Independence Day audit

Tuesday 14th August 2018 15:51 EDT
 

Any national audit amidst the celebration of independence is a confection of achievement and failure, as a general rule. India, with its linguistic, ethnic and religious diversities to contend with is no exception. It is worth repeating ad nauseam, that few of the great and good among the world’s large democracies were among the select optimists. 

Indian independence was paralleled by the start of the Cold War. The United States, as the leader of the Western alliance was apt to frown upon those reluctant or unwilling to join it in a crusade against the Soviet Union. This, today, has mutated alarmingly into a seemingly irrational and self- perceived projection of an irresistible force squaring up to an irremediable object in allegd defence of democracy and human rights. . 

How best can India navigate these treacherous cross-currents will remain the most challenging hurdle for Indian diplomacy. There are regional issues compounded by jihadi terrorism – homegrown and exported – to consider, followed by the shifting geopolitical templates, each requiring a firm, calibrated response in tune with the prime national interest of strategic autonomy.  

Domestically, the challenges are many and none the easier for that. Economic growth moves with measured rather than spectacular pace. In certain segments such as Information Technology the advances since economic liberalization have been extraordinary. As IT is the driver of the fourth Industrial Revolution, India can look to the future with justifiable hope.

Agriculture and viability of farming as a way of life has seen a significant leap forward like no other. To tabulate the gains in so limited a compass is well nigh impossible, but a perusal of an edit-page article in the Times of India (August 6) by the eminent agricultural scientist and leader of the country’s Green Revolution Dr Swaminathan,  will reward readers for their time.

As one surveys the past seven decades, one appreciates the transformation (still work in progress) that has kept food production ahead of population growth. This include the basic staples of wheat and rice, and beyond them buoyant increases in fruit and vegetables, not to speak growth of milk production in which India is now  the world leader. The dairy industry has thus taken off in a big way across metropolitan cities, II Tier and III Tier towns and vast swaths of the rural heartland, thanks largely to the0 vision and lifetime of endeavour of the remarkable Dr Verghese Kurien, the godfather of the Amul cooperative, which is now a household brand across the country, its cheeses and butter also sold in  markets abroad.

India has come of age in space science and engineering, acquired  considerable military muscle and progressing apace in manufacture of capital and consumer goods. As the world’s soon-to-be fifth largest economy, and the world’s fastest-growing large economy has much to be proud of. However, this must accompanied by the equally shaming reality of social and religious intolerance, of gender oppression under the rubric of mob lynching and sexual violence, of assassinations of free-thinking rationalists and of absurdist xenophobia.   

The threat to the ‘scientific temper’ once eloquently described by Jawaharlal Nehru, was highlighted in a letter to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, by a group of leading Indian scientists. There is much to do before the Indian dream translates into desired reality.

Farewell M. Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu’s colossus, M. Karunanidhi lost his final battle and died aged 94 in a Chennai hospital. He had lived his extraordinary life to the fullcasting a luminous presence on the Dravidian renaissance for six decades, Chief Minister of his State no fewer than five times. He was laid to rest on Wednesday, August 8 in the city’s Marina Beach next to that of his mentor and inspiration C.N. Annadurai.

Mr Karunanidhi was President of the Dravida Munetra  Kazagham (DMK). A social activist all his life, he was a staunch opponent of the caste system and its manifold iniquities, also turning his face against all forms of organized religion. HHe was a cultural icon whose outstanding contribution to Tamil cinema will be cherished by one and all throughout the State and in neighbouring States, where Tamil has deep roots among sections of the educated class. 

The fundamental change in Tamil Nadu politics since Independence has been the erosion of entrenched Brahmin dominance. – a democratic transformation made possible by universal adult franchise, which threw out the old, discredited past for a new, buoyant future of hope for the downtrodden and disadvantaged millions. In education, health care and women’s emancipation, Tamil NNNadu is second only to Kerala.

There is to be a week’s official mourning for Mr Karunanidhi. His passing brought a stream of condolence messages from across the country, led by the words of President Ram Nath Koviind, arrived at the late leader’s residence in Chennai.  Mr Karunanidhi’s internment was attended by IIndia’s good and great, from Prime M inister N arendra Modi, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi and a bevy of State chief ministers.

Mr Karunanidhi’s son, M.K. Stalin, who has been a political figure in his own right is the lead the DMK. He has much to live up to, and his political career hereon will be watched with great interest by the people of India. 

UK Greens, greenhorns

Britain’s Green Party, it would appear, has adopted the Khalistani cause as their own in the belief that self-determination across the board was the road to happiness. Pray look at the state of the Balkans for a scintilla of responsible wisdom. Former Labour MP and Respect Party MP George Galloway also addressed the rally and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas sent a message of support.

On Sunday in Trafalgar square almost 3000 Sikhs joined a rally to launch the UK referendum for Khalistan. To counter their rally around 200 Indians also gathered with drums and other musical instruments, though did not fail to make an impact.

A few days ago a UK MP took twitter to protest against people who believe that Sikhs do not require a separate ethnic identity in the UK census. With Brexit days coming closer, the Indian community is trying to establish the importance of a strong UK-India relationship, a step clearly more beneficial to UK than for India. On the other hand with growing popularity of Narendra Modi as a politician among British Indians, the UK ethnic politics has taken a very ugly turn. The same communities that took integration very seriously a few years back, are now fighting for a different identity.

The pro-Khalistani population in the UK have started their separatist movement on Britain's soil, against another sovereign and allied state. They have desecrated India's flag when 54 Commonwealth nations stood witness to that. UK has done nothing to identify or arrest the perpetrators and take any action, despite having full recordings of those who vandalised. Lord Nazir Ahmed, sitting in the heart of UK Parliament instigated anti-India movements/protests, a fight for azad Kashmir, yet nothing has been done so far to dissuade him from spreading hatred. He was also present in Trafalgar square on Sunday.

The Conservative party, that has a majority in today's Coalition government, is allegedly suffering from Islamophobia- a curious case of party prejudices, and they are proving to be selectively partial in judgement too. How is breeding a separatist movement against an allied nation, just an action of self representation or right to demonstrate?

Today's Britain is multicultural, diverse and perhaps 'electively' open, and definitely a lot more acceptable than many of its EU counterparts. The cultural education is also comparatively far penetrable. But British Indians need to accept their 'own' identity, irrespective of sectarian and communal differences and political propaganda. Nothing they say or do, will make them genetically 'non-Indian'. Why is there no pride in being a part of one of the world's oldest civilisations? 

One must remember their history of being- what gave them their 'reason to be'. Divide and rule has been a British political tactic for years. It's rather foolish to fall prey to it, again and again.


comments powered by Disqus



to the free, weekly Asian Voice email newsletter