A topic that seems to hold hope and relevance at the start of each decade. And why not, if these are visions from the unhibited dreams of a billion people in a free nation, albeit used to being part of a garrulous democracy.
Will our country truly be a superpower of this century (a shining India in the true sense of the term), that the world seems to be talking about and bracing for? Or will our biggest enemy, our very own internal conflicts, hold us back to the inevitable also-ran status? And that chain of thought makes me list the two things, in my opinion, that really need to change in India:
- Prevalence of Corruption: I'm sure this will be in the top 2 of all my blog buddies. I went back to the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index Ranking for India in the past 5 years. And no surprises, we all know this, a country currently in the top 10 in terms of GDP is 95th in terms of Transparency. Of what use is all the jingoism of patriotism and culture, when the core impulse seems to be to steal from our own brethren? The system may be partly to blame, for if there were no laws, the very nature of human behavior is to behave unpredictably, even wildly, causing chaos. So the fact that there is still room for corruption, is reflection of a systemic defect. But what surprised me, was that our ratings have been progressively been going down in the past 5 years. Perhaps reaching a tipping point last year when the 2G scam was exposed, leading to widespread public frustration and hence strong support for Anna Hazare's campaign. While we are still in the realm of numbers, we can perhaps also see in them the true reason why corruption exists i.e. per capita income. India ranks 127, and topped with the income inequality so evident in society, it is justification enough for even the most principled, that the greater good or in other words responsibility to family, overrides all. Well, our PPP does not have to be so bad just because of population, or China wouldn't be ranked 90, or the third populous USA be ranked 7! The cause for the income inequality as well as the low PPP is, guess what, corruption at the high-strata of society (in terms of power and income), an endless cycle perhaps? And wherein those in higher-strata of power are also responsible for the laws of the land, we see the direct connection wherein the intermingling of temptation and greed directly causes the laying out of half-hearted and weak foundations to check corruption. Lots been said of the amounts that have flown into tax havens instead of being invested in our nation. Yes, a nation getting more aware can vote to power the right candidates, so education and awareness are the groundwork. But all in all, a democracy still elects a set of individuals to represent us. And (easier said that done) unless there is a change of heart in at least most citizens, especially those in the high-strata of power, we will never get rid of corruption. If Anna Hazare's Lokpal can bear weight on the 80-20 rule, we may well check the major portion of it, and that would be progress itself.
- Lack of Unity: Despite all their shortcomings, the biggest contributions of Emperor Qin Shi (who ruled China from 221 to 210BC) and of former US President Abraham Lincoln, was to make their countries united. Of course there were falls and failures even after, but these men weaved a thread of unity so firm yet flexible, that it never has broken. And today, in the name of religion, our country lacks that unifying factor. A century ago, the iron hand and diplomatic shrewdness of the British rule kept our wounds unhealed, yet not let them fester. The struggle of Independance seemed to unify us, but we know how that curtailed volcano exploded in the bloodbath during partition. After independance, the caste and class structures, religion and sub-religious differences, state-wise cultural differences, all came out to the open and have continued to keep us apart. But the biggest threat to us right now, sadly, is religious differences. This was not so prevalent until the 70s when we were isolated from the world, perhaps owing to fear of the unknown and the 3 wars post-independance. But with a slow embrace of the world came a growing awareness amongst the populace, something that was exploited by the high-power strata of society in the form of religious extremism. The strategy of the British to narrow down populations was reused to create loyal vote-banks, but what the politicians could not foresee is that even a spark of fanaticism could now easily create a forest fire among such tight-knit groups held together by fear of the other. Operation Blue Star, militancy in Kashmir, Babri Masjid, Godhra all were results of these. And how these internal conflicts can prove dangerous for the nation was proved in all the most daring terrorist activities that happened within the country, be it the 93 blasts or the 11/26 shootouts. Obviously aided by our very citizens, and something totally unheard and unexpected of before. Again (easier said that done) unless reservations are rooted out from the heart, and practice (not teaching/celebration) of every religion given equal respect but made an individual/private activity, our uniquely multi-religious country will continue to have differences. For the cause of God is the best sales-pitch ever, has and will go beyond every reason and emotion! If history repeats itself, then we can go back in time to see what preceded before Qin Shi and Abraham Lincoln could achieve unity: Civil War!
