The other day I read an article in a leading English newspaper’s recently launched weekly edition about how in America the think tanks, universities, the media and lobbying firms influence policy decisions. The article also mentioned about the dearth of quality think tanks in India and how whatever the small number are there in existence have been not a fraction as effective as their counterparts in America in exerting their influence on policy making in India. I started reflecting on causes and one reason that immediately came to my mind was the fact that the average American, or the “common man,” the term so romantically used in India, is more aware and makes efforts to remain informed about what is happening in his or her country. Ask any kid in America about how many states make the United States of America and you will have every one of them giving you the correct answer and most will be able to name each one of them if asked to do so. The average American takes a lot of interest in important matters of public good. This makes the task of generating public opinions easy around a policy. For instance, the surge of public opinion against President Obama’s proposal to hike tax to raise money to cover his proposed health insurance cover for every American compelled his administration to do a rethink.
Now consider this. How many kids in India can correctly answer the number of states and union territories India has, and then name them? Ask your own kid at home and you will know the answer. Why just kids, many grown-ups and educated citizens of India would fumble to give the exact number of states and union territories of India. When this basic knowledge is not there, how can we expect our citizens to know about what is happening that could have potential to affect their lives or the country to which they belong? This lethargy of Indians towards their own nation makes the task of Indian think tanks and independent intelligentsia difficult. The space is then occupied by politicians and bureaucrats and others with vested interests. By means of identity and populous politics, and through the media, they then seek to create impression among general public of groundswell of support for or against some policies or government actions according to how they are suited to their interest. The think tanks and activists become minority and irrelevant in absence of general public taking any interest in matters of governance and human rights. Then there are activists, NGOs and think tanks with questionable credentials and such unscrupulous operators undermine the trust quotient of the genuine activists and voluntary organizations.
We Indians are blessed with a system that allows individual freedom and freedom of expression. In spite of its many flaws, no other systems of governance hold individual liberty as its core value as the system of democracy does. Democracy could be as good or bad as those who work on it and live in it are as good or bad. Other systems of governance could be only bad or worse for the ruled. There is no doubt in mind that those who take to arms against the state in the name of bringing justice to the people end up exploiting, terrorizing the same people they claim to represent. But because of extreme poverty among the large chunk of the Indian population and lack of excess to education, health, basic civic amenities and development in most of rural parts of India, it is easy to mislead the suffering masses in India’s hinterland into believing that the armed struggle would bring prosperity for them.
So wake up Indians before it is too late. Lend your support, time and whatever resources you could afford to those who are working hard to eliminate conditions that spawn and strengthen extremist elements. Today we, the Indians, enjoy the constitution that enshrines the principal of individual freedom but the same freedom will become a curse if we don’t nurture it with a sense of responsibility towards each other, strengthen it with an attitude of reaching out in help to those in need and free it with a determined commitment from corruption, discriminatory social practices and inequity of access. The lack of involvement in matters beyond one’s self and immediate periphery is the root cause of overall decay that has set in the system and which in turn is threatening to tear apart the appliqué that adorn the Indian society.
Now consider this. How many kids in India can correctly answer the number of states and union territories India has, and then name them? Ask your own kid at home and you will know the answer. Why just kids, many grown-ups and educated citizens of India would fumble to give the exact number of states and union territories of India. When this basic knowledge is not there, how can we expect our citizens to know about what is happening that could have potential to affect their lives or the country to which they belong? This lethargy of Indians towards their own nation makes the task of Indian think tanks and independent intelligentsia difficult. The space is then occupied by politicians and bureaucrats and others with vested interests. By means of identity and populous politics, and through the media, they then seek to create impression among general public of groundswell of support for or against some policies or government actions according to how they are suited to their interest. The think tanks and activists become minority and irrelevant in absence of general public taking any interest in matters of governance and human rights. Then there are activists, NGOs and think tanks with questionable credentials and such unscrupulous operators undermine the trust quotient of the genuine activists and voluntary organizations.
We Indians are blessed with a system that allows individual freedom and freedom of expression. In spite of its many flaws, no other systems of governance hold individual liberty as its core value as the system of democracy does. Democracy could be as good or bad as those who work on it and live in it are as good or bad. Other systems of governance could be only bad or worse for the ruled. There is no doubt in mind that those who take to arms against the state in the name of bringing justice to the people end up exploiting, terrorizing the same people they claim to represent. But because of extreme poverty among the large chunk of the Indian population and lack of excess to education, health, basic civic amenities and development in most of rural parts of India, it is easy to mislead the suffering masses in India’s hinterland into believing that the armed struggle would bring prosperity for them.
So wake up Indians before it is too late. Lend your support, time and whatever resources you could afford to those who are working hard to eliminate conditions that spawn and strengthen extremist elements. Today we, the Indians, enjoy the constitution that enshrines the principal of individual freedom but the same freedom will become a curse if we don’t nurture it with a sense of responsibility towards each other, strengthen it with an attitude of reaching out in help to those in need and free it with a determined commitment from corruption, discriminatory social practices and inequity of access. The lack of involvement in matters beyond one’s self and immediate periphery is the root cause of overall decay that has set in the system and which in turn is threatening to tear apart the appliqué that adorn the Indian society.
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