India At The Crossroads

This may seem like an alarmist and premature statement, but I believe this chaotic land of diverse languages, cultures and skin tones, that we call India, is under attack - not by an outside power, but from within. Let me explain. In my opinion, the real miracle of modern India is that - in spite of apathy, corruption and gross misgovernance - it remains not only a single nation, but a functioning democracy. This miracle has been achieved by defying history. For millennia, India was a loose conglomeration of warring kingdoms, condemned to inhabit adjoining space. The few times India has achieved a sort of unity was under the dictatorship of conquerors, Mughal and British. In the 60 years of its existence, independent India has muddled through and - overcoming the obstacles of a deeply entrenched caste system and regional rivalries - managed to retain its identity as one nation. Our Bharat (India) may not, in reality, be very mahan (great), but it is still held up as a shining success compared to its failed neighbors, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma.

Now Raj Thackeray (leader of a small time political party in Mumbai, who wants local jobs to be reserved exclusively for locals) has let loose a serpent in Maharashtra that has already started spewing its insidious venom in other states. There are already reports of people in Bihar and West Bengal being influenced by his jingoism. I read that Thackeray has publicly asked Sonia Gandhi to send the 25 lakh Biharis, presently residing in Maharashtra, back to Bihar. It is obvious that Raj Thackeray is not going to give up his sons-of-the-soil tirade anytime soon. How can he? He and his Maharashtra Nivnarman Sena (MNS) have no other political issue of any significance. His party is actually feeding on the indignation and revulsion of right thinking citizens. The more intellectuals and those who are concerned about their nation demonize him, the more he grows in stature. Till a month ago, hardly anyone outside Mumbai and a few towns in Maharashtra had even heard of Raj Thackeray and his MNS. Now they have become household names all over India.

Thackeray, however, may be riding a tiger he may find difficult to control and one, moreover, that may turn around and maul him. We already have Narendra Modi in Gujarat formulating division of Hindus and Muslims, as a state policy. As I mentioned before, India is, historically, a fertile breeding ground for parochial politics. If this us-vs.-them agitation takes hold nationally, we may be in for a period of prolonged instability - not to mention widespread threats to life and property. And one can be reasonably certain that the big boys of our main political parties - including Thackeray's parent Shiv Sena - will take authorship of this idea and claim it as their own. Raj Thackeray may well find himself cast into the dustbin of history.

Raj Thackeray may have his own compulsions to pursue his dangerous gambit, but what I find particularly reprehensible is the lukewarm and apathetic reaction of the governments in power - both Central and State. We have already been treated to the farce of Thackeray's ‘arrest' and immediate release by the state government. The pathetic excuse given for this craven behavior is that the state government was apprehensive that Thackeray's continued detention would cause a law and order situation. It is like admitting that the government machinery is impotent against bullies and threats. And why are Mumbai's taxpayers shelling out hundreds of crores (billions) to maintain a behemoth police force, if it cannot even protect our lives and properties against some unruly mobs armed with little more than sticks? This is the same police force, remember, that effortlessly positions a havaldar (police officer) every 30 meters (100 ft) in an unbroken chain from Colaba to Santa Cruz (a distance of 20 miles)- in a farcical show of providing security - every time a VVIP visits the city. Yet, they feel the need to call in reinforcements to handle groups of hooligans.

The Central government does not score much better either. Even now, despite a flagrant challenge to its authority, it is dithering and working out political equations, rather than perform the task it was elected to do - protect the nation. Perhaps the gravity of the situation is not yet apparent to them. I sincerely hope - for the sake of this country we have come to tolerate; and even love - that they rouse themselves from their slumber before it is too late.