"Be careful what you wish for; you may get it"
I am here to make amends for some of my posts from my rather 'immature' days - those dealing cynically with our polity and the instruments of our democracy. I take it all back - unconditionally. For this is the time that our democracy is being threatened by a coalition of the lunatic fringe and the the self righteous, who seem to have mutilated an iconic Tilak statement - for them, "Raj is my birthright". No body denies there have been failings from the side of the Establishment, and the anger to justified. However, being the 'dramatic' Indians that we are, there is a real danger of something irreparable happening here. While all the moral posturing that is being done is most definitely in pursuit of some objective other than the advertised one, there is a real chance that something very bad might emerge from this. There is an ancient quote - "Be careful what you wish for; you may get it."
It's not that nobody is seeing the fault in this.The Government of a Sovereign state is being blackmailed by a demagogue - over demands, which largely comprise of funny ones, really funny ones, and the dangerous ones. It's the third type that is really bugging me - demonetising the economy, rolling back the education to 17th Century, draconian laws. I am not alone in this. It has been commented on similarly by leading journalist in newspapers. However, in these times, newspaper reading is a drudgery left alone to competitive exam preps. the majority is getting its news from the television - where screaming anchors are trying to out do each another in becoming miniature clones of the 'holies' blackmailing our State. It's getting into dangerous territory now.
The problem with seeing things bad for a long time is that people fail to realize that it can get worse. People say that the State has failed to deliver. I say, just look around in the neighbourhood. Stop looking just at the developed world - look at the mess in the region to see how well we have done in comparison. If time is given the remaining miles will also be travelled. However, being the dramatic Indians we are, we revel in extremes. Either we'll bear it stoically, or we'll go all or nothing. What is not being realised is what happens if the State collapses under such pressures. Will it be 'all free no governance' - in other words - anarchy? While anarchy is not a good place to be in, even worse could be the entities that effectively replace the states. As long as there are societies, there will be governments. Currently we have one whose top is chosen by people, and whose machinery is designed on merit. If it fails the people, they have the option to bring in a new set at the top. Do they think a 'government' made of 'Civil Society' or godmen would be better. In my opinion, they qualify neither on electable popularity, nor on selectable merit. So they are doing what best they can to wrest power - blackmail the state in its moment of weakness. I appeal my non existent readers to not be a party to this daylight robbery.
It's not that nobody is seeing the fault in this.The Government of a Sovereign state is being blackmailed by a demagogue - over demands, which largely comprise of funny ones, really funny ones, and the dangerous ones. It's the third type that is really bugging me - demonetising the economy, rolling back the education to 17th Century, draconian laws. I am not alone in this. It has been commented on similarly by leading journalist in newspapers. However, in these times, newspaper reading is a drudgery left alone to competitive exam preps. the majority is getting its news from the television - where screaming anchors are trying to out do each another in becoming miniature clones of the 'holies' blackmailing our State. It's getting into dangerous territory now.
The problem with seeing things bad for a long time is that people fail to realize that it can get worse. People say that the State has failed to deliver. I say, just look around in the neighbourhood. Stop looking just at the developed world - look at the mess in the region to see how well we have done in comparison. If time is given the remaining miles will also be travelled. However, being the dramatic Indians we are, we revel in extremes. Either we'll bear it stoically, or we'll go all or nothing. What is not being realised is what happens if the State collapses under such pressures. Will it be 'all free no governance' - in other words - anarchy? While anarchy is not a good place to be in, even worse could be the entities that effectively replace the states. As long as there are societies, there will be governments. Currently we have one whose top is chosen by people, and whose machinery is designed on merit. If it fails the people, they have the option to bring in a new set at the top. Do they think a 'government' made of 'Civil Society' or godmen would be better. In my opinion, they qualify neither on electable popularity, nor on selectable merit. So they are doing what best they can to wrest power - blackmail the state in its moment of weakness. I appeal my non existent readers to not be a party to this daylight robbery.
