Ideologies are isms that govern the lives of individuals and society. Almost all the philosophers and thinkers have likened our lives to a journey or a path leading to somewhere which only a few among us really know. Everyone's life has a clear beginning and a definite end point. The way we travel in between or the condition of the path in which we travel depends upon our ideological choice.

For any Indian living in India, Kashmir to Kanyakumari describes the symbolic direction that would best define his or her life. There are several ideological highways that would promise to take us from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, but very few of them deliver what they promise. Millions and millions of Indians have passed through these highways, billions are still treading the same and trillions are yet to come. For many of us who have travelled some length and realized the mistake in our choice, it will be a redeeming exercise to record the same for our own posterity.

Not all ideological highways are fit for the purpose and many of them are highly deceiving in what they promise. Most of the popular ideologies are incomplete but some of us still fall for them only because their deceptive packaging and incentives. Let us take two such ideologies and expose their incompleteness especially in Indian context.

Leftism

Left ideologies have misled the world for generations now. Millions have sacrificed their lives for these utterly impractical but strikingly attractive ideologies. What evolved as a figment of imagination in the doped minds of a few intellectuals in a small industrial society has merely caught on as the panacea for the whole world thanks to curious reasons. It no doubts appeals to all those who do not bear in mind the complex nature of man and becomes a susceptible tool in the hands of intellectuals who wants only to present theories without any proof. In the beginning it was mesmerizing because of its direct appeal to the poor and downtrodden irrespective of nationality, color or creed. Such a universal appeal was hitherto unheard of even in religious field and a socio-economic ideology that could transcend all barriers was beyond anyone's imagination. But the utter failure of the biggest socio-economic-political experiment in human history viz. Soviet Union, have proved the incompleteness of leftist ideologies beyond any doubt.

In the mythical march of Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the leftist ideology represents a 'rubberised' road from New Delhi to Bhopal. For someone who has managed to reach Delhi from Kashmir the opportunity is presenting at his or her prime youth. It is quite natural to be hyperactive, idealistic and vulnerable at this age. What happens to a few of us at this stage is a deadly fall into an ideological trap without considering the consequences and alternatives available. The apparent universality and internationalism of these leftist ideologies look fashionable and workable for the young minds. The euphoria stays on while traversing the brain washing trip till Bhopal. But the illusion of a smooth ride forever quickly falls apart when we begin to confront the roughness of livelihood in a realistic environment. What Marx and Engels envisaged in Das Capital never happens in the eternal reality of Indian life. By the time we realize this simple fact, our travel has reached Hyderabad and it is already descending period in our lives. Most of our older comrades decide to carry on because of this belated realization their lives. Only a few truthful and bold decide to amend for their mistakes even at the ripe end of their journeys.

X-ism

The other incomplete ideology that is strengthening in India cannot be easily named. It encompasses so many features and is best christened X-ism as an undefined algebraic entity. Unlike leftist ideologies, X-ism presents a smooth and polished path for all times. Very often it does not start as a grass root movement but hijacks one of the most prominent movements already in existence. National movements weaken as they age and are the prime targets for the X-ists in any country. In different countries it takes different names. Yet there is something strikingly common in all such X-ist movements the world over. The three most important characteristics of these X-ist movements are:

' Anti-nationalism
' Anti-majoritism
' Organized deception

X-ists are always against the national spirit of nationals in any nation. This is a direct result of their dislike for any nation becoming mightier than their own. Then which or what is their own nation? None of the X-ists are clear about it; except that they know it is not the nation in which they are living in. That dangerous feeling of 'alienation' makes them rabidly anti-national and anti-majority of their own volition. It is truly a paradox that the X-ists remain alienated forever even in nations like India where their physical or ideological forefathers have been received with open arms. 

The main targets of X-ists in any country are those who are in a majority and those who consider the nation as their own. The animosity is obvious because it is human nature to strengthen what we consider as our own and weaken our enemy's property. X-ists are never at home in the land of their domicile and their inherent dislike for the land prompts them to strive for its destruction. Their dexterity for destruction, always guided by the organized deception of their foreign ideological masters, is another feature of this deadly ism. Very often it is the hidden agenda known only to a few at the top that would lead the gullible members of X-ism.

The worst scenario that can evolve in any country is the coming together of X-ists and leftists. The chemistry of anti-nationalism, anti-majoritism and internationalism will give raise to a deadly combination of destructive forces within the affected nation. Leftists in every country aim for internationalism and X-ism always operate on the orders of foreign masters. Their objectives coincide for a certain initial period and all around destruction is what their combination can guarantee for any nation caught in it. It will take years of effort for the truly nationalist forces to root out such deadly combinations once they have stuck together. Increasing dominance of incomplete ideologies throwing up insolvable problems is the single most hindrance in India's march towards superpower status now.