THE STATE OF OUR REPUBLIC

After 66 years, perhaps it is time to reflect on the state of the Republic of India. What do we
find? The state of our Republic is like the proverbial curates egg: good in parts, but mostly
poor. Our honourable Prime Minister would probably take exception with this blasphemy,
particularly in the fortnight of Start-up India and Make in India which is touted to propel
India to First World status and make us the envy of the financial world.
Despite Modis rhetoric however, is India really shining, or even above to shine? Our jetsetting PM has made a phenomenal 37 foreign visits in the one and a half years he has been
in office, at an estimated cost to the exchequer of almost Rs.400 crores. After every trip, he
proudly announces that he has signed commercial agreements worth several hundred million
dollars. So in aggregate and in theory, the country has benefitted by several billion dollars.
But where are the results on the ground? Indias per capita income remains one of the lowest
in the world. Our human development index ranking remains pathetic. In theory, more and
more Indians have risen above the poverty line, but what is our poverty line in absolute
terms? Millions of our countrymen who are officially above the poverty line eke out a
miserable existence in hovels; as do six million slum dwellers in Mumbai alone. Why isnt
the many lakh crore rupee investment making any significant improvement in their daily
lives? The answer could lie in the wide gap between promise and delivery. Take the example
of Modis model state of Gujarat. During the annual pravasi divas extravaganzas,
Memoranda of Understanding worth billions of dollars are signed. However, statistics show
that less than 15% of these translate into concrete projects.
If there is one predominant issue since Modis coronation that causes concern to liberals and
those who have the ability to think for themselves, it is the ascendancy of the RSS and the
laissez-faire displayed by the government towards the vituperative Hindutva agents who have
now boldly come out of the woodwork. Modi maintains the facade of staying aloof from such
matters - apart from occasional generalised homilies - but his allegiance to the RSS is thinly
disguised; as is the long rope he allows to the Hindutva fanatics, many of whom belong to his
own party and ministry. My unfounded suspicion is that it is part of his grand design is to put
the Hindu Rashtra dream on the back burner until he has achieved supremacy over most of
the states in India. Fortunately, that eventuality now seems increasingly distant.
If there is one absolute truth in India, it is that corruption will always prevail. Take the
example of Maharashtras new BJP Chief Minister. He is a decent man and reasonably
honest. He came to office promising to defeat corruption, but in the end corruption defeated
him. Now he is content to just go with the flow. As was amply demonstrated during the
Manmohan Singh administration, there is no point in being clean yourself when the prime
motivation of those around you is to make a quick buck. If you are brave or foolish enough to
challenge the prevailing system, you will find yourself isolated; and eventually give up.
When senior politicians and ministers continue to do the bidding of builders and
industrialists, when criminals continue to be elected again and again, when municipal
corporators continue to wink at the shortcomings and downright dishonesty of contractors for a consideration, of course - burdening the tax-paying public with cost overruns and dismal
infrastructure, when government hospitals spend crores on expensive medical equipment and
then allow it to rot due to indifference and shoddy maintenance, what hope is there of acche
din ever coming to this benighted nation?

That said, it is perhaps a trifle unfair to lay the entire blame on politicians and government
officials. We the people must share the blame. Have you wondered why it is so easy for
policemen and municipal officials to collect bribes from the public? It is because breaking the
law on petty issues and not following the rules seems to be a national pastime for many of us.
If we commit a traffic violation, we would rather slip something to the cop than pay a
reasonable fine. If we want to make some alterations in our flats, we will happily bribe the
municipal inspector rather than try to get the required permissions. Many income tax
commissioners are crorepatis because rich businessmen and high net worth individuals will
offer a large consideration to avoid paying the legal taxes. And paying hafta to corrupt
officials has become a fact of life that is taken as a given. Dont forget that you cannot be
asked for a bribe unless you do something illegal. But then, where is the fun in that?
As if politicians and public officials enriching themselves at the publics expense was not bad
enough, we have to suffer their warped priorities and their penchant for grandstanding over
petty issues that have little or nothing to do with the welfare of the public they were elected to
serve. For example, BMC corporators are trying to take over one of the finest museums in
Mumbai because they consider it elitist. After handing over the management to people who
actually knew something about culture, the museum was transformed from a neglected relic
to a world class cultural. And now these Neanderthals want to reverse the process. Recently
in Mumbai, a teenage boy was arrested for kissing his girlfriend in a public place in front of
her mother. Apparently the innocent act of a consensual kiss was considered a criminal act by
the cops and the boy was charged and booked under the Protection of Children Against
Sexual Offences Act. A kiss is a sexual offense? Seriously? This puritanical response to any
form of intimacy exemplifies the mind-set of the police who are otherwise reluctant to
register an FIR in genuine cases of criminality.
Our Members of Parliament preen themselves in the august house by taking pot shots at each
other. They all are adherents of the flawed dictum that two wrongs do indeed make a right.
Every time the BJP is accused of wrongdoing, they blandly justify their calumny by pointing
out that the Congress did something similar in the past - and vice versa. The PMs avowed
intention of achieving a Congress-free Bharat now seems unlikely; and that is a good thing.
Having only one dominant party is never healthy for a democracy.
An enduring feature of Republic Day is the announcement of national awards like Padma
Vibhusion, Padma Bhushan, etc. I am of the opinion that these awards have lost their lustre
and validity. It started when the awardees were selected more on the basis of political
patronage than merit. Deserving candidates were bypassed in favour of sycophants of those in
power; and the "party with a difference" is no different. Take the case of Anupam Kher, who
so vigorously defended Narendra Modi and the BJP in the intolerance debate. Kher is a
competent actor, but many others are far more deserving. By conferring the Padma Bhushan
on him, the message was clear. Support us and you will be suitably rewarded. Aamir Khan,
by contrast, has been cast into the wilderness by the BJP just because he had the temerity to
voice an honest opinion. A prime example of the lack of foresight and application of mind is
the Bharat Ratna awarded to Sachin Tendulkar. The motive behind the award was populism,
pure and simple.To put Tendulkar in the same category as Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and J.R.D
Tata is ludicrous and a little insulting. What is even more distressing is that he demeans the
high honour that has been conferred on him by continuing to act in ad films and peddling
products. God knows he does not need the money.
In conclusion then, the State of Republic is mediocre at best - and likely to remain so. There
is no genuine thirst among the people for better governance. There is no sustained demand for

accountability in those who govern us. Yes, we shout slogans and file PILs, but the
government has long perfected the art of ignoring them - or at best, make token gestures.
Meaningless inquiry Committees are constituted, the guilty ones are suspended (and quietly
reinstated later). Some politicians are even arrested - and promptly released on bail. We the
gullible consider our honour to be satisfied and move on with our lives. This is India; and this
is just the way things are. Jai Hind!