Published: 12:01 AM, 14 May 2026
Puppet Show 2.0: When Politics Becomes Theatre and Citizens Become Puppets
In his novel Putul Nacher Itikatha, Manik Bandopadhyay showed how human beings believe they move by their own will, while in reality they remain tied to invisible strings controlled by power, greed, social structures and fate. Looking at the politics of present-day Bangladesh and the subcontinent, one feels that the puppet show never truly ended; only the stage has changed, the puppets have changed their costumes, and the techniques of pulling the strings have become far more sophisticated.
The greatest tragedy of contemporary politics is this: the puppets have begun to think they are human. Standing in parliament, on talk shows, across social media platforms or inside party offices, they shout as though they themselves are the drivers of history. Yet the audience knows the dialogue has already been written. When to applaud, when to become outraged, when to perform patriotism-everything is predetermined. Only occasionally, when the strings become tangled, does the drama appear somewhat real.
In Manik Bandopadhyay's time, the puppet show symbolized landlords, social hypocrisy and class exploitation. Today, that place has been occupied by corporate power, international influence, partisan blindness, and the artificial frenzy of the media. Politicians now speak less in the language of the people and more in the language of the camera. Every statement seems like an advertisement crafted for votes. Image has become more important than reality. The people of the country are exhausted by unemployment, rising prices and uncertainty-yet on stage, the brightly illuminated puppet show continues uninterrupted.
The most terrifying aspect is that even the audience is gradually turning into puppets. Social media algorithms are now the strings of the modern age. People believe they are expressing their own opinions, while in reality they are merely repeating predesigned anger, hatred and division. One side brands the other as traitors; the opposing side labels the first as fascists. Yet perhaps both sides are merely characters standing on opposite ends of the same invisible stage.
Another deeply ironic feature of contemporary politics is this: ideology has died, but the 'performance of ideology' survives. The leader who spoke of democracy yesterday is today busy suppressing dissent.
The party that once demanded freedom of expression now dismisses criticism as conspiracy after coming to power. It is as though everyone is reading from the same script; only the party names keep changing.
If Manik Bandopadhyay were alive today, perhaps he would write an updated edition of Putul Nacher Itikatha. In place of wooden puppets, there would be digital avatars, political influencers, television analysts shouting over one another, and invisible directors serving foreign interests.
Yet the conclusion would likely remain the same: people become truly free only when they can see their own strings. Because the most successful puppet show in history is the one in which the puppets believe they are free.
