India has a peculiar fascination with its larger-than-life figures. Take Ratan Tata, for instance. His name is synonymous with ethical business practices, philanthropy, and a leadership style that is above reproach on the surface. Tata is worshipped almost like a national saint, and his every move is lauded by the media, businessmen, and ordinary citizens alike. Few dare to scrutinise his legacy, for to do so is to court the wrath of a public that thrives on icon worship.

The same is true of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In fact, his rise is perhaps an even more disturbing reflection of society's tendency to create gods out of men. Modi's relentless PR machine, with its highly choreographed persona of the 'nation-builder' and 'visionary leader,' has successfully entrenched the idea that he is beyond critique. He is portrayed as the saviour of India, while a significant portion of the population continues to struggle with poverty, unemployment, and communal tensions under his regime.

But what does this worship signify? More importantly, what does it say about the state of a society that so willingly deifies its powerful elites while turning a blind eye to their darker deeds?

Worshipping individuals like Tata and Modi represents a colossal failure—not of these men but of the society that elevates them. In the rush to lionise, we erase the inconvenient truths that would tarnish their halos. For every skyscraper the Tata Group erects, there is a shadow of labour exploitation, environmental degradation, and the brutal displacement of indigenous communities. For every slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas," there are protests silenced, dissent crushed, and marginalised communities further pushed to the brink.

In focusing on these so-called icons of progress, society commits a grave injustice against those who truly struggled and sacrificed—individuals whose voices were never amplified, whose deaths were not mourned in national papers, and whose lives were spent resisting the very powers we now venerate. We forget the Adivasis who were shot dead defending their land against Tata's steel empire. We forget the countless journalists, activists, and students who have been jailed, harassed, or worse for speaking the truth.

This cultural obsession with hero worship blinds us to systemic exploitation. Instead of holding these figures accountable for their darker legacies, society chooses comfort in narratives of greatness. We gloss over the uncomfortable facts, preferring to consume the neatly packaged mythologies of 'self-made success' and 'visionary leadership.'

But the question remains: How long can we afford to deceive ourselves? How long before the glorification of the powerful becomes a tool for justifying the oppression of the powerless? When we fail to critically examine the leaders and corporations we idolise, we betray the truth and perpetuate a cycle of injustice that robs the forgotten and oppressed of their due recognition.

This is more than just about Ratan Tata or Narendra Modi. It concerns the dangerous precedent set by society's failure to question power and examine the real cost of the 'progress' these figures claim to bring. It's time we stop building altars for men and start dismantling the systems that allow injustice to thrive unchecked under the guise of progress.