The dragon may burn itself out!

There is every possibility that China may go old Soviet way. Its impressive strides at the economic, scientific and military levels are being relentlessly fuelled by a collective national hoopla about mythical-level enemies in the outside world. It thrives on the mass hysteria of the nationhood and prevails over the shadowy undercurrent of well-managed antagonism to the prevalent system of powers in the world. Education is used to legitimize the collective insecurities against the backdrop of colonial facts of exploitation. Under such environment people get ready to sacrifice individual freedoms and profits to bask in the glory of more sophisticated weapons, more medals at international sports meets, more upswing in the graph of economy and trade, etc. But sorry to say, it cannot be sustained for a decent amount of decades. 

The power of such dazzling rocket may impressively blind the eyes of supposed antagonistic outsiders, but the fuel in such a policy is not sufficient to land you in the stable geosynchronous orbit where the nation and its people will just effortlessly swim in peace and contentment. Hyper-specified distinctions as a race, as a nation cannot thrive unchallenged for too long in the ultramodern society. It somehow comes into conflict with the natural process of globalization and integration. America is comfortably enjoying the superpower status for a long time. The reason is that the stormy drive towards massive achievements in different domains was not at the cost of individual freedom. Unlike China here the river of basic human freedoms was not tamed through check-dams of politburo to harness human energy. Here it has always been allowed to flow decently free. The collective paranoia required to boost the rocket of superpower status was provided by the Soviet rivalry. 

The Soviet rocket, on the other hand, fell a bit short of the desired orbit of stability and crashed. In technology they matched each other shoulder to shoulder, step in step. The extra fuel in the American rocket was provided by the deep murmurs of individual freedom in the common hearts of common Americans. It somehow provides stability; creates a sort of pedestal on which the results of super-rivalry can be enjoyed for a relatively longer period of time. China's fastly rising balloon may also crashland. How can we ignore that behind each firm statistics in its achievement book, there are many statutes that strictly curtail basic human freedom. People will digest this as long as they are overfed with the diet of hate against a common, much vilified enemy. As the participants in this slowly smouldering cold war they think that they play a part by sacrificing a bit more due to some more rules. But after basking in the collective glory for decades, they will turn their heads back and analyse the sacrifices across generations. 

It turns counterproductive. The sea of collective victory cannot sustain unless it is fed through the sinewy rivulets of small-small basic freedoms and enjoyments that create outlets for common individuals to shine and feel victorious at the individual level as well. So this rising disparity between the verticals of its national glories at the international level on the one hand and the stagnant graph of political reforms may turn the table upside down, like it did informer Russia.

Douse First the Agni in Hungry Abdomens

Missiles are good. They might never be used. But their deterrence factor is acceptable. So all the best for the launch of Agni-V! But before we think of confidently hitting targets beyond 5000 kms, it is better if we spot the targets tugging at our shirts from all directions. This is the country where millions go hungry every day. Tragically, the FCI godowns are yearlong overfed with millions of surplus wheat. This wheat rots in rain under open skies. The governmental machinery finds it impossible even to distribute it. Damn it, what type of economy is this! Or the government finds even the weather elements and invisible bacteria as equal citizens of this country and keeps so much of wheat to be destroyed by them. It is fine to shoot majestic rockets to make your presence felt across globe, but it is also human to be true to your citizens by at least ensuring two meals a day. Moving ahead on the next stage of ICBM technology will require billions of dollars and technical expertise. But simply distributing the rottening grains in FCI shelters does not require the inputs of that order. It is a simple act driven by genuine concern for your fellow human beings. This extra farm produce can be made a productive part of our campaign against hunger and poverty. If the government cannot do even that, it is better to throw it to stray cows and pigs. It will serve some purpose of dousing the fire in some abdomen. Animal or human does not matter, because millions of humans in this great country enjoy the same status as stray cattle. They lie, walk, feed, defecate, procreate and die on roadsides.

Broken Dreams

It is the time to rethink. Rethink at the collective level. The time is ripe. Any educated Indian will accept that the Republic has been mismanaged terribly. Overflowing wealth in Swiss accounts bears testimony to this. If we compare the wealth amassed in dubious foreign accounts in independent India with the wealth drain during the colonial regime, I am afraid there might not be much difference between the two figures. The only consolation we can draw is that instead of the White man it is the Brown man who is doing the same chores of plunder.

The question arises: Whom to blame? Even with a pinch of salt, majority of us will agree that the kind of political ruling class and culture that emerged after Independence is more or less sired by Congress. As the juggernaut that fetched us freedom, it occupied a holy, absolute and unquestionable status. Dreamy-eyed Indians don’t question the illogical circumstances developing in their lives. They still worship their deities. Congress was a deity. Unfortunately public service rarely comes out of the bum feeling the warmth of divinity perpetually carpeting the throne. So for terms after terms people paid homage to Devi Congress by voting in its favor. But the religious trusts are rarely managed well by the priests.

The lesser genies are just the offshoots of the same colonial hangover traces like absolute power, milking the public resources for enlarging self-interests, using public authority to cut down any wind for change, family raj, etc. When non-Congress politicians amass wealth to lay a solid footing for dynasty-raj in their territories, they are just taking a logical and justified clue from the rulebook of the first political family in the country. It is tragic for the democracy. When as a legislator you lose sight of the constitutional objectives and responsibilities of public service for the masses and instead focus on establishing your lineage on the throne, then all the golden lines that were framed with dreamy eyes in the lengthy sessions of the Constituent Assembly take a backseat and become strings to a farcical puppet show of money, power and vagabondage.

