Internal Affairs
Thank you India. What a groundswell of support, of compassion, of unity. A giant has stirred in his sleep.
Not an easy thing to achieve no doubt - but not enough, nowhere near enough. Kumbhkaran has merely heard the first blast of the first trumpet of those who wish to awake him, and he doesn't have the luxury of waiting for more.
The lumpen Indian middle-class polity has a window - albeit a small one - to ensure that the 3 P's get the message: Thus far, and no further. The 3 P's are Pakistan, Politicians, and Preachers.
Yes, unfortunately the holy ones do deserve inclusion in the Axis of Weasel. Mao may have believed that power flows from the barrel of a gun, but no one picks up a gun without a demagogue telling him he has to for religion/race/country/whatever. Silence the demagogues and the intellectuals by removing causes for discontent, and well, most people go back to doing what they really want to do - loving, working, living happily ever after.
I believe that the fundamental duty of the government is to create an atmosphere that allows people to do just that. Ideally, an atmosphere of freedom (both physical & intellectual), security, and economic opportunity. Now to create these conditions, the government creates and enforces laws within the framework of the Constitution, creates and maintains social structures such as a civil polity, electoral framework & a judicial system, raises and reinforces the Armed Forces, you know the set-up.
In return citizens pledge allegiance to the state, pay their taxes and - this is important - support the government or replace it with one more suited to perform the duties as envisaged by them.
That one statement is loaded with all that is right and wrong with democracy, and by extension, with the Indian political situation.
Let's dissect the last bit of that statement, because allegiance and taxes are a whole different issue entirely. That last bit, that one about voting - does anyone actually think that elections in India today are about the eligibility of the candidates or their ability to discharge their duty to the common citizen?
I didn't think so.
I don't want to get into the usual 'they divide-and-rule us' rant here. I want to step back and see if I can spot where the tradition of misgovernment has come from. And if you ask me, it all started in the lead-up to 15th August, 1947.
Gandhi wanted the INC to split up post Independence, and I think this was one of his most brilliant ideas. Partition and its resultant trauma could have been handled by a provisional government, and in early 1948 we could have held elections for a truly representative national government, contested by different parties.
What actually happened is that the INC just slid into the spot vacated by the British - that of an overlord. And in 62 years, nothing has changed. There was no specific re-alignment of government servants, bureaucracy and police into their new role. There was no iterative evolution that most western democracies underwent. One master was simply replaced by another. Right up to the 70's there wasn't even a realistic national-level alternative.
In an ideal world, the INC should have split into 2 parties at the very least, one headed by Nehru and the other by Sardar Patel. A powerful opposition that displays integrity and intellect is a great way to keep the government on its toes, and provides the electorate with leverage to ensure that the government stays in line.
In the real world however, when the monolith (the INC) finally underwent fragmentation, it wasn't for the right reasons. The stage was set for ethnocentric identity-based politics. Fracture lines appeared in the Indian polity mainly along the lines of caste and religion.
The most obvious reason this happened is because in the absence of a credible opposition, the government under Nehru felt no compunction in trying to bring into reality whatever utopian dream the man was dreaming at the moment, whether country wanted it or needed it. So while he blundered from one idiotic moment (taking Kashmir to the UN) to the next (Panchsheel with China), the average Indian suffered under corruption and severe under-representation. Sounds familiar?
Today, we are presented with the opportunity to change this. Demanding action against the perpetrators of this act is just one side of the coin. The other is demanding complete and total accountability from those who claim to represent us in government. This will demand a complete revamp of not just the polity but the ideological and mental make-up of the political class.
Their primary function is NOT to rule, but to SERVE. And this means effective governance, security and the primacy of the people.
We can affect this through a combination of measures. Vote, yes, but not just for anyone. Learn about those who wish to represent you at the local, state and national level. What do they stand for? What is their stand on specific issues? Don't accept generalities - would you accept a job applicant who just said he 'wanted to make things better'? If a politician says he will create jobs, the right response is how? Chances are, he'll say 'reservations'. Strike him off the list immediately. Don't accept mediocrity and DON'T let them insult your intelligence.
The greatest weapon against an inadequate political class is reasoned analysis of the pros and cons of every situation. And to ensure that you do this for every election, you need to stay informed and alert.
