Saturday, April 30, 2011

Uncivil foes of Democracy!

Only up to a point, a very vaguely defined point, we understand our goals in democracy. This has been a strong case in India since we have been working under the many adverse shadows, even after throwing out the British colonialism and our tryst with destiny to a most profound authoritative system called, democracy. Was discovering the democracy sixty-four years back was a mania, a passion or even a kind of neurosis, without the slightest moral justification? I never wish anyone should think in this manner and take it like that; no explanation will ever convince them to settle collective wishes for common greater goods. With embedded resilience and appropriation of ideological and even sectarian new classes, Indian democracy has strengthened enough itself over the years to give ample room to Bentham’s utopia of happiness or Marx’s equitable socio-economic stake.

What we have a functional base for our democracy with a chequered proven record of comparatively peaceful transition of power but what we don’t have the volition for rock bottom segment. There have been always some underlying disagreements among the different classes-ofcourse, we too had broken off for even more than once, but interestingly never completely. Indeed, even those skirmishes were not the roistering moments-after all, we are still paying the price of over sobriety on Kashmir and extreme baffling with monstrous emergency era. Later after witnessing the most undemocratic ordeal, we realized and came out of slumber that the monstrosities are a mark of emotional imbalance rather than a lack of intelligence. Obviously, if someone has no confident I himself, it is because they sees themselves through others eyes even barring world’s vision that gives atleast some universal feeds.

I really scarcely know what our goals were, even can’t endorse whether they were adequate? I also don’t see either opulence or nattering in single magic line…we could have done otherwise as a nation? That we couldn’t, so now merely muttering that our collective obstinate trust turning swiftly into bitterness of hearts and wavering all around our system. The dwindling credibility from public institutions is not passable; it’s emphatically reflects the growing ostracizing from those who are in authority instead of performing on tall vows. In a sort of warring, common folks are on receiving end, theirs representation being hijacked by the hawkish thugs with pedigree of many questions marks on their integrity. Under a new fashion, impractically theirs ubiquitous entanglements on every matter have tarnishing the line made to delink the statecraft from manipulated street demonstration.

Present wave of corruption, that otherwise should have taken as serious governance flaws is unfortunately being considered as byproduct of coalition government by the Congress party with nerd citing towards the blind ambition of regional political forces. What Congress is missing today? The loyalist political cohorts-the cornerstone of sycophancy based political order. Whatever their’s intent or display, it’s hard for a Journo to cite, who is Judas? Only crux of the matter is truly embarrassing, how the genuine rage of common men’s was falsely represented by the Anna Hazare and innumerable metro cities based activists who never votes or faced the ire of price rise or corruption. The demonstration pavements of Jantar Mantar which years back was awarded the entertaining slots to free Rajpath from deviating concerns, was well managed by the sharpest brains like father-son combo, Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, Magsaysay award winner and may be Nobel prize aspiring Arbind Kejriwal.

Later, it was altogether a big flash, that father-son have combined property of around Rs.145 Crore, even with most conservative estimation…and remarkable is the fact Shanti Bhushan has earlier played two extra innings in legal practice and politics including once of Ministerial profile-rest is open secret about his claim of integrity! It was worth of noticing that, sensationalizing electronic/social media had at no point covered the voices from rural hinterlands towards the hyped crusade against corruption. What Anna Hazare movement with back up from conglomeration of neo-NGO type civil organizations has did the, complete outshining of real issues for an unreasonable Lokpal bill in current form. That went well in favour of Anna&co and ofcourse for principle opposition BJP-what left in midway the electoral reform, Inflation control, lethal inequitable spread of wealth, nexus of vested corporate interests etc. Even in wildest dream, Anna Hazare couldn’t be confused with Gandhi by a conscious mind-it was indeed ironic to see a non-political man like him being prepared for an unprecedented revolution against the corruption without looking on the role of parliament and constitution.

A nation like India can’t be run in this way-there is need of peoples connect as vital organ of governance and that’s alone possible through react practically instead of hanging with blurred tantrums and ending like cobweb. Governance must mean for public goodness and transparency, that can be only achieve through broader participation and electoral reform-that will too address and check the growing overlapping of jurisdictions among legislatures, executives and judiciary. Instead of shunning politics, peoples must see it as life and let entwine it with fairness through corrective measures-political process must have to throw the pedantic following for a bigger reform. This must start now to retrieve people’s faith in their political system…it must be in place very soon because world has already started seeing us with doubt. Thinning FDI in last few months and coverage of corruption by the western media, including Economist, which has a scripture like stature has summarily rejected the Indian growth story as “rotten”.

