From “Seeing Is Believing” to “Believing What You’re Shown”
There’s an old saying: “Seeing is believing.” For generations, we trusted our eyes over our ears. कानो का सुना हुआ गलत हो सकता है, आंखों का देखा हुआ ही विश्वास के योग्य है। (What we hear can be wrong, but what we see is trustworthy.)
But today, that wisdom has been turned on its head.
Now, the real opinion makers aren’t our own eyes—they’re app platforms. These digital gatekeepers show us something, and through careful design and endless repetition, they make sure we believe it.The screens we stare at have become the new storytellers, and we’ve become their captive audience.
Welcome to the Era of Digital Dictatorship
We are entering an age of digital dictatorship. The real power no longer rests with governments alone. It has shifted to tech platforms that harvest our data, track our every move, and shape what billions of people see each day.
These companies have outgrown their original purpose. They’re no longer just communication tools connecting friends and family. They have evolved into political actors with frightening abilities: they can influence elections, destabilize entire societies, and decide what information counts—and what gets buried.
As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power”—but in this new world, controlling information is absolute power.
When Data Becomes a Weapon
The Cambridge Analytica scandal wasn’t just a headline—it was a wake-up call. It proved that data can be weaponized to manipulate voter behavior and tilt the outcomes of major democratic events. What many dismissed as an isolated incident is actually part of something much larger: a global system of surveillance capitalism, where our privacy is traded away for profit and control.
Every click, every like, every scroll is recorded, analyzed, and used to predict—and influence—our next move. We’ve handed over the keys to our minds without realizing what we’ve lost.
Democracy Unprepared
The harsh truth? Democracies are unprepared for this seismic shift. Laws and regulations are playing catch-up, stumbling far behind the pace of technology. Meanwhile, individuals surrender their personal information daily, often without understanding the price they’re paying.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But we’re already deep into the disease.
What we need now are clear red lines:
Strict rules on how data can be collected and used
Transparency in how algorithms decide what we see
Accountability for the massive role these platforms play in shaping politics and society
Without these guardrails, democracy itself is at risk.
The Urgent Question We Must Answer
Here’s the question that should keep us all awake at night:
If technology has become the most powerful political force in the world, how do we stop democracy from being hollowed out from within?
The digital dictatorship isn’t coming—it’s already here. The tools that promised to connect us are now dividing us. The platforms that promised freedom are now controlling what we think, feel, and believe.
As another old saying warns us: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Technology gave us convenience. But the price? Our autonomy, our privacy, and perhaps our democracy itself.
The time to act is now. Before what we see, what we think, and what we believe is no longer ours to control.
What do you think? Are we sleepwalking into a digital dictatorship, or can we still reclaim control? The choice—for now—is still ours to make.
If you like adventure and want a thrilling experience, then walking to the mouth of panoramic Nohkalikai falls in Sohra, Meghalaya should be on your to-do list.
It involves walking across open grass fields, descending a hill covered with green forests and jumping over boulders. You will be accompanied by clear streams flowing along a fossil covered river bed. With natural turquoise water pools throughout the route, what awaits you at the end is a breathtaking view of India’s highest plunge waterfall.
Crossing various small waterfall and caves,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
How I ended at the top of Nohkalikai falls-
It was a coincidence that instead of seeing Nohkalikai falls from the viewpoint, I ended up at beautiful Tlai falls and the bonus was an awe-inspiring view from the top of the Nohkalikai .
When I visited the Nohkalikai falls, the entire area was hidden under dense clouds and the waterfall was not going to be visible for a while.
I had seen a photograph of Tlai waterfall at the ticketing counter of Nohkalikai on my way in and decided to inquire about it.
Tlai Waterfall, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Tlai is a splendid three-tier waterfall with a green forest presenting a beautiful backdrop. I found it quite picturesque and decided to go; hoping the cloud cover over Nohkalikai to lift by that time.
I was pointed towards the direction of these falls by the Nohkalikai ticket counter people. I reached a dilapidated board and found a guy who was issuing an entry ticket for visiting Tlai. This guy was pretty laid back and asked me and my travel partner to come along with him to the waterfall if we wanted to.
I was slightly hesitant but the desire to see Tlai waterfall was overpowering and I decided to go.
The half-hour walk to Tlai falls takes you through a complete change of landscape.
The journey starts with a short walk in a grass field followed by descending a hill. You have arrows pointing towards the right direction as it’s easy to miss the point from where you have to go downhill.
Descending down the hill,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
This side of the hill didn’t seem to get much of sunshine. The soil was quite wet while the tree trunks and stones were covered with moss. This moss makes the stones slippery hence one has to carefully step on them.