Indian democracy is supposedly evolving healthily. But in reality it has been a malnutritioned and unhealthy baby. Where is the political choice at the national level? Literally every Indian is using bad words for the UPA government. There are not too many praisers of the BJP either. What will people do? A fractured mandate is a real possibility. The regional dynasty-rule-lorn satraps will enjoy the hotch-potch poultice brimming up in Delhi. Over-eaten Congressites will happily welcome a break after this blatant gluttony of public resources for a decade during its latest innings at amassing wealth. The Yuvraj will go sight-seeing tours relaxed and visit Dalit homes and try to find out the taste in the famed dal-roti of India. Maharani will give more focus to her Hindi accent. BJP is trying to see beyond Lal Krishna Advani. Its house in disarray, how much it can cash on popular disgruntledness is still in doubt. Maulana Mulayam plays his cards well and always sees the throne in Delhi a distinctly achievable target. Mayavati is happy to rally all the historically mistreated dalits behind her and make them believe that merely voting for a dalit and showing the index finger to upper-caste candidates means the Buddha-sent justice for them.

The question is: How long the educated middle class in India will continue with its famed apathy and allow the present kind of ruling establishment to thrive at the cost of common good. The popularity of Civil Society Movement provided some glimmer of hope. But how long can a movement survive and sustain while harping from the clean pedestal of morally clean apolitical carpet? How can you fight evil politicians without jumping into the political cauldron? It is like hunting a lion with sling-shots. For an effective fight it has to be inside the political cage only: a hand to hand real fight. But the moment they try to do it, even their supporters point fingers in admonishments that they appear just lesser dirty politicians in this avatar.

The main problem lies with the kind of political machinery that has taken the driving seat in the wagon of Indian constitutionality. So the main fight is there only. As far as Civil Society Movement is concerned, we can do them a favour--clap when they take mud-shots at the so-called starched khadi wears by fighting with as much political force as possible. In the looming directionless scenario, I think this is the need of the time. Who knows this extra hand will come with a pleasant surprise. So Ramdev, Anna Saheb & Company, the soon-to-retire General and many others should be encouraged to take to as much politics in their movement as possible. At least politics played by educated middle class will be better than the one played by people like the buffoon from Bihar.

Jats

Yours truly comes from the Jat stock. Arms working quicker than brain, culture being the agriculture, government services generally meaning police and military—well these are some of the fundamental traits of Jats. Oh just forgot the Haryanvi dialect that literally sums up the Jat attitude of being on top of this world in wisdom, knowledge, strength, stamina, guts, looks, sacrifice, etc., etc. There is one more historical element that qualifies as the defining element in the proud definition of being a Jat: our love for water buffaloes. Even a historian during the time of Alexander the Great notified that ‘these (Jats) people have a special affection for water buffaloes. I do not feel the pinch when some bruised city vallahas call we guys as ‘buffalo minds’ from the ‘buffalo land’. That’s true at least literally. Now coming to the time-tested fact of our love for water buffaloes! Sometimes back my mother sold her buffalo to a tough farmer. Now this one had been brought up by my mom like her daughter. Pampered to the hilt I tell you. But then taking care of this pampered one, whose requirements were seriously reaching human levels, was proving to be too tiresome for her. Now this rough and rowdy farmer was famous as the number one wife-beater in the village. While handing over the rope to this work brute, my teary-eyed mom said, ‘Son, hope you won’t mistreat this gudiya of mine!' 'I never beat buffaloes.....', prompt came the reply, 'I just.....', he stopped a bit embarrassed. He just stopped himself from saying that he beat his wife only. Well that shows our respect for the animal. You can say it is more or less equal to our womenfolk. The menfolk are male buffaloes anyway!

Acidified Roses

Flower buds are soft and lovely. Children are still softer. We call them the future of a country. This expectation derives from family, social and institutional support that is to be given to these human buds to enable them blossom fully. A kid's palms are very soft. They are not allowed to become coarse. Elders use their leathery knuckles and stony palms to allow fine maps on kid's palms so that they grow up as successful, happy individuals. But there are kids who are yoked into the merciless grind of survival game right from the beginning. They earn for themselves. These human buds do not get the time to blossom fully before becoming the fully functional part of the productive society. Their palms are never at ease to allow fine lines to evolve for a happy future. The lines get cut by the razor sharp edges of harsh reality they tread upon on a daily basis. On an impersonally honking and noisy crossing in Delhi, two kids pulled their heavily laden rickshaw out of the traffic mess. Horns blared. Getting-late-to-office elders threw curses. Traffic policeman even gave stares as if they had broken all the rules in his rulebook. Unconcerned they just expertly managed the odds heavily stacked against them by this uncaring world. There was no kiddish strain on their faces. These two boy-men cared a damn about the situation getting worse around them. They tended for themselves. I do not think we have any right to nurture any expectation from them as adults. Society and institutions have not given them anything. These have just robbed them of their childhood. Equipped with stony experiences and needle sharp instances, these kids have the right to draw any damn line on their palms. They reserve every right to cock-a-snook at the so called civilized and rule-based society. By killing a childhood, the society loses its right to lay claim on the desired, suitable adulthood.