Part 2 – Sustained Mayhem of Democracy – Aye Ram; Gaye Ram Syndrome
Nothing new about “Aye Ram; Gaye Ram” syndrome on grand display!
Winston Churchill stated “Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; and others their principles for the sake of another party.” Thomas Jefferson stated “Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, rottenness begins in his conduct.” Charles de Gaulle also stated “In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.
Such were the realities of the Western Countries claiming to be champions of democracy. So, what is happening in India today is only a reflection of the past in other nations. How apt is Nikita Khruschev who stated “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.”
Samuel Johnson stated “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Surely, it is grossly unfair to expect scoundrels to play the game of politics based on rules, when the winner takes all the power, wealth, perks and privileges that goes with the elected office. Most apt, “a politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country” stated Texas Guinan.
Who is responsible for the current absurd state of democracy in India? The blame squarely rests at the door steps of the founding fathers of the Constitution and also the Judiciary. Ironic but true that the founding fathers failed to appreciate crooks and criminals may one day hijack democracy in posterity. Ironic but true, that the “Judiciary”, as the key pillar, turned a blind eye to the murky happenings unfolding over the past 75-years. Surely, the Judiciary could have taken suo moto notice of murky happenings unfolding in the name of democracy and passed strictures.
Never too late for the Judiciary to debar Rajya Sabha MPs like Kesava Rao, who got elected as BRS candidate, to jump onto the Congress Party platform. On reflection, the Rule Book must be amended to debar MPs from Rajya Sabha who change their parties having got elected under another party banner. Rules permitting the Rajya Sabha Disciplinary Committee must debar such individuals. Otherwise the Vice President as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha must debar such individuals. Otherwise, politicians and the judiciary are, therefore, squarely responsible for the perpetuation of democratic disintegration in posterity.
Most significantly, there is nothing new about “Aye Ram; Gaye Ram” syndrome! P.J. O'Rourke is truly relevant today in India: “When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators
Samuel Johnson stated “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Surely, it is grossly unfair to expect scoundrels to play the game of politics based on ethics, values and morals, when the winner takes all the power, wealth, perks and privileges that goes with the elected office.
Viewed in the context of ruminations of emeritus political scientists acclaimed as intellectual’s par excellence, political leaders and parties in India in pursuit of power, wealth and status are only employing populist appeasement policies with utter disregard to national bankruptcy and pseudo secularism to consolidate and advance vote banks by polarization on narrow sectarian lines.
National unity, an essential prerequisite of safeguarding national security interests, is, therefore, a forlorn hope in posterity.
Ipso facto, Indian democracy today appears outrageous. Prof. Gunnar Myrdal appropriately termed India’s Democracy as ‘functional anarchy’ way back in 1968. In the past 75-years, India’s parliamentary democracy, socialism and secularism developed distortions. Socialism - command economy, labor intensive path and license raj - abandoned since early 1990’s. Pseudo secularism is under threat from right-wing polarization also from the early 1980s. More importantly, democracy appears mutilated beyond recognition. NAM has collapsed. Soaring unemployment is due to population explosion and demographic identity crises. The need for mid-course review is recognized by leaders and political parties, but stands opposed due to devious political mileage – status quo ante best suits them.
Also, let none suffer from any illusions that all the “Four Pillars” are in deep crisis. And, the reason is simple – lack of understanding of the nature and character of politics in practice. Intellectual bankruptcy of the majority of the “We the People”, who get carried away by emotions and sentiments due to jingoistic rhetoric by leaders, is the root cause. Leaders are not as yet civilized to deserve democracy.
Competitive authoritarianism or autocratization or dysfunctional democracy and so on are some of the clichés in vogue concerning dramatic transformations sweeping different parts of the world. Which one of the clichés in vogue today is appropriate to India?
Authoritarianism and autocratization can be traced to Indira Gandhi – 1975-77 Emergency. What followed thereafter is “Dynastic Inheritance” of political power at all costs – High Command Culture. Political parties virtually abandoned liberal-left centric policies.
After the early 1980’s, the rise of the right-wing on communal basis became a reality. It is the direct fallout of “Neo-Dynastic” rule pursuing minority appeasement policies. Add to it, the absolute lack of internal democracy of political parties and the role of sycophants!
Its reaction is populist nationalism and polarization of the majority community by design. And, populist leaders claim to represent the right-wing majority better than any other liberal political leader in the past with their minority appeasement vote-bank politics. The populist leader asserts that he alone knows the will of the majority. Populist politicians regularly mobilize the people in righteous anger against enemies. Finally, populism concentrates authority in the charismatic leader. Policy in a populist regime is thus a reflection of the leader—whether of his ideological commitments or his whims. Critics become enemies, constitutional constraints become obstacles to democracy, and the tyranny of the majority becomes a virtue, not a vice. No wonder bureaucrats and institutions toe the line of the boss.
In retrospect, rather than any one of the hues mentioned above, India appears to be headed toward endemic regime instability. Such a scenario would be marked by frequent constitutional crises, including contested or stolen elections and severe conflict between contesting political regimes – Executive and Legislatures at both the Central and State governments – Judiciary and the Media.
The “Dynast” category represents aristocratic republican thought - a constitution based on a mixed government of democracy, aristocracy and monarchy somehow balancing the interests of the many, the few and the one for promoting the good of all - public good. As per their view, the function of the people is not to rule, but choose leaders competent to govern the entire polity. Leaders exclusively serve the ‘one’; yet, balance others interests. Perhaps, Ram Jethmalani barbs 'Without any qualifications whatsoever, Sonia Gandhi fancies herself as an uncrowned empress of India and has psychologically best represented the Congress Party ideological posture.
By contrast, the democratic republican thought includes: no fear of the people or the many, but the few and the ‘one’. For them, the ‘public good’ does not consist of balancing the interests of the many with few and the ‘one’, but the welfare of the people or many. They adopt a mix of the old with the Montesquieu idea of constitutional and institutional separation of powers – legislative, executive and judicial with each serving as a check on the others.
Lesson of India’s history is simple: under strong leadership India prospered; under self centric and divided leadership, Indian regimes disintegrated and paved the way for alien rule.
That is why “We the People” need to understand that India is at the cross-roads of democracy: “Aristocratic Republican Thought” or stay on course to “Democratic Republican Thought” paving the way for a high-breed model of democracy appropriate to India’s damning socio-cultural tapestry and chemistry. Never too late for the constitution of a “High-Level Commission headed by a team of Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and Election Commission” to suggest the framework of the “Second Republic” for the legislature to adopt and the President to confirm.
0 Comments