At the bottom of the hill, you have the river bed covered with huge boulders and rocks. You have to jump over these to reach the Tlai waterfall which explains the reason behind fewer tourists at this place.
Tlai falls might not be well known to the tourists but locals seemed to come here quite often for the view.
River bed filled with boulders and rocks, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Way to the top of Nohkalikai Falls-
From Tlai waterfall you have to walk 45-60 min on the river bed to reach the mouth of Nohkalikai. Along the route, you will come across a number of fossils embedded upon the rocks. I couldn’t get much information but the fossils are said to be around 70 million years old *
Embedded Fossils, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Over the years the constant flow of water through the gaps on the river bed has created a number of pools and waterfalls which eventually plunge down the gorge to make the Nohkalikai fall.
All along the ravine, you will see hollow caves formed by the high force of water during monsoons. These caves are visible during the dry season when you go to the top of Nohkalikai.
Caves along the ravine ,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
It is worth noting, that a number of wooden ladders have been put by the locals for going up and down the boulders. These ladders reduce most of the arduous climbing and jumping.
Although at one point during the walk, one has to literally crawl through a hole in the rock formed by the flowing water. Not to forget, you will also have to crawl your way back.
Crawling through cuts in rocks,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Things to know about the Nohkalikai fall route –
You only need basic fitness to reach the top of Nohkalikai. There are multiple occasions which will make you feel as if you have encountered a dead end. At such points; having a local is an advantage as they know the route.
To me, it didn’t look like a marooned route as it’s frequently visited by young locals. But I again want to emphasize, try to find a local go with you.
Clear turquoise pools on the river bed, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Best time to visit the top of Nohkalikai falls –
Walk to the Tlai falls and the mouth of Nohkalikai can only be done in the winter months till the start of the monsoons when the flow of water is less (October to March). During monsoons, this area is inaccessible due to increased water level.
The Top of Nokhalikai Falls,Meghalaya
Time needed to reach the top of Nohkalikai falls-
The time required is variable based on the speed of an individual. Locals take really less time, to and fro the route. For tourists, this could turn out to be a half-day activity unless you plan to race through it.
I took me 4 -5 hours approximately . 30 minutes downhill, 45 min to reach the top of the waterfall from Tlai falls, same time on the way back. I stayed at the place for around 2 hours.
Note – For going back one has to take the same route.
Legend of Nohkalikai falls –
There are quite a few stories behind the name of Nohkalikai. The most famous legend also happens to be quiet tragic. The name Nohkalikai translates to” the Jump of Ka Likai ” (Ka is a prefix for females in Khasi) According to legend, in a village near the Falls, a woman named Likai lived with her infant girl. After her husband’s death, she worked to support her family and later remarried. Likai, couldn’t pay attention to the new husband as most of her time went in taking care of the infant. Driven by jealousy the husband one day killed the infant and took off. When Ka Likai returned home, she saw nobody in the house except for a prepared meal. She decided to eat first and look for her daughter later. Ka Likai later found a severed finger and realized that the meal she ate was made from the meat of her daughter. Stricken with anger and grief she ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped. Giving the fall its name; Nohkalikai.
About Nohkalikai Falls and Sohra –
Nohkalikai falls has a height of 1115 feet (340 mts) . It is the tallest plunge waterfall in India and amongst the world’s highest waterfall. It is located around 5 km from Sohra (Cherrapunjee) in East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.
From the viewpoint, Nokhalikai Falls
Monsoon season is the best time to visit Nohkalikai when the falls is in its full form. From the viewpoint, tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of the waterfall surrounded by lush greenery. A flight of stairs followed by some walking takes you to the bottom of the waterfall which is a clear turquoise water pool.
During the dry season, like all other waterfalls, Nohkalikai is not at its full flow. But this is the only time of year which opens the heart of waterfall for visitors.
The journey to the top of the falls is once in a lifetime experience and worthy of your time. You will enjoy every minute of this journey and the memory isn’t going to fade away for many years to come.
Note :
I am extremely grateful to Mr Wann Majaw for offering to help me along the route to the top of Nohkalikai Fall. My journey might not have been possible without it. You can check his Instagram page for some wonderful images of Sohra, Meghalaya, India.
I have lived all my life in India and until three years ago, despite the best efforts and promises by Internet service providers, I had to make do with a limited internet data plan. My story is no different from average Indian smartphone users, who were also required to rationalize their data usage.
In the last few years, the Indian telecom sector saw a change and we got introduced to unlimited* internet data. (A limit still exists but it is greater than a person can use in 24 hours a day).