Peoples have to take ccare of politics but not through shambling convictions, the main concern here left with the role of loose talking by policy makers-the way Kaushik Basu has idealized the bribe on finance ministry website is indeed very shocking. This must be condemned as ethical violation from top on hierarchy…we needed peoples who can work, and not experts have only mastership of bawdy rhetoric’s. India is complex entity, here misadventures’ tolls high on human capital which is its true strength-we shall not take risk to jeopardize our edge as knowledge economy vis-à-vis China. China with much stricter and closer political system, has grown up fairly on governance and sizable income spread at bottom level. We shall not be envy merely; rather we should act for competency.

Our distortion of progressive elements which begun with the blockades in Communist movement and theirs balkanization as political entity did lot of harms in mainstream Indian politics and further in lessening of progressivism from collective psyche. Under changed ideals, except few core issues, there is little differences of perceptions among the rest political parties, that is matter of grave concern. The major stakeholders of Indian democracy must have to align with the dynamics and compelling changes to avoid the further nightmares. Culprits must be nail to sabotage their glamour’s and misuse of trust& authority…nation can’t be run by the uncivil foes, it exactly needs characters like Caesar’s wife!
Atul Kumar Thakur
April 30, 2011, Saturday, New Delhi
Mail: summertickets@gmail.com

6 comments:

  1. Atul bhaiya- just went thru ur scathing analysis of the sorry state of our political affairs. I too hv doubted the wisdom of opting for d Westminster form of democracy at d time of our independence. It showed a tragic failure on d part of our anglicized national leaders to take stock of d ground reality as it existed at dat time on one hand, n d inability to anticipate possible difficulties to their too idealistic hopes on d other- d number of amendments made into d Constitution confirms ds view. India had no Magna Carta or Cromwell, and mere mechanical engrafting of alien ways on d native body without making sufficient allowance for vital native differences is doomed to failure- and d mess plaguing each and every public institution is but a sad reminder of that....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Nikhil,glad you have liked the piece...yes,I agreed with you,our leaders should have absorbed our antecedents in better way while converging with Westminster model of parliamentary democracy.Although,the size and comple...xity of our nation was difficult to handle by any other form rule,so in my electoral democracy is good for us...you will be surprised to know,our keen competetor China has too much apprehension with Indian democracy-atleast it gives the room of proper breathing instead of half hearted shackles of socialism or mere utopia of Village Swaraj.What we lacking as democracy is its proper enactment..let we all play our part to make our nation proud..have great days ahead with your impressive books..all best

    ReplyDelete
  3. Superb, Atul ji. U have presented the crux of the matter.
    Other than this, I will also like to emphasize that democracy is the best form of government and we must safeguard it from all kinds of side-way usurpers.

    Amitabh
    IPS
    94155-34526

    ReplyDelete
  4. Timely writing on a complex web before democracy-needs are imperative to look on the shades more clearly by the parties of democracy...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with most of your observations. The support of the corporate media to a cause which is mostly in favour of the 'Middle Class' and the business class, certainly makes us think about the propaganda behind it. Also the fact that it was never a big deal after all, as the government never said that they are against this bill.The propaganda of making this into a 'Nation's' issue can be seen as an attempt of watering down the whole idea of revolution. What we can see is the policy of selection and ignorance. For years there has been movements across the country against dams or use of the tribal lands for multinational purposes, which are never showcased. The killing of Shankar Guha Niyogi or the fast against the Maan Project for instance. They only capture attention of the media when people die in huge numbers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Atul, Thank you. I read it and liked it. However, I have a suggestion. I didn't do a word count of your blog. When I used to write blogs, they used to be 400 words and no more. This is probably much more than that. The trouble is that people do not read anything that is too long. What you have to say in this present blog is really concentrated in the second half. The first half isn't necessary, not for this blog. You can save it to develop the idea in another blog. My suggestion is that in a single piece you are trying to say too much and therefore, probably losing focus and the reader's interest. Can be made crisper and shorter. This is meant to be constructive criticism. Please take it in that spirit. Best wishes, Bibek Debroy

    ReplyDelete