India-A phoenix in slumber

Gandhi said on the eve of independence, “Independence must begin at the bottom. … every village has to be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs even to the extent of defending itself against the whole world.”

Standing amidst the devastation wrecked on Mumbai after the recent terrorist attacks, an ordinary citizen exclaimed in exasperation that she would rather every Mumbaiker stopped giving their taxes to the government and instead used it themselves for the progress and defence of their city. She was thus lamenting the helplessness of the common man and the complete lack of accountability and transparency in the functioning of the central and state governments.

In vain, we expect cosmetic fixes like resignation of the Home Minister or even the installation of a new party at the helm to instill fresh life into the anachronistic system. Even an ostrich burying its head in the sand will laugh at our naiveté.

We must strike at the root of the problem. The solution is to usher in peacefully a decentralized democracy that will bring real power to the people. Imagine a system of governance where every citizen has the power to make decisions that affect him directly like water, food, electricity, roads, security, healthcare, etc. Imagine every street in India clean, secure, and well lit with no signs of desperation or dehumanising poverty. No corruption, no slums, no ostentatious display of wealth while people die of hunger, no obesity or sloth or depression or anxiety but a sharing conscientious society that is content and has no communal or parochial inclinations. There will still be inequality in that there will be some who are richer than others but there will not be anyone without dignity. There will not be any beggars nor will the rich indulge in mindless philanthropy that is self-serving. The more privileged (in terms of wealth, education or any asset) will be humble custodians ever ready to serve the less privileged but the right to private property will be preserved. There will be healthy debates, diversity will be encouraged, differences upheld and unity preserved.

Would you decry this as an utopia, unattainable and unrealistic? Would you rather preserve the status quo until we sink into more depravity, violence, and finally the crumbling of the very society whose fabric we wish to protect and enrich? Would you for fear of the unknown hold on to the present stalemate and refuse to move your cheese?

Let us start our political reforms. Let us begin to understand the dreams that Gandhi envisaged for India. Let us bring the government to the people. From the ashes of Mumbai, let us rise.