Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Politics of Convenience in a Society that Lacks Conviction


 For me Indus Valley civilization has always been a combination of contrasts. It preached about its glorious past and practiced a convenient philosophy devoid of the values it took pride in. So much so that of late this contrast started taking shape of a culture ridden with hypocrisy.  

Cut One :Few days ago Pakistan Govt passed a resolution, condemning Afzal Guru's hanging. India reacted strongly. After all it is a democratic govt which had punished the perpetrator of terror. What right Pakistan had to protest? Fair Enough .A week later, DMK, the allies of ruling party walks out of the Govt in protest against atrocities against Tamils in Srilanka , leaving a nation walking on a financial tightrope exposed to naked horse trading or downgrading by rating agencies that will lead to financial strangulation. Foreign policies are by product of century old treaties & conventions and have a legacy. They must be left in the hands of experts .Using them for political mileage is a dangerous proposition. Yes as a democratic so called super power India can talk to Sri Lanka, but why pass a resolution with the term "genocide" used in it. After all the Sri Lankan Govt is also a democratic govt which is ruling by majority. India has its own house to put in order before it starts preaching others and souring relationship with strategic partners. Why the entire world was a silent spectator when USA was violating human rights left, right & centre.  What next … we will sniff our ties with Bangadesh on Teesta river, with China on some other issue. I completely agree that India must play a proactive and vital role in maintaining pace & human rights in the South – East Asia Pacific region, but that must be through continuous dialogue.



Cut : Two A girl in Delhi, is brutally raped and killed, the nation erupts, its psyche brutalized.  Common men expected a political renaissance and a change in attitude towards women. A committee was formed, which acted promptly to recommend some pivotal changes in the judicial system. Three month later we made a mockery of the death of that Girl in the parliament by debating for a week on the age of consensual sex. Some of our eminent and shameless ministers also gave example of Shila’s and Munni’s to drive home their point that eve teasing is a socially acceptable practice.  We epitomized the dead girl as “Nirbhaya” and conveniently went back to our “Nirlaja” way of functioning.

For us “means” no more justify the “end”. As we keep treading on a path of convenience than of conviction, future looks bleak. The only saving grace is the future generation, which seems much more aware and upright about what it wants and how it wants.