so in its abbreviated form, PC,

According to some commentators, “political correctness” is a straw man or effigy

2. Stereotyping often is implicit, unconscious, facilitated by pejorative labels and

According to some observers, there never was a “Political Correctness

Some Rightist critics view political correctness as a Marxist-inspired effort aimed

There appears to be some justification in the argument that political correctness

According to certain linguists, political correctness “marginalizes certain words,

In Bollywood films, we often see highly contrived situations and characters to

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