The hypocrisy of preaching and the silence of the complicit media

 Moral preaching has always had a certain sanctimonious appeal in Indian public life. From the pulpit to the political stage, we hear loud exhortations about purity, restraint, and sacrifice. Among the most visible of these moral crusaders are our self-styled religious leaders — men who claim to lead society towards sobriety, virtue, and peace. But their sermons ring hollow when their own hands are not clean.

When a powerful head of a religious institution campaigns for a “liquor-free society,” the message appears noble at first glance. After all, alcohol abuse is indeed a social problem that ruins families and livelihoods. Yet, the messenger’s credibility collapses when that same individual is accused of concealing income, evading taxes, or shielding those involved in criminal acts like rape and murder under the pretext of maintaining the institution’s sanctity. This is not morality — it is manipulation. Preaching virtue while practising vice is the most corrosive form of deceit, for it corrupts faith itself.

The tragedy is not just the hypocrisy of the preacher, but the cowardice of the media that refuses to question it. Our media, which should serve as the conscience of democracy, has become an echo chamber for the powerful. Glossy coverage of charity drives, temple functions, or “values-based” campaigns fills news columns, while uncomfortable truths are conveniently ignored. Rarely do we see sustained investigation into the opaque finances, mysterious deaths, or unchecked land dealings around such institutions. The watchdog has become the lapdog.

This unholy alliance between hypocritical religious figures and a compliant media produces what can only be called a manufactured morality. It creates an illusion of righteousness that misleads the public into mistaking propaganda for piety.

Meanwhile, genuine social reformers — those who live simply, question injustice, and demand accountability — are sidelined or silenced because they do not fit into the spectacle-driven moral theatre of modern India.

If India must build a truly moral society, it cannot be through sermons delivered by men intoxicated with power. It must begin with transparency — of accounts, of conduct, and of conscience. Institutions that wield moral influence must open their books to public scrutiny and submit to the same laws that bind ordinary citizens. And the media must reclaim its lost courage to question those who wrap their greed in the garb of godliness.

A society that blindly applauds hypocrites and punishes truth-tellers is not virtuous — it is deluded. The time has come to separate spiritual integrity from institutional power, and morality from manipulation. Only then will the call for a “liquor-free society” mean more than empty words from those drunk on their own sanctity.