You can start now by registering to vote here:
Jaagore
You may have seen this ad. I don't endorse the sponsor's product, but it has a simple, easy-to-understand interface and tells you how you can register.
See you next election.
Not an easy thing to achieve no doubt - but not enough, nowhere near enough. Kumbhkaran has merely heard the first blast of the first trumpet of those who wish to awake him, and he doesn't have the luxury of waiting for more.
The lumpen Indian middle-class polity has a window - albeit a small one - to ensure that the 3 P's get the message: Thus far, and no further. The 3 P's are Pakistan, Politicians, and Preachers.
Yes, unfortunately the holy ones do deserve inclusion in the Axis of Weasel. Mao may have believed that power flows from the barrel of a gun, but no one picks up a gun without a demagogue telling him he has to for religion/race/country/what
I believe that the fundamental duty of the government is to create an atmosphere that allows people to do just that. Ideally, an atmosphere of freedom (both physical & intellectual), security, and economic opportunity. Now to create these conditions, the government creates and enforces laws within the framework of the Constitution, creates and maintains social structures such as a civil polity, electoral framework & a judicial system, raises and reinforces the Armed Forces, you know the set-up.
In return citizens pledge allegiance to the state, pay their taxes and - this is important - support the government or replace it with one more suited to perform the duties as envisaged by them.
That one statement is loaded with all that is right and wrong with democracy, and by extension, with the Indian political situation.
Let's dissect the last bit of that statement, because allegiance and taxes are a whole different issue entirely. That last bit, that one about voting - does anyone actually think that elections in India today are about the eligibility of the candidates or their ability to discharge their duty to the common citizen?
I didn't think so.
I don't want to get into the usual 'they divide-and-rule us' rant here. I want to step back and see if I can spot where the tradition of misgovernment has come from. And if you ask me, it all started in the lead-up to 15th August, 1947.
Gandhi wanted the INC to split up post Independence, and I think this was one of his most brilliant ideas. Partition and its resultant trauma could have been handled by a provisional government, and in early 1948 we could have held elections for a truly representative national government, contested by different parties.
What actually happened is that the INC just slid into the spot vacated by the British - that of an overlord. And in 62 years, nothing has changed. There was no specific re-alignment of government servants, bureaucracy and police into their new role. There was no iterative evolution that most western democracies underwent. One master was simply replaced by another. Right up to the 70's there wasn't even a realistic national-level alternative.
In an ideal world, the INC should have split into 2 parties at the very least, one headed by Nehru and the other by Sardar Patel. A powerful opposition that displays integrity and intellect is a great way to keep the government on its toes, and provides the electorate with leverage to ensure that the government stays in line.
In the real world however, when the monolith (the INC) finally underwent fragmentation, it wasn't for the right reasons. The stage was set for ethnocentric identity-based politics. Fracture lines appeared in the Indian polity mainly along the lines of caste and religion.
The most obvious reason this happened is because in the absence of a credible opposition, the government under Nehru felt no compunction in trying to bring into reality whatever utopian dream the man was dreaming at the moment, whether country wanted it or needed it. So while he blundered from one idiotic moment (taking Kashmir to the UN) to the next (Panchsheel with China), the average Indian suffered under corruption and severe under-representation. Sounds familiar?
Today, we are presented with the opportunity to change this. Demanding action against the perpetrators of this act is just one side of the coin. The other is demanding complete and total accountability from those who claim to represent us in government. This will demand a complete revamp of not just the polity but the ideological and mental make-up of the political class.
Their primary function is NOT to rule, but to SERVE. And this means effective governance, security and the primacy of the people.
We can affect this through a combination of measures. Vote, yes, but not just for anyone. Learn about those who wish to represent you at the local, state and national level. What do they stand for? What is their stand on specific issues? Don't accept generalities - would you accept a job applicant who just said he 'wanted to make things better'? If a politician says he will create jobs, the right response is how? Chances are, he'll say 'reservations'. Strike him off the list immediately. Don't accept mediocrity and DON'T let them insult your intelligence.
The greatest weapon against an inadequate political class is reasoned analysis of the pros and cons of every situation. And to ensure that you do this for every election, you need to stay informed and alert.
You can start now by registering to vote here:
Jaagore
You may have seen this ad. I don't endorse the sponsor's product, but it has a simple, easy-to-understand interface and tells you how you can register.
See you next election.
Comments