An Open Letter to Indian Voters

                                                                     An Open Letter to Indian Voters

The next few weeks, approximately ten weeks from now, there will be hardly any news on the media except for news related to who is who in the lists released by different parties, who will emerge as the modern David crushing the modern Goliath, who  said what and who missed out what should have been said, who had broken  the umbilical cord with his party and joined its rival party etc . Media will thrive on acrimony, innuendo and allegations aired by the different contenders as they canvass for a seat in the Parliament. It is difficult to gauge media’s own agenda except for its adoption of a holier than thou attitude towards the political aspirants and for assuming the three-in-one role of prosecutor, judge and executioner. Media is the only one to indulge in high pitched caterwauling that deafens the meek and submissive replies of the hounded political class which otherwise roars from public platforms and election campaigns. Media enjoys its self -acquired right to quiz, to interrogate and to cavil at anyone and everyone (because it claims to be the watchdog of the society) without the corresponding duty to  offer responsible and informed opinions to its audience.

What are the issues that matter to the voters? It is odd that in our democracy voters don’t say what they want, but the political leaders say what the voters want and which they claim they alone can give. The political leaders pride themselves as clairvoyants who can read the people’s minds and their future and act accordingly. What a utopian ideal of democracy!  So we have election speeches devoted to people’s wants as perceived by politicians, euphemistically defined as grassroots reality. The three main issues in this election are corruption, price-rise and secularism.  Development, economy, employment welfare measures and higher standard of living have become subsidiary if not issues of any  consequence.

AAP’s rise in politics has been strictly on the issue of corruption and on free and unsubstantiated charges against the major national party leaders.  AAP attributes the miseries of the aam admi to corruption of leaders at the highest level without ever pausing to think that the aam admi does not have to deal with the top echelons of the political class but with their own class of people in government offices who are the arbiters of their daily life.  AAP knows that the freewheeling charges levelled against political leaders will strike a chord with the aam admis as though the bribes they offer to the little man in the government desk are at the behest of the political bosses. It is unfortunate that we talk of corruption only in terms of money given and money taken. There are many other forms of corruption- corruption of language, corruption of mind, corruption of values, corruption of religion and ideology  to name a few. The election speeches of some of the leaders have reached abysmal levels of indecency and demagoguery.  Some of them feel that the best way to appeal to the illiterate masses is to avoid cultured and sophisticated vocabulary and  descend to that level that festers the  raw and unformed emotions in them.  As voters we have a great responsibility-to sift the language of intellect from the language of raw emotions before we exercise our democratic franchise. Corruption of the mind is the intolerance and bigotry that have become the weapons of our political discourse today.  The pulping of Wendy Doniger’s book on The Hindus: An Alternative History by Penguin publishers is an instance of the corruption of mind that refuses to tolerate anything that it does not like. Writing does not mean that everyone who reads it ( or does not read it) should like it. There may be some who may like it and others who may not. A democratic society has to factor in the differing views among the readers.   Penguin’s hasty action of pulping its own publication is a servile capitulation before aggressive chauvinism and fanaticism. Corruption of the mind is far too dangerous for the polity than corruption through bribery.  As voters we have to vote for those who encourage liberal democracy, protecting the rights of minorities and, especially, the individual by allowing free and fair right to expression and opinion.

Corruption of values is a by -product of corruption of the mind as the values of tolerance and acceptance of divergent viewpoints become the casualty. The bankruptcy of values is seen in the rise in crimes in our society, the ubiquitous gun culture to snip off life at the slightest provocation, the rising atrocities against women and the lawlessness and indiscipline we see on the roads. It is often said that cleanliness is next to godliness. The total lack of cleanliness in our cities and towns is indicative of the absence of godliness that is associated with order, beauty, peace  and harmony. Corruption of religion, of ideas and ideology has resulted in the dehumanization of modern life corroding individuality, compassion, and civility. As voters we should vote for those who stand for decency, probity and orderliness  both in their public and private life.

 The issue of price rise is a felt reality. It pinches one and all except the traders and the rich classes. It is one thing to echo people’s cry against price rise, it is another thing to spell out how it could be blocked. No point in shedding crocodile tears when onions bring genuine tears to the housewives. But no political party has said what it will do to stop inflation when there is a global recession, when  economy all over the world is on a downslide. Has any political party shown its magic wand to do away with inflation? As voters we should vote for those who clearly spell out the cause of inflation and seek people’s support to curb inflation through volunteering simple sacrifices. If onions are expensive to reach our dining tables, we should forego onions and bring the hoarders onto their knees. Gandhi’s satyagraha is not the bogus satyagraha practiced today from public platforms when energy drinks can be a substitute for not eating meals, but the spirit of satyagraha  is to renounce that which becomes a luxury.  

Secularism is a non-issue. The fact that 20% of non -Hindu population lives reasonably peacefully with 80% of the Hindu majority speaks for secularism in India. The 1984 anti- sikh riots and the 2002 Godhra riots are a blot on our secular democracy. If finger-pointing exercise is resorted to in respect of these two riots, we erect the ghost of communalism where there is none. Politicians who inflame innocent people on communal lines citing the past are doing disservice to the cause of unity and integrity of the nation. Let us vote in those who have strong faith that India has and will survive as a secular nation.

The major issues like development, welfare measures, higher standard of living, creation of jobs have all been given lip service by today’s politicians because they have no clue to achieving them.  These issues have thus been relegated to subsidiary issues. The growth rate in all these aspects  has not been spectacular over the last decade, but it has not been that low to negate the work of a reputed economist PM and his cabinet of fairly well educated decent ministers. In today’s world, no nation can remain in isolation and therefore it is essential to elect those who have a global understanding of economy, education and employment and work out solutions in keeping with the world order.

As voters we have the onerous task of electing those with a clean image, who value decency and probity in life, who are well educated and well informed and who can resist the temptation of turning to demagoguery for the sake of power. It is time that we have a government of decent, honest and dynamic individuals who have the interest of the nation more than personal and party interest. Can Indian democracy show the way for such a collection of individuals to take charge of the nation? Yes it can if only we remember that the original Indian Congress had leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Rajaji etc who had different views on steering the nation through difficult times, but united by the single resolve of preserving the unity and integrity of the nation.  Ours is an enviable task. Let us grab the opportunity  to showcase to the world our true democratic spirit.