FEARING THE NAKED EMPEROR: POWER, SILENCE, AND THE URGENCY OF POLITICAL AWAKENING
Dr Suresh Khairnar
Yesterday, after hearing Donald Trump’s statement about causing Cuba’s current energy crisis—and now expressing a desire to take over Cuba—the proverb “Even God fears the naked one” came to mind. Yet today, the anger of those exploited by this “naked one” is visible to the world through the Epstein files. Stopping such a figure is perhaps the greatest threat looming over human civilization. Why, then, does no one have the courage to speak openly? This question returns to me again and again.
In the context of America’s long history, one wonders how the public tolerates such an uncivilized and morally compromised leader. I also see elements of self-interest at work. With the slogan “America First,” Trump appears to have hypnotized sections of the American public—much like India’s self-proclaimed “Vishwa Guru.” It was this very leader who enthusiastically campaigned for Trump with “Howdy Modi,” and who now falls silent when convenient, only to speak again during elections.
In this context, a memory from 33 years ago (1993) comes to mind.
During a summer journey, our host drove Professor Lou Furman from Washington State University (theatre studies) and me from Mumbai to Puntamba, a village near Shirdi. The road from Bhiwandi to Nashik was in terrible condition. It took nearly twice the usual time, and the potholes shook us to the core. Frustrated, Professor Furman remarked, “If such a road existed in America, people would have dragged the President out.”
I replied, “Why would such a road exist in America? The foundation of your country’s so-called independence was laid by wiping out millions of native inhabitants—through violence, disease, and dispossession—and seizing their land. On that foundation stands present-day America. For centuries, it has exploited vast parts of the world for resources and economic gain.”
Pointing to labourers working in the fields in 40-degree heat, I said, “These people toil under extreme conditions. Perhaps such scenes are rare in America. Yet India is still called underdeveloped. Why? Because colonial exploitation drained its wealth for generations. European imperialism turned much of the world into colonies, extracting resources and leaving lasting inequalities. Today’s infrastructure advantages are not separate from that history.”
Our discussions continued late into the night. Professor Furman, a thoughtful and open-minded person, admitted, “As someone in theatre studies, I wasn’t aware of much of this.” He also shared personal struggles and spoke candidly about his life.
I told him, “Theatre is not merely entertainment—it is a powerful medium for public education and social change. Engage with thinkers from Shakespeare to Brecht, and in India—Vijay Tendulkar, Girish Karnad, Badal Sircar, Habib Tanvir, Shambhu Mitra. Then let us meet again.”
After completing his one-month fellowship, he visited our home in Calcutta—unexpectedly, as we had no telephone then. He said, “I made time to meet you before returning. Listening to your difficult truths, and meeting these theatre practitioners, helped me reconsider my assumptions.”
Comrades, even many Americans are not fully aware of the historical roots of their country’s prosperity. In an era marked by leaders like Trump, it becomes even more necessary to revisit and explain these histories. The kind of work that Noam Chomsky has carried out for decades remains essential. Today, after Venezuela, there is talk again of intervention in Cuba. History has shown us the cost of such paths. Yet the level of critical scrutiny required is still missing. It feels as though we live in a time when “even God fears the naked one.”
In the 1970s, during my college days, I regularly read the Marathi magazine Manus, which carried columns by Arun Sadhu on the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara. Inspired by these writings, I displayed portraits of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia alongside Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in my hostel room. Through the Rashtra Seva Dal, we organized weekly study circles discussing Cuba, Chile, and Vietnam. Among those involved were friends like Praful Bidwai, Sudhir Bedekar, Narhar Kurundkar, G. P. Pradhan, Hamid Dalwai, Namdev Dhasal, Jitendra Shah, Subhash Kane, and Dinanath Manohar—individuals who later made significant contributions.
Today, there is an even greater need to revive such collective spaces for critical discussion. Venting frustration through social media alone will not suffice.
Dr. Suresh Khairnar is the ex-president of Rashtra Seva Dal