A new story for India
We must rise above our differences, not only to fight terrorism but also to shape an inclusive India. Healthy democracies require not just elections but also dialogues to reconcile differences, says Arun Maira.
HOW will the terrible events in Mumbai change the India story? An immediate effect was to unite Mumbaikers, overcoming the divisiveness that Raj Thakeray had begun to poison the city with. We are all Indians, and we will not let such dastardly attacks shake our country, many people said. Yes, we are all Indians. But what do we want Indias story to be? Undoubtedly, we want to be free from terror in our country, as did US citizens after 9/11. The US seems to have achieved that freedom. But since 9/11 the US has also struggled with the larger question of what was happening to the American dream of an inclusive, democratic society. In fact, the election that Barrack Obama won was a contest about a better vision for America.
Even before the terrorists struck Mumbai, and even before the global financial crisis, well-wishers of India were asking what India would be like in the next 20 years. Strains within Indian society and the economy had become visible. Violent conflicts between people of different religions, languages and castes, were on the increase. Acquisition of land for industry was becoming contentious as farmers demanded a better share in Indias growth story. Hence the need for a more inclusive and sustainable model of development is evident.
Against this backdrop, safety from terror which is non-negotiable of course, cannot be a sufficient vision for the country. We may want the terror to be shut out so that we can carry on our lives the way we were. However, India cannot carry on the way it is going. Therefore, the larger question of what we want India to be must be confronted.
Some scenarists, who examined the alternative paths Indias future may take, said that India has become a BollyWorld. In the last ten years, the India story has become a combination of increasing glamour and increasing violence like a Bollywood block-buster. On one hand some Indians have become very rich and they flout their wealth too, unlike in the pre-nineties era. At the same time violence is increasing within the country.
In his book, Supercapitalism, Robert Reich, formerly a member of President Clintons Cabinet, points out that the wealth of two individuals in the USBill Gates and Warren Buffetequals the wealth of one hundred million poor Americans. Now India boasts that its richest people are getting into the same league as the richest elsewhere. Therefore one must wonder how many hundreds of millions of poor Indians wealth will equal the wealth of the richest Indians. Reich does not grudge Gates and Buffet their wealth. But he wonders whether a system that can result in such huge disparities can be a fair system. It is a question many ask about India too.
Violence associated with the many internal tensions within India is increasing. Muslim and Hindu terrorism, brutal attacks on Christians, and the Naxal movement in many states are only some of its manifestations. (The externally planned attacks on Mumbai may also have some connections with internal issues.) Moreover, violence in other forms besides terrorism is increasing and affecting civil life. Armed robberies, road rage, and crimes against women are increasing. The well-off are becoming increasingly insecure. In fact, the fastest growing service industry in India is private security. With their own security, within their gated communities, the rich can try and shut out the disorder and violence outside. But it will continue to boil.
THE scenarists who described the BollyWorld story of India say it is not sustainable because it is not inclusive. Therefore they analysed two other plausible stories for Indias future. They called one Atakta Bharat. In this story, mounting internal problems, combined with complications of electoral politics, result in Indias progress stalling. The Centre tries to impose order but cannot. This is a dangerous story because the masses of young people joining the workforce will not find employment and will fuel the fires of unrest.
The third story, which Indians must strive for, is called Pahale India. This story is based on an enlarging movement of people across the country who begin to put India first, who work with others, and apply themselves to make a difference. They do not wait for politicians to change, nor wait for one strong leader to emerge. This story is based on the recognition that India is the most diverse and complex country in the world. The theory of complex self-adaptive systems says that systems with great diversity cannot be controlled from a single centre. Therefore change in India will be brought about by many hundreds of thousands of people who take initiatives in local centres of action towards a shared vision.
The picture that brings this story to life is Fireflies Arising. It is a picture of a dark, hot, summer night in the Indian countryside. Little fireflies arise out of the surrounding darkness. Their numbers increase. Soon the night is shining. The first fireflies that arise in this scenario are the leaders who take the first steps towards what they deeply care about in ways that others wish to follow.
Analysis by these scenarists revealed the forces that must be strengthened to produce the story of Pahale India with Fireflies Arising. They include provision of relevant knowledge to children and women through new technology; stimulation of local initiatives; and propagation of new models and skills of leadership not based on top-down authority.
Barack Obama says that the USAs challenges have grown too big for the smallness of its politics. He says US politics needs a way to rise above party lines for the sake of the nation. What shall we say about India then? The challenges before us are much bigger and our need for a better way is much greater. India needs a consensus about the philosophy that will take it to its tryst with destiny. In the next few months Indians will vote again for the government they want. However, healthy democracies require not just elections. They also require dialogues to reconcile differences. We must rise above our differences, not only to fight terrorism, but also to shape an inclusive India. Do we want BollyWorld, Atakta Bharat, or Pahale India?