Years ago, in 1947, we bought into this idea of a democratic India. Democracy was still an experiment then, of course, and it still is, and one that has yielded varying results across various countries. So, it cannot be the "system" that is good or bad, it comes down to us, We, the people of India.
We bought into this experimental idea because not many of us had a say in what we buy into, and a few intelligent people who were in the right place at the right time said it was a good idea to build a nation that was based on democratic values - fairness, equality, equitable distribution of resources, freedom of movement, a right to speak, congregate, express ourselves, protest, show dissent, and find representation in the political process that would run this country. We didn't agree, but we didn't disagree either. And somehow, by default, we got shoved into this experiment called democracy.
The great gift we got was the spirit of secularism. Again, just an idea, but one that has somehow grown upon us. It would be too confusing to have discrimination amongst us based on religion, caste or any other separator, so we ran with this too. This part has worked out well, despite all the religious fanatics that still don't get it, and the myriad ways in which dogma still affects our thinking. No political party is completely agnostic to faith, and we remain in the stone ages when it comes to pure spiritualism. Even the Indian tourism industry somehow thinks "spiritual" means "religious"! Stupid, but for most part, not without hope.
The other gifts we got as part of the new idea of India are the wide usage of the English language, a legal framework that roughly resembles that of the UK, a mechanism called "government", a free press, and a military that doesn't interfere with everyday life. These are gifts, because without any of these, we'd have sunk even further into anarchy.
What we didn't bargain for, however, is the need for us to constantly work to keep the above working. For that, it takes effort, above and outside of our personal jobs and duties, and it takes involvement and awareness. In other words, to make India work, we cannot be sitting on our asses and expect the "others" to do their jobs. It is our job to make the country work. This part, we don't get. We are an essentially selfish people, and those amongst us who have some civic sense are likely to appear like activists.
Life in India today is about screwing and not getting screwed. The country be damned, as long as we can make a few bucks and get the life we want. Money can buy us anything, but alas, it cannot buy us a quality country. For that, we need to make some sacrifices and recognize what we need to do. We never took into account the essential nature of the Indian person, while we decided what system we wanted. The essential Indian is corrupt, or corruptible, or accepting of corruption as a way of life. Why would so many millions amongst us pay bribes to get things done that we are legally entitled to? Because we are sheep, and sheep get fleeced.
For some reason, most Indians are really annoyed when I tell them that "Indianness" is about being corrupt, inefficient, dogmatic, AND having a sense of righteousness that the devil himself would be afraid of. Our relationship with God is the one we respect, and hence, if a puja routine is prescribed to an Indian family, they will carry it out religiously, perfectly. If they are told not to dump plastic waste, they might do it to some extent. If they are told to file a case against that official who demanded a bribe to okay their water connection, they won't. They will actually pay the bribe to maintain "the good energy" of their lives - smooth and easy.
This fear of questioning, the fear of reprisals, the fear of showing dissent itself rules over us. And then, for every damn thing, there is God. Somehow, our God is most fierce in folklore and mythology, but very benign when it comes to inciting us to question and fight for what is right. Our righteousness flies directly in the face of our religiousness. Somehow, there is never a discourse on this - on the essential lie of being an Indian in spirit.
The most corrupt rascals in this country dump much money in temples like Tirupathi. Somehow, we cunningly shift the onus of accountability for such ill gotten wealth onto the Lord! Look God, I gave you a crap load of money, now all you need to do is protect me! The Lord has already protected you by making you Indian - not just unlikely to be caught in your act of thievery, but even more likely to make you feel good about stealing and donating to a temple!
For some reason, we frown upon Godmen who have been found having sex with a multitude of women or in the throes of drug induced ecstasy, but we're perfectly all right with elected officials stealing from our coffers to build their personal wealth. I'm not sure what can be more askew! But, this is what is happening - We are angered by being made fools out of - that is the problem here! We fully expect elected officials to steal, but Godmen had to be holy! That's why we get mad at them for having a romp!
Heck, we could also be jealous. Having a sexual romp isn't that available to most of us Indians because we're not that enterprising. That is why we have moral boundaries defined by the boundaries of what we dare to do. It is the exact same reason for the BJP to get mad at Shashi Tharoor - he is not only smooth and articulate, but - hold your breath - has an attractive female friend who is not his wife! That is why the BJP spokesperson, the cunning hypocritical bastard, said "who his girlfriend is, who he is married to, who he divorces, is not our business". Then why mention all that? It is the power of allusion, that most Indians fall flat for. We can raise a scandal on mere speculation and allusion, and without a single fact, splash around so much that muddy water hits everyone!
For some reason, we forget that we are supposed to bow only to the truth. Sathyameva Jayathe, not God. Even God has to be truthful to win. Lord Krishna may be the delightful exception, but then, he is a super being anyway, who is not cluttered in any way. He must be exasperated, because India is cluttered in every way. We don't have a clue how to do anything with elegance, no matter how many resources we have. We need to seriously examine our "Indianness", if we are to get a clue on where we belong, if at all.
If India vanished from the face of the earth today, the rest of the world would not be that adversely impacted. Isn't that such a stunning revelation for the 2nd largest population in the world? The rest of the world might actually heave a sigh of relief. Strangely, the USA, with the much greater wear and tear it imparts to the world, would terrify the world if it pulled a vanishing act! Where would all the computers come from, where would all the Boeing planes come from, and the spares for so many of them flying all over the world, where would arms and ammunition come from, where would the best porn come from, and where would all the great movies come from!??? Who would we sell billions of dollars worth of stuff to? There is no substituting the USA, but India can be forgotten in a jiffy or two at the most. Guess what? They're a democracy too!
So, before we trumpet becoming a superpower, before we get pompous about our incredible place in the world and the role we are here to play, let's look at ourselves and get our basic shit together. Let's give as much importance to rational thinking as we do to moral and religious nonsense. There is no God concept in our Constitution! We aren't fundamentally subscribed to a religious idea of a country. God is a very personal thing, even though we do a puja before launching our spacecraft. For some reason our latest GSLV plunged into the sea. Could it be the wrong brand of incense sticks? No serious investigation into the failure of our first cryogenic engine is likely to result in a finding that blames the pujari.
So, let's learn to blame ourselves first, whenever things go wrong. It is a very good habit to get into. If I call 139 and get wrong information about my train's arrival time, it is upto me to fill out in triplicate, the complaint form at the railway station, and make my grievance known. It is upto us to bitch, and moan, and complain, and sue - till the garbage gets cleared on time, till the road gets relaid, till the sewers stop dumping into our rivers, and till we get every single thing we need to feel like humans again. Indianness cannot be the answer to the questions we are afraid to ask.
BSK.
No comments:
Post a Comment