In a way I'm happy the train of thoughts led me to the negative sides first, so that the second half turns out happier. For I now I have to write on two things I love about India. Wow, there are so many:
Food: Indian cuisine makes the best uses of the spices provided by nature and generates flavor and taste of such great variety, customized and perfected by different parts of the country, like nowhere else in the world.
Arts and Artistry: Be it music, dance, painting, carving, physical or even dresses and medicines, centuries of rigorous discipline, documenting, practice, and fine-tuning has made Indian practices impeccable and inimitable in the rest of the world. To name just a few: Yoga, Ayurveda, Music and Poetry (Carnatic, Hindustani, Devotional, folk), Dance (Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and myriad religious, regional and folk forms!) would arguably beat any other form in their category that the rest of the world has to offer. What we lost in Engineering supremacy was due to centuries under imperial and then foreign rule, where science and architecture was recognized as a tool to sustain supremacy and showcase dominance respectively. And what we continue to lose in music and dance, is plainly due to lack of marketing...
Weather: Do I need to say more. The best all-season natural weather that you can get in the world! Yes, we are losing this too, to pollution. It reflects the lack of systemic will to protect, and scientific advances to truly curb.
But I think the intent of the article is to bring out those things I love, which truly stand out in in the context of a shining Indian. And those two things would be
- Social Values: I would claim our culture and society to be, in its original form, truly very tolerant and flexible. The intermingling of religious celebrations as a society itself shows that! Even the caste system in its original form was based on meritocracy. But those in the higher-strata wanted to stay entrenched, and made your role in society be based on birth. But that is getting better, thanks to the merits of our Constitution's basic tenets. Indians through ages have imbibed respect and responsibility towards others, living and non-living, as part of our nature. Respect to elders, helping our neighbours, feeding the stranger, giving in charity, friendship with all, social celebrations, peace and love, have always been part of Indian culture. I have never seen such true social regard of your identity anywhere else. I mean, how am I your neighbour, if I'm not there when you need me, or even when you have something to share! Our true customs believed in the equality of all roles a human plays, irrespective of gender and task. While across the world, the woman tries to "be a man", in Indian she rejoices being revered as a symbol of Mother India. Don't get me wrong, lack of say in economy and social practices like dowry does endanger their very existence, but this is more due to manipulating social roles by greed and systemic defects in the law of the land. But I foresee that as technology reduces barriers to communicate, and awareness and education increases, more avenues will open up for the Indian women to showcase and express her skills.
- Spiritual Lessons: The jostling of religions for relevance in our country has had one benefit-the spread and knowledge of spirituality. Way back since when Hinduism was not a ritualistic religion, but just simply, a way of life, spirituality has been one of the prime goals of life. I've spoken about this in my previous blogs also. Spiritual lessons, modes of observance and practice were seen as non-conflicting to the other needs of human life, except ofcourse, behaving humanely itself! Even one look at Lord Krishna's life-whose rendition of Bhagavad Gita is interpreted and re-interpreted to meet orthodox ends-is enough to know that all is ok in human life, even killing is at times necessary, if only the intent is right. Go back to the context of when the Bhagavad Gita was recited, and you will know well. The most creative people in society are also the ones with the most gray shades. Why: Because else they are not human! Stop restricting and inhibiting yourself, be brave, express and act. But don't do it for a wrong intent. For the Law of Karma, as Krishna elaborated in detail in the Gita, is really the guiding principle of all creation. A lesson so profound, can only come from the deepest contemplations and realizations of the nature of creation, and we have the fortune to have been taught this in our culture! Go back again to the time of the Gita, there is no mention of idol worship. There is no mention of a religion named Hinduism. And there is no description of ritualistic practices. And yet, all were Hindus, by their way of life. So too in our country are all Hindus, not the religion, but the way of life. Spirituality was and always meant to be, indeed, an individual quest. And I feel proud our heritage taught me that!
