The Idea of India

The idea of India 

This is an excellent essay by Shashi Tharoor. What a shame it is, that a person of his caliber is found to be unfit as a minister, because he used twitter to insult a holy cow, equating the gentle animal to the crooks in parliament or something like that. I must also say, he is extremely charitable in many parts – but that’s understandable because of the position he holds, he has to avoid controversy. Since I have no such pretensions to sophistication, let me take off from what he has left unsaid.

Let us focus on those issues that have plagued this country - those that are a massive blot on the face of the nation. He rightly points out, that amid India’s myriad problems are social oppression and caste tyranny and, that democracy has given Indians of every imaginable caste, creed and culture the chance to break free of their lot.  And how does this democracy help the victim to break free of the lot? The answer is that he can wait patiently and vote out the government (once in 5 years, of course). He has left unsaid the obvious, that the normal recourse is judicial remedy; which is rarely used because, few can trust this system to deliver justice within one’s lifetime. Though this system exists and thrives, it is mainly used as an instrument of harassment, and usually by the Government, itself! – so, not much of a remedy, Shashi, don’t you agree?

And yes, vote them out they do repeatedly – very well aware that they have no choice. They vote out one corrupt and inefficient government, which just causes another even worse, to take its place, and the cycle repeats itself and has continued for 63 years!

By articulating the above, Shashi Tharoor has laid bare the inherent flaws that the system has been unable, nay unwilling to correct. When you have the symptoms staring at you, and you don’t correct them, that is when we call it a flawed democracy. He brings out the stark truth in his mild statement, saying “the poor quality of our country’s politics in general offers less cause for celebration” – The reasons are also very well put forth. Democracy has failed to create a single political community. It has become looser, and more fragmented – mainly because we embraced the very ideals that divided us in the first place – religion, caste, language, ethnicity, and institutionalized the same, in the process, making a mockery of our own constitution! Further, even as you read this, our political leaders are considering the caste equation to be further ingrained into our census for posterity! – because, they want to create a class which can live on doles, and claim them as a matter of right so long as they vote on lines amenable to their political masters.

So, it is now being emphasized that it is more important to be a “backward caste”, a “tribal”, or a religious sectarian than to be an Indian. This goes against the basic principles of our own constitution – which promises equality, and is quite emphatic on the basis against discrimination. Still, to overcome temporary hurdles and score narrow unprincipled victories, they promote and espouse divisive tendencies to continue as a matter of state policy.

It is here that the Election Commission should have stepped in and stopped the power of old identities, habits, faiths and prejudices. There is urgent need to “transcend” these, but there is no political will to do so! Believe me you, the British created an India for us. We have failed to create Indians.

Eventually, this democracy stands stark naked and open to be hijacked by goons, criminals, sectarians, and narrow minded religious fanatics. Politics has become a money making profession where there are no ethics and morals. Values have changed – what was banked offshore in crores a few decades back, changed to hundreds, and then to thousands of crores – yet, they debate such colossal fraud at taxpayers expense for a whole week in Parliament and then decide a mere rap on the knuckles is all it deserves!  These are the guys that will dictate our policies, and frame our laws. Is there anything that can prevent the catastrophe from happening – if it has not already? Are there any “good men” left in those portals? Will they be allowed to survive and grow in numbers – because, numbers are important in democracy?

For those who would rather brush aside these thoughts as far fetched, or alarmist, kindly bear in mind that people like Shibbu Soren who has murdered a few people, and Suresh Kalmadi and a host of others, who are accused (but never proved, because their cases remain locked up conveniently in the deep freeze of the judiciary or some forgotten inquiry commissions) of murders, wife beating, corruption et all, will continue to be our political leaders, while the likes of educated, intelligent, suave, people like the author of the article under discussion, will find themselves out of this “elite” group for using twitter!

Why is there such reluctance, or opposition to long pending reforms in our Police, Judicial and Electoral systems? Why is the polity reluctant to take up these crying demands? If we are talking about this today, on our 63^rd Independence day, isn't it already too late? So, if the ideals enshrined in our constitution are contested by stone-throwing young men in the streets of Srinagar and rifle-wielding Maoists in the forests of Chhattisgarh, who is to blame?