[Reader-list] Crime and No Punishment: Malegaon Blast Accused Get a Respite

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Kshamendra

Good questions indeed.

Intellectuals won't refer to our TV media created 'specialists', nor would
it necessarily involve news-creating people. They would refer to those who
have done thorough research on the subject, as well as on inter linkings
with other issues (like gender equality, freedoms & capabilities, necessity
for people, etc. )

The upper class here refers to those who are powerful politically,
particularly because these are people who are important and responsible, in
a certain sense (though not in a complete or holistic sense) towards their
constituents. Hence, they must also be involved in the talks.

At the same time, discussions must also go on in the public, and things can
move ahead from there.

Who tells the people about the different points of view? Good question.
Those who are making the demands of such a code, and those who reject such
demands. So Murali jee should prepare himself for a tour of India, or at
least support an organization financially in some way and get some
volunteers who can do this work. They can start off on a village to village
basis, and such volunteers can take their own time.

Similarly, those who oppose him should also undertake such campaigns on
their own. And most importantly, there should be public discussions and
questioning of such views and their merits and demerits as well.

The problem as I see it, Kshamendra jee, is not so much with the demand as
with the class which makes this demand. I have never heard of villagers
asking for a Uniform Civil Code, or going for a dharna for it. That's
because it's least connected with their lives, or also because they have
taken certain things for granted. It's the urban class and specifically some
members within it, who ask for the same.

Murali jee probably wants the decision of some people after discussions to
be imposed on the people, but I reject that approach because then there is
no difference between the British Raj and the Indian government. Therefore,
public discussions are the need of the hour for those who want to see such a
Code in practice and in Constitution.

As I see it, there are other problems as well. To have a public discussion,
there needs to be proper education and spread of information, which in
itself requires time and dedicated volunteers for the same. Similarly, when
society takes certain things for granted (such as adherence to religious
gurus of any religion), the idea of changing that also takes time, and
innovative and creative ways as well. Also, the very idea of making
decisions at the top and imposing them on people at the bottom, the top-down
approach, is something I dislike because it never works and it never takes
the concern of those at the bottom into consideration. This is unlike the
struggles for RTI and NREGA which started at the bottom and culminated at
the top with the introduction of the respective acts.

Therefore, I have no objection if someone demands the Code, but let us have
public discussions and public action on the subject, and let us then see the
issue. The intellectual discussion is necessary on the subject so that
different views can be known. And it's not as if this exercise starts and
stops. It begins and continues even as politicians, common people and other
stake holders are involved in the process of deliberations and discussion.
But to begin from somewhere, this discussion between intellectuals can help.
It gives basis points for debating the topic or the issue, and then on other
points which are valuable can be added.

Otherwise they can also go to the grass root and start from there to build
public pressure for the same. That is also fine.

Regards

Rakesh