What came along with this unlimited internet was a fundamental change in the behavior of Indian society.
The western world was probably used to this lifestyle but constant presence/interference of a smartphone was a new edition to our daily lives.
The headphone Life- Delhi Metro stories by Jatin Adhlakha
Behavioral change of a smartphone user-
With free unlimited data, the only reason people turned off the internet was for saving their smartphone battery. But with more mAh on our phone batteries, we had no reason to go offline.
We now had live streaming of almost everything on our smartphone. Televisions lost the limelight as they required us to sit at a place. Desktops and Laptops failed as they could not fit into our pocket. Smartphones seem the right choice for our busy schedules.
Presently we can’t imagine our lives without staying online. Even at night when we sleep, the internet icon smiles at us and we let ourselves be online, just in case!
mobile is life (By Jatin Adhlakha)
Changing priorities of a smartphone user-
Our emergencies now require internet to reach us, or so we want to believe.
Just to make it clear, I am also guilty of disturbingly high screen time. The Internet has a grip on me just like it has on you. Surprisingly enough, I could not come up with a reason when I tried to justify why exactly I need to be online all the time.
When we keep our internet all the time we expose ourselves to a constant distraction of never-ending notifications. Even research shows that our brain cannot multitask. When we try to do two things at once, our brain lacks the capacity to perform these tasks successfully. But every day this is what we put ourselves through.
Missing Conversations – Delhi Metro stories by Jatin Adhlakha
Our sense of what is important is heavily compromised and so are our priorities. Unlimited internet is eating up our limited time and we don’t even acknowledge it.
We are living virtually and vicariously.
Most of us are glued to a smartphone or Laptop screen and feel anxious or left out when we get away from the Internet. Aimlessly going through videos, photos, social media posts without making a conscious choice on what one actually wants to see or read over the internet. Staying online is like an escape route from reality.
Delhi Metro stories by Jatin Adhlakha
Adverse effects of a smartphone on its user-
The habit of being online or being on our smartphone has seeped into our younger generation as well. Kids before getting into a playschool can get their way around a smartphone. They refuse to eat unless their favorite rhymes are played on YouTube, they refuse to sleep unless they get a phone and the list goes on. Our future is caught in the claws of the internet without us understanding how bad it is for their health, mental and physical.
The toll on the health of adults due to increased usage of a phone is totally neglected. When we have a hectic schedule for life and a city struggling with pollution we tend to blame them for our anxiety, fatigue and headaches. Our smartphone seems incapable of affecting our lives.
Our Future – Delhi Metro stories by Jatin Adhlakha
Dying Social Life of a smartphone user-
A heartfelt conversation is no more a regular thing. Making a call to someone seems like a stretch when you can simply chat with them. The comment section of a Facebook post is where we express our opinion nowadays. We no more feel or realize the need for a private conversation.
One on one conversation is replaced by online chatting. Now we listen to our favorite music, shop for a dress and quickly check a cat video while we exchange texts with friend or family. Even the fights and arguments happen over a chat. We are too busy to individually allot time to the things that matter to us. We are escaping the reality by drowning ourselves online.
Couple Goals- Delhi Metro stories by Jatin Adhlakha
Reality Check for a smartphone user-
All things said I can’t remember my daily routine before I adapted to always being online. Now I wonder if it was a boon in disguise by having limited internet time at our hands.
Do we really need to feed ourselves all the unnecessary stuff posted on Facebook, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Youtube, Netflix, Twitter, and Instagram just because we have lossless streaming and good internet speed at our disposal?
Staying online is fueling our compulsive thinking and anxiety. You will be surprised to see that you come back to reality and get aware of your surroundings when you are offline.
Disconnecting from reality -Delhi Metro stories by Jatin Adhlakha
Time to act for a smartphone user-
We are so occupied with the internet that we are failing to address or even acknowledge the need for a reality check. Are we really prioritizing or choosing what to do with our time or just drifting along by being always online, always available.
A necessary evil must be allowed for a greater good to result. But is this the reality of us being online all the time?
The decision to bring a change is mine and yours to make. So what do you want to do with your time?
Image Source :
All Images used in the blog post have been taken by freelance photographer Jatin Adhlakha. A very special thanks to him for allowing me to use the images which strongly carried the message I am trying to convey through this post.
You can check Jatin’s work in color on his Instagram page jatin.adhlakha
Every click, every like, every scroll is recorded, analyzed, and used to predict—and influence—our next move. We’ve handed over the keys to our minds without realizing what we’ve lost.
