THE LONAVALA DAYS

 

CRY MY BELLOWED COUNTRY!
Why does this land consisting of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or even south east Asia, have always ended up being a weak region on the basis of economic, scientific and military power. For over 3000 yrs. this land mass had political dispensations that consisted of several fiefdoms. The people identified themselves on caste or religion and allegiance to the rulers was more a result of sub judication and necessity.  The communities were always divided and sub-divided into identities that constantly were in conflict with each other, lending it to become a fertile land  for conquest by powers from outside the region. It was easy to ignite passions through religious, caste or greed of power and wealth. The latter two factors, however, was universal and drove many rulers of the nations of the world to the path of conquest. The south east Asia regions lacked this attribute and remained tied down by their internal divisions.
This trait is still an underlying characteristic of the people of this area. Post-Independence, India made a serious effort to stich a common bond and identity between its citizens and managed to do that for well over 70 yrs. It was, though, still a work in progress. However, the effort and the ushering in of a favorable environment for education, of imbibing a scientific temperament, of adopting technology and globalization was not sufficient to remove the underlying fault lines. Fault lines that existed in the form of blind belief fueled by stranglehold of organized religion, forced people to stay stuck to their past prejudices. The wounds of the partition too never healed.

All that was needed to exploit this fault lines was a strong divisive force, sufficiently obsessed with the past, glorifying it and all that kept the people bonded for decades and ions. A force that materialized and exposed these fault lines and bought forth its ugly form. All the intent made extraordinarily powerful by unlimited resources.

A large section of people gleefully embraced this mindset as it gelled with their inner instinct. All their exposure to modernization, education, reasoning went out of the window. It mattered least to them. While most benefited from a free post independent India but when the time came for them to stand up to liberal and democratic values  they benefited from, they seem to have failed.
Even corruption and bribery which was pitchforked as a great evil, till few years ago, is now flaunted as a virtue. Albeit the phenomena are camouflaged as great strategy! Religious animosity is fueled, amassing of wealth by a few at the cost others accepted, bribery of elected representatives is made  a legitimate form of governance, elimination of those who oppose one view that’s not in sync with the official one is accepted. The soul of a free nation is being sold to the highest bidder!
So we now have an India   steadily becoming a failed democracy and divided in any which way. Institutions, political entities are all being vanquished in every corner of the nation, every day.
No one and no political force can ever match this power. Just like what happened when the Moguls, Portuguese, French and the British divided, manipulated and completely controlled the people of this land mass. Much the same way.

Is this the real India? Or just a missed step in the journey? Will those who belong to the millennials and other younger groups not step forward and reiterate their modernity and liberal global values? Can they over rule those still stuck in their past and get this nation back on track? Can they call the bluff of those who claim to be acting on the nations interest while steadily eroding the gains of the past 70 years?
They have to choose, very emphatically, the ethos and values enshrined in our constitution, like any modern democracy, then build on our strength, without exploiting the fault lines and, for a change, make this nation strong in its values and tough at defending it.