I wonder if there is something inherent in the democratic process that insists that the society go through a robber-baron phase.
The headlines about politicians, their kin, their dog-walkers, running rough shod over constitutionally guaranteed rights and constitutionally mandated responsibilities, remind me of the US headlines of the early 20th century, or even earlier actually. Wealth, usually accrued by less than legal, or even moral, means, brought with it proximity to the servants of the People. A negligible investment of money here, a touch of muscle there, and next thing the robber barons were the political leaders, with red, white, and blue bathis on cars that they lent to their kin, and occasionally the dog-walker. Post WW2 there was a cleansing of the system by men, and women, of goodwill, sustained by the anger of an increasingly better informed middle class who started demanding better of their representatives, and, in the main, getting it. Social consciousness, rights and their counter balance, responsibilities, dignity and respect for the human condition, became necessary attributes for any political aspirant to have. Watch was kept on them and they were made accountable for not only their own actions but also that of the dog walker in their employ. [I hasten to add that I do not believe that the system remained clean. The Religious Right Posse, unleashed by Ronnie and his Merry Men took care of that little hitch in the get-a-long of the Oligarch’s march; although, I must also add that there is a valiant, and with any luck, ultimately successful, opposition.] It took that democracy, made up of good-hearted and generous mang…uh, apple-pie folks pretty close to 150 years to get to a place that could control the Powerful. Perhaps because there is just so damn much unbounded real estate there. NIMBY simply meant that you hitched up the wagon and moved further into the big empty. Not so easy to do on real estate that is 1/3rd the size with 3 times the population.
And yet, in only 60, quite odd, years, and in many ways, India is far ahead in this, ‘We the People’, inclusion, tolerance, social consciousness business. Women have been, officially at least, been enfranchised right from the get go. Minorities, again on paper, have never been considered as 2/3rds of a human being. The separation of church and state is a constitutional mandate, without the intervention of a Supreme Court, all very laudable and praiseworthy.
And then, we go ahead and make a virtue out of worshipping power.
Power is seen as a divine gift to the worthy, to use as they see fit.. We insist, while currying favor, on touching the feet of the Powerful, practically inviting a kick in the face. We are quick to call sportsmen god and build houses of worship to them. The term ‘god-men’ is not heard for the oxymoron that it is. Worship ought not to be equated with respect, and yet, that is what we do, publicly, with garlands of money. Quite disgusting, that is.
Worship, ought to be a private act. Displays of power need to be exposed as the bad manners that they are. Acquiring a barony by robbing the commoner leads to Robin Hoods and Robin Hoods eventually lead to naxalism. Flaunting power and position by barons and their myrmidons disrespects and dispossess the rights of us mango folk. Quite often, too often, those rights are the only possession we have. Respect the position, by all means, but do not equate respect and worship. India needs to let her political satraps know that they will be held accountable for word and deed. They must be assured that misuse of their powers will have consequences. They must be held responsible for the actions of the misbehavior of their sons and sycophants. Courtesy needs to be incorporated into their Official oaths permitted.
I also believe in the Easter bunny, tooth fairy, and that the earth is flat.
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