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IndiasmiddleclassawakesTheTimesofIndia

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Indiasmiddleclassawakes
PavanKVarma|Nov23,2013,01.13AMIST

Thereisanunfamiliaranimalsprawledacrossthewarroomsofmostpoliticalpartiesaheadofthe2014
polls.ItistheIndianmiddleclass.Notsolongago,itspresencewasinsignificant.Hardnosedpolitical
strategistsdismisseditasoflittleconsequence,andtheycouldnotbefaulted.Mostmembersofthis
classwereselfrighteouslydisinterestedinpoliticstheyvotedbutsporadicallytheirvisionrarely
transcendedtheirimmediatefamilialandmunicipalconcernsandtheirnumbersconstitutedneithera
tacticallyconsolidatedbloc,norasignificantnumericalsize.
Butsomethinghaschangedthistimeround.Thedocile,halfasleepanimalisstirringitself.Andnobody
isreallysureoftheconsequencesofignoringitsimportance.Therearetangiblereasonsforthis
turnaround.Ifwetakeastrictlyeconomiccriterionofdefiningamiddleclasspersonasanybodywho
belongstoahouseholdwhichhasamonthlyincomeofbetweenRs20,000andRs100,000amonth,
themiddleclassstartstolookverysubstantial.Estimatesrevealthatasperthiscriterionthesizeofthe
middleclassin1996wasapaltry25million.Today,itisinexcessof160million.And,by2015,its
numbersareexpectedtogoupto267million.
Thisisaverysignificantcriticalmass.ItispanIndianinscale.Ithasacertainhomogeneity,whichwhilenotentirelyinsulatedfromnarrowerregional
orlocalconsiderations,givesitanidentifiablecommonalityofinterest.Itiseducated.Ithassimilaraspirations,andsimilarexpectationlevels.
Theseattributeshavebeenboostedbytwoveryimportantdevelopments.Thefirstisinstantconnectivity.Almosteverymemberofthemiddleclass
possessesamobile.Andalargepartofitisanaviduserofsocialmedia.Today,thisisaclasswhichisininstantandconstantconversationwithitself.
Secondly,itnowcohabitsaneraof24x7news.ItspanIndiandispersalisunifiedbytherelentlessnationaldisseminationofnews,ofwhichagainitis
thesinglebiggestconsumer.
Politicalpunditshavealsocarefullywatchedtheslow,selectiveyetdefinitiveforayofthisclassinmattersoutsideitstraditionallynarrowkenof
interests.ThefirstsignsofthiswerevisibleintheJessicaLalcasewhenManuSharma,theaccused,whohadkilledherin1999infrontofdozensof
witnesses,wasacquittedinFebruary2006.Forthefirsttime,throughcandlelightvigilsandotherpublicdisplaysofanger,themiddleclasspublicly
expresseditsanger,leadingtotheverdictbeingreversed.
Morerecently,thesamenationwidemobilisationwasvisibleduringthepeakoftheAnnaHazarecampaignin2011againstcorruption.Thelarge
crowdsthatthrongedhispublicmeetingsconsistedoflargesegmentsofthemiddleclass.Therewereover4lakhpeoplesupportinghiscampaignon
Facebook.OneandahalfcrorecallsweremadetothedesignatedphonenumberinMumbaiinhissupport.TheNirbhayarapecaseinNewDelhiin
December2012againsawthisclassbravingwatercannons,shoutingslogans,holdingprotestmarchesandcourtingarrestacrossthecountry.
Doesallofthismakethemiddleclassapotentpoliticalentity?Yesandno.Yesbecauseitcannotbeignoredanylonger.And,nobecauseitisstill
disorganiseditdoesnothaveapanIndianleadershipitsprotestsarelargelylimitedonlytomatterswhichpertaintoitsownworlditismostly
oblivioustoorindifferentaboutlargerissuesaffectingthosebelowitandithasdisplayedadismayinglackofsustainedandindepthconsiderationof
theprosandconsofpolicyalternatives.Itsangeronissuesoflackofgovernance,corruption,women'ssafetyandpriceriseisvalidbutthisangerhas
alsobeenmuchtoosporadic,oftenincoherent,andlackingorganisationalrigour.
Theunpreparednessofthemiddleclassforthenationalroleitcanpotentiallyplayhascreatedaratherserioussituation.Itsnumbers,accessibilityand
risinglevelsofangeratthestateofthingsinthecountryprovidearichharvestforcalculatingpoliticians.Butitsinabilitytolookbeyondtheimmediate,
andtopositanalternativevisionthatcombinesangerwithawellconsideredblueprintforchange,makesitrathereasycannonfodderforthosewho
wishtoexploitit.Thechallengebeforethemiddleclassistocontributetonationaldevelopmentwithanequitableandcomprehensivealternativevision
thatcompelsthepoliticalclasstorethinkitsstrategiesongovernance,populism,demagoguery,falsepromises,socialdivisivenessandelectoraland
financialmalfeasance.
Thenationalelectionsof2014willbealitmustestforthemiddleclass.Meredisplayofangerwillgiveitashorttermimportancedifferentpolitical
partieswillfuelthisangerforpartisanshorttermendstheywillplaytothegalleryofmiddleclassangstinthehopethatthisisallthatisneededto
seducethisclass.
Butthemiddleclassmustunderstandthatangerandalienationwithoutdeliberationandcarefulconsiderationofwhatneedstochangeandinwhat
manner,willbeexploited,subsumed,subvertedorderailed.Forthefirsttimesince1947themiddleclassisaplayerinnationalpolitics.Thetimehas
comeforittomakeitschoicescarefully.
Thewriter,anauthorandformerdiplomat,iscurrentlyadvisertotheBiharchiefminister.

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