[Reader-list] India & My conception of development

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear all

There have not been any responses to my previous mail regarding 'Diversity
of India'. Probably people here felt that I was trying to start an
article/digest of myself for popularizing. Far from it. I wish people could
read these and then discuss about issues. And certainly I would like to
listen from others as well, for I am someone who would like to analyze
issues, reason them out and then form my own view.

And replying to my mails as well as others can set the tone for discussions
and good debates in the forum which can enlighten our other members as to
what view and opinion to take. Of course, it may not be an enlightened one,
but they can certainly choose what they wish to.

And yes, if you feel it's mere popularizing personal thing and is utter
nonsense, I will consider stopping this, though at most it could be 10 mails
or so.

In the last mail, I had talked about unity and diversity. This mail has my
understanding of the causes for which people should unite, and those for
whom this unity is dangerous and useless. Well, it is very difficult to
define the causes or pick out causes by and large for which unity should be
achieved so easily. After all, even Ram mandir construction movement was a
movement for which some of the Hindus proposed the cause of unity, and in
their own understanding, it is perfectly rational. And for those opposing it
or considering it a non-issue, there are other rational arguments to look
at.

As a basic rule, I feel that people should unite when it serves the purpose
of the common good to be achieved. The problem is that different people have
different conceptions of the common good as well. For the RSS, Ram Mandir is
good for India as they feel that its' construction helps provide dignity to
Hindus and is for their common good. They also feel that Muslims are
traitors and so are the Christians, hence the Hindus should adhere to the
concept of 'Hindutva' to achieve common good.

For the 'secularists' (I am talking about seculars like Congress and their
like folk who remember secularism just as sluts remember the men they
enjoyed with), the common good is ensuring that Muslims are in constant fear
and feeling of 'siege' so that they always vote against the BJP, which would
ultimately help one of these parties to form governments.

For our urban middle class, it is ensuring that free markets exist and
fiscal responsibility is adhered to, by removing farm subsidies (and
probably by also removing NREGS) as well that the common good is achieved.

And there can be other categories as well. Some feel that serving Sri lankan
Tamils cause gives the common good. Others feel that raising the 1984 issue
again and again (of Sikh killings) is for common good. And there are
different classes and castes and groups of people having different notions
of common good.

Then what actually serves the commong good? That, which actually helps the
people. That, which in Gandhi's words, removes the tears from the last
downtrodden person. That which can secure a livelihood with dignity for him.
And most of these issues do the opposite.

When BJP unites people against Muslims or for Ram Mandir, (or the RSS-Sangh
Parivar or anyone else), it doesn't help the downtrodden. Will rain-gods be
happy that a Ram Mandir is constructed? Will the rape of Dalit women in UP
stop if Godhra is avenged? Will even the rape of women in Gujarat stop for
that matter? Do tribals gain by killing Muslims like this? Can the Ram
Mandir ensure total peace in India, or we have more conflicts to come after
that?

When the Congress wants to ensure unity, it's through fear of the BJP. What
is the use of that? What does the Congress do when they are in power (here I
am talking in terms of provincial level more than national level)? In Madhya
Pradesh, Digvijay Singh may not have allowed any riot to take place and also
helped decentalization, but he ensured that roads and power were in dire
straits at the end of his reign. Even his poverty alleviation programs were
hijacked by people indulging in corruption, and his huge jumbo ministry
ensured that public money was spent on 'lal batti'. When compared with
Gujarat (even before Modi), roads were better in Gujarat than us. Infact,
even Congress netas preferred helicopters to travelling by road when
campaigning in 2003 elections!

When the urban middle class wants to ensure unity, it is only to strengthen
their own hegemony over the rest of India. They want to prove that they are
the only educated people of this nation, the 'enlightened' ones, and thus
they only have the know-how to solve the problems of India. Except that they
hardly know India. The pink chaddi campaigns and the Jaago Re campaign
people would not even know the percentage of tribals in India's population.
(I accept equally that I don't know the exact figure as well. My guess is 18
percent. Please do correct me as well) We don't equally know the conditions
under which people have to survive in slums or villages. And we are going to
solve the problems of India!! My foot!! First such people should be sent on
discovery routes of India, and then we may be able to know what India is,
before deciding how to solve problems.

Don't unite for personal hegemony to be maintained, or for selfish
objectives to be attained pertinent to one group. Unite for a cause where
even people outside your group, including your adversaries, actually
benefit. It's a win-win situation for all, not just for some sections of the
society.

And this is why I oppose nationalism. Mind you, I differentiate it from
patriotism. Patriotism for me is love of the land, because of link to it
through culture. Nationalism is simply love of the land because you are told
it is yours, irrespective of whether you are linked to it culturally or not.
Nationalism does bring in a sense of unity, but the purpose achieved through
being nationalistic does not help the downtrodden or the poor in India or
anywhere else at all.

When people opposed the Hirakud dam to be built, Nehru said the people
should allow the dam to be built and sacrifice their own homes and lands.
The Somnath Mandir was built and shown around to prove that it's a symbol of
Indian nationalism. The Indian army is considered the most nationalistic
wing of the Indian state, and people are supposed to be proud of the Indian
army.  If they are not they are looked down upon (at least I was). The
Indo-US nuclear deal is portrayed by the Congress to show its stand of 'true
nationalism'. The Indian state is preparing for military and defence
modernization considering the nation's interests.

Nationalism is pure bogus because all the activities I have listed above
don't help the downtrodden and the poor. I know Bipin jee will say look at
Hirakud and Sardar Sarovar dam as they have given power. My contention is
that these dams have been built without any proper scientific studies as
such. Infact, the World Bank stopped funding the Sardar Sarovar dam project
in 1992 based on a report which said that ecological concerns were not
adequately addressed, and the environmental concerns have been played down
or just dismissed. The Bank considered itself responsible for building a dam
which it considered wrong to build.

For the Hirakud dam, people have not been rehabilitated and resettled
properly even now, forget anything else. If this is what our nation gives in
the name of nationalism, let it go to dogs and cats, I am not willing to
accept it.

About the Indian army, the less said the better. The Indian army has
indulged in rapes and killings on a scale never known. Forget Kashmir. Go to
the North-East. About a few years ago, women in Nagaland (I think it was
Nagaland, and if not I duly apologize) protested naked against the army and
asked the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) to be repealed. One of my
friends went to Jammu and said that the army does practise prostitution
culture in Jammu (a strong allegation as he had contacts with the army, and
he said this is not publicized either in Jammu or in India or fear of loss
of support to the Indian army).

I don't say the army hasn't done good things. But it's bad things are too
many to be forgotten. In the name of AFSPA, they can't be allowed to go
about allowing prostitution culture. Infact the other forces also indulge in
this. In Salwa Judum, women protection officers( supposed to take care of
the movement), were subjected to prostitution by the Naga Regiment posted
there! Great!! And they are supposedly protectors of the nation.

I don't want nationalism. It is useless. Nationalism can't feed the poor.
Patriotism can give dignity and link to culture. Nationalism creates bigots
and nothing else. Japan paid the price of nationalism, with 1945 bombings.
And others would have to pay the price as well. Don't worry about that.

So unity should be for the poor and downtrodden, and nationalism: let it go
to cats and dogs, it is useless for humans at least.

Regards

Rakesh