As the biggest election in history nears its conclusion, the western world is waking up to its relevance.
For all of you who are just getting interested to the political fate of a fifth of the world population, British comedian John Oliver offered a great explainer on his HBO debut last night.
On one side, Rahul Gandhi—aka “Indian Han Solo”—leads the Congress Party with good looks, a lineage that boasts three prime ministers, and a great vest. On the other, Narendra Modi—who went from selling tea in the railway station to being chief minister of Gujarat—makes display of his futuristic ambitions by campaigning as a hologram and promising a toilet in every home.
As Oliver points out, no election is complete—or entertaining—without a little scandal, a “je ne sais, genocide.” Don’t worry, Modi’s got that covered, too.
This seems enough of an enticing factor to add the Indian election to your news radar. After all, if you can be bothered to watch a leopard scaring an Indian village, you can pay a little attention to the lion who may wreck havoc in the entire country. And the half-blood prince who’s trying to stop him. And the wild card who may decide the fate of the next five years.
It matters, even if it’s not happening in your hemisphere. Says Oliver: “If this story isn’t worth covering, then nothing is worth covering.”