I’m not well read or walk in the circles of intelligentsia or political gurus. I don’t have much interest in politics nor do I study legal or political science. But I believe all these shortcomings hold nothing against me in sizing an opinion about the greatest democracy of current human civilization. A system or notion which embodies my home India. A land so diverse that even the great geologists (or whatever they are called) decided to term it as a sub-continent instead of a region. What do I make of it?
Today’s India is not natural or geographical country, but is a legacy left behind by the British. Throughout my schooling, the whole history taught to me never mentioned a kingdom of India. It was always a cluster of kingdoms, independent and fighting. It painted a picture much like the tale of European kingdoms then Greek islands. Be it Asoka, Akbar, Aurangzeb or Victoria no one had full control of the land now recognized as the republic of India. And mind it no fifth person held more land then these four in the recorded history of my school text books.
India today is product of a movement called Congress Party. Yes I hold accountable this party not only for the partition of India in 1947, but also the creation of this uniquely kitsch nation. Unity in diversity, a very heartwarming slogan. And yes the base of this unity our democracy. Well apparent democracy.
Let’s take the word itself, if I click the synonyms on the ms word for democracy I get words like: social equality, equality, egalitarianism, classlessness. But I clearly remember being told democracy means majority. If you have the number you have it your way. And that’s how it seems to have been working, absolutely my personal perspective as told earlier I’m not literate enough to quote statesmen. Living as long as I’ve lived my education and experience begs to question this notion of democracy. I feel a true democracy is a system where everyone gets their say, no matter correct or wrong, left or right, big or small, majority or minority. I refuse to buy the herd mentality crap.
I don’t know who but I did read or listened somewhere that the need for law in democracy is to protect the individual from the collective, the minority from the majority. And of course my favorite, the powerless from the powerful. Having said all this I would like to point out that India as it exists today is not only unique, diverse but misunderstood and misguided. But yes totally human.
Human in behavior and aspiration. And I don’t mean this in positive fashion. The aspiration for power and superiority which can be seen in accretion of Hindi as langua franca of India, or forced claim over a piece of land but rejection of its natives. Very human behavior very basic and animal in its origin. Nothing has changed, muscle power of past has been replaced by majority power of today.
What fails me is this, after claiming so much advancement as a species and having such high moral stands for other nations, why haven’t we come to term with our identity. I believe India is an illusion, sorry let me rephrase, India is a spirit and nothing more than that. A spirit which has no historic, ethnic or cultural background, just emotional and economic residue-legacy. We can’t fit the definition of a nation-state which roots in Europe. We need to be Europe in our outlook and structure rather than France. Every community granted its identity and every tongue its honour. I call for greater autonomy for all under the economic and defense canopy of union of India.
I speak hindi and we (hindi tongued) are more in number doesn’t give us the claim to the right to be the national language. Why do we need a single language? I know it makes for a lot easier life, but our forefather’s didn’t fight to have an easier life but a respectable one.
India – lets honour her diversity.
