Before I begin this article it is essential
that I make a few clarifications, as the nature of socio-political discourse
makes it necessary.
Firstly, I am not an anti-Indian. Rather, as a
concerned citizen of this nation, I consider it my moral responsibility to
point out to the structural flaws and inequalities within our system, that has
repeatedly corroded the prospects of the development of this country. Following
the Anna Hazare thing, we have a radical and aggressive brand of nationalism
that states either you profess Anna like views or you are an anti-Indian. (Much
like George Bush’s Iraq war rhetoric, which stated: Either you are with us or
you are with the terrorists.)
Secondly, I am not a Communist. In fact, I am
an anti-Communist to be precise. I believe Communists don’t have a copyright of
protesting against capitalism and neo-corporate globalization. Just like
being anti-Anna doesn’t make you anti-Indian, being anti-Bush doesn’t mean you
are with the terrorists, similarly, being anti-capitalist doesn’t make you a
pro-Communist.
Talking about pointing to the structural flaws
within our system, I could not think of a better day than 15th of August, the
day of our independence, to do the job. Quite purposefully i wont enter into
the debate whether we attained this independence, or was it a false one, given
to us by our British masters at the cost of a bloody partition of this
country, which Arundhati Roy calls Britain’s final, parting kick to India. I
find this debate useless and sinister. We cannot undo a decision taken
sixty-five years ago by our forefathers. Its better we address the issues that
confront us today. (I know its an un intellectual argument but its a practical
one.)
So, on the 66th year of our Independence as
the social networking sites get flooded with patriotic updates, as the tv
channels throughout the day televise films and songs that boost up our
nationalistic sensations( temporarily although), and as our soft-spoken, suave
Prime Minister belts out his neatly drafted Independence Day speech at the Red
Fort, let us have a close look at the ground realities of 21st century India.
A huge battallion of paramilitary forces armed
with the most sophisticated ammunition, is closing in towards the forests
of Central India, the heartland of this country. They are readying for a bloody
war against an army which comprises of the poorest,(most of them haven’t seen a
modern city, never travelled in a train or a bus) undernutritioned,
malnourished people, the tribals and the adivasis of India. They have realised
that their Government is too thick skinned to pay any heed to their non-violent
protests against the forceful acquisition of their land and its natural
resources, for the purpose of setting up Special Economic Zones. In despair
they have joined the ultra-Left Maoist radicals who seek the overthrow of the
Indian state through an armed revolution. The country is probably heading
towards a civil war, or probably the war has already begun. Its a rich man’s
war where the poorest of the poor fight and they die.
While the gala of the Independence Day
celebration persists, we have a lady at the distant North-Eastern state of
Manipur, stretching a world record few Indians bother to care about, and none
feel proud about. Irom Sharmila, a Manipuri civil-rights activist and poet is
on a hunger strike since 2 November, 2000, which makes her the person on the
longest hunger strike in the history of the world. Her demand is the repeal of
the Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA). AFSPA, a draconian law that is in
operation in the seven North-Eastern states of India, and Jammu and Kashmir,
entitles army personnel(except those of the lowest two ranks) to arrest
without a warrant, shoot and even kill an individual, or a group of
individuals, on the mere suspicion of being a terrorist. The act provides
impunity to the army men from any prosecution or trial for their
aforementioned acts. Under the garb of doctrine of necessity the AFSPA is
essentially a license to kill.
Before I forget to tell you all, my friends
and seniors hailing from Kashmir, like every year have told me that today, on
the 15th of August, Kashmir has an unanimous strike and a blackout. 14th
August, i.e. the Independence Day of Pakistan was celebrated with much pomp and
show. The incident is a slap on the very ideals of equality and integrity that
the Constitution of this country seeks to uphold. It shows how our successive
Governments have badly messed up with an issue that required patience and a
humane approach.
Politics in India seems to get murkier day by
day. Today, we have a new brand of hate-mongering, incarnate politicians
whipping up divisions along religious, casteist, and sectarian lines, thereby
ensuring a polarized mandate, that facilitates and
smoothens their road to power. Politics of hatred probably was never so much in
the vogue in India, as it has been during the past few decades. I would refrain
from citing examples of incidents of politics of hatred that have unleashed
unimaginable proportions of atrocities, because they chill my spine.
As if this unending list of corrupt, hate
mongering politicians who siphon out huge amount of money from the public
exchequer and stash it up in their Swiss bank accounts, was not enough, we
presently have an increasing number of CEOs and corporates hollowing out
natural resources worth trillions of dollars from the forests and mountains of
India. All this courtesy the two decades of liberalization and privatization in
India, and also the large number of Memorandum of Understandings(which are
secret documents and their terms and conditions have been concealed from the
common people) signed between state Governments and these multinational
corporations.
Unfortunately, the tragedy of this country
does not end here. The youth of this nation, comprising the lion’ share of its
population is a directionless mass, away from the realities of the day.
Following the massive privatization of education, students have been
turned into prospective buyers of University degrees. The policy in practice
is: Throw your bucks and grab your degrees. Education, in India, today, is the
most lucrative business. Thus, toeing the lines of its capitalist vanguards,
the youth of today wears a ‘cool’ attitude, proudly declaring that it doesn’t
care about politics, hardly realising that this depoliticisation is the biggest
political happening of this decade.) It is enmeshed in the status-quo,
oblivious to any sort of acts of resistance in unison against this
capitalist exploitation.
The need of the hour is the development of
awareness among the common mass. The youth of the country cannot afford to
remain aloof from those very issues that affect us so seriously. It has to come
forward and take up the cudgels of nation building. It has to think and prepare
the roadmap of our future. Everyone has stakes in the future of this nation,
come, let us realise it together.
P.S:- I did not attend the Independence Day
function in my University. I find these symbolic events useless, they frustrate
me. Present time demands persevering hard work rather than indulging in an
hour’s show of flag hoisting and worthless rhetoric.
- By Riad Azam
