By Pradeep Kumar

Amidst growing "intolerance" in India, the resplendent diversity seems like an obstacle to its unity, like in U.S, U.K. and every other capitalistic nation of the world.

As the diversity flourishes, the demands of every sect seem more differential and unique that fetches the interests of that particular community. Owing to that the government seems bound to cater those demands in a country of diverse cultures and religions.

However, being incompatible with communism, in such a system, this diversity would simply be annihilated. Even to a capitalist’s mind these differences are nothing more than an inconvenience that needs gradual and sure recession.

Despite these misgivings of other nations; like the Lotus, the patron flower of our nation, India finds middle ground where the differences of language, class, race, colour, culture, religion, dress, etc. don’t contradict but complement each other.

Osho, India’s mystic Guru said once: “Without the British rule in India, there would be no Mahatma Gandhi.”

In another outreach, Osho quoted the enigmatic Kabir as saying to people that the river is on fire; “Nadi mei aag lagi hai”. “These great men could not survive in any country outside India. Let me add that they did not wish to live in any country other than India.”

Traditionally India has never considered its diversity and mutual differences to be an obstacle. It is a gift that the Almighty sought fit to grant to this land on the planet.

The recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir have proved the triumphant voice of the masses. It has reinforced the truth that a commitment to heralding our diversity in a democratic vein can transform our differences from a source of political game playing to a source of enduring strength.

Even discounting journalistic overstatements and oversimplification, India’s democracy has succeeded against gigantic odds for the last seven decades. Democracy taking root in India amid widespread starvation gifted by the British raj in 1947 was a miracle in itself.

India strived upward in the face of the mountain of illiteracy, poverty, political upheaval and interference of foreign powers to their own conniving advantage that it needed to overcome. The times tried us; and through the trials we overcame.

The western nations stipulated certain indispensible preconditions for a democracy to survive.

India fulfils none of these requirements. India, therefore has defied all the clichés, only to prove that our democracy is the most hard won and hard to run democracy in the world. The entire western world is baffled at the thought. They cannot understand how we are a reality that defies reason.

They say a government is only as good as its people. This universally accepted truth has resonance in India. Indians are famous worldwide for being able to do the impossible. The splendour of the inexplicable working of this largest democracy in the world lies in the following:

In India a few realities run concurrently, between which extremities, a delicate balance has always to be struck and re-struck:

World power players like the U.S.A., Britain, World Bank, International NGO’s etc. have reiterated time out of number that no electoral democracy can survive without protecting the interests of the powerful. India defied this universally accepted notion by becoming the only nation that has a minority’s commission, a reservation system, and a consistent history of non-exclusion of weaker groups in any sphere of national decision making. Much unlike Pakistan and the like, India has a free and overly unfettered media. Unlike China and the like, the freedom of speech and freedom of religion find ample space in India. Unlike in U.S, minorities enjoy greater facilities and the Central Government is accused of going out on a limb to favour the minorities. Unlike Britain, the Central Government will bend over backwards to promote the growth of the scheduled categories of its citizens.

India is often faulted for overly indulging the whims of the State Governments. This is not merely an accusation. Records show that throughout its 68 years of independence, India has knowingly slowed her economic growth by giving way to the excessive demands of the integrated States of the Union. By excessive revenue distribution to the States and assigning a large number of subjects within the grasp of which the States may impose and collect taxes, the Union government has slowed the process of poverty alleviation.

This obsessive pampering of the integrated Indian States, by allowing excessive intervention in the economy of the nation, has been criticized by policy makers and legal luminaries of every civilized nation of the world. There’s a lesson to be learned, even though it may not seem palatable.

Though the world marvels at the calibre and celebrates the success of the Indian democracy, we as Indians must strive to uphold and improve it. A democracy is not a freebie. It must be earned. It is a privilege to live under a democratic form of government. But every privilege comes with a duty. Let us analyse and introspect as individuals to define the role each of us plays in facilitating our democracy. Our democracy, our India is a prized gem in its own right. Let us make ourselves worthy of the promises it offers.

Pradeep Kumar is a research scholar on Constitutional Law and writes on Human Rights. He also teaches Law at Mewar University. He can be reached at [email protected]

By Pradeep Kumar

Amidst growing "intolerance" in India, the resplendent diversity seems like an obstacle to its unity, like in U.S, U.K. and every other capitalistic nation of the world.

As the diversity flourishes, the demands of every sect seem more differential and unique that fetches the interests of that particular community. Owing to that the government seems bound to cater those demands in a country of diverse cultures and religions.

However, being incompatible with communism, in such a system, this diversity would simply be annihilated. Even to a capitalist’s mind these differences are nothing more than an inconvenience that needs gradual and sure recession.

Despite these misgivings of other nations; like the Lotus, the patron flower of our nation, India finds middle ground where the differences of language, class, race, colour, culture, religion, dress, etc. don’t contradict but complement each other.

Osho, India’s mystic Guru said once: “Without the British rule in India, there would be no Mahatma Gandhi.”

In another outreach, Osho quoted the enigmatic Kabir as saying to people that the river is on fire; “Nadi mei aag lagi hai”. “These great men could not survive in any country outside India. Let me add that they did not wish to live in any country other than India.”

Traditionally India has never considered its diversity and mutual differences to be an obstacle. It is a gift that the Almighty sought fit to grant to this land on the planet.

The recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir have proved the triumphant voice of the masses. It has reinforced the truth that a commitment to heralding our diversity in a democratic vein can transform our differences from a source of political game playing to a source of enduring strength.

Even discounting journalistic overstatements and oversimplification, India’s democracy has succeeded against gigantic odds for the last seven decades. Democracy taking root in India amid widespread starvation gifted by the British raj in 1947 was a miracle in itself.

India strived upward in the face of the mountain of illiteracy, poverty, political upheaval and interference of foreign powers to their own conniving advantage that it needed to overcome. The times tried us; and through the trials we overcame.

The western nations stipulated certain indispensible preconditions for a democracy to survive.

The country needs to be completely industrialized and a developed one.

The capitalists, businessmen and middle class must fully control the country’s politics.

The country must be, for the most part, ethnically homogeneous.

The power distribution must be negotiated as per stringent western precepts.

The countrymen must rank high on the attributes of civic culture.

India fulfils none of these requirements. India, therefore has defied all the clichés, only to prove that our democracy is the most hard won and hard to run democracy in the world. The entire western world is baffled at the thought. They cannot understand how we are a reality that defies reason.

They say a government is only as good as its people. This universally accepted truth has resonance in India. Indians are famous worldwide for being able to do the impossible. The splendour of the inexplicable working of this largest democracy in the world lies in the following:

The design of political institutions.

Leadership strategies.

The interaction of State and society.

Political role played by diverse welfare groups, etc.

In India a few realities run concurrently, between which extremities, a delicate balance has always to be struck and re-struck:

The forces of Integration and division.

The forces of centralization and decentralization.

The forces of social solidarity and social anarchy.

The forces of communal harmony and terrorist activities.

The forces of life and death.

The forces of faming India and defaming India.

This obsessive pampering of the integrated Indian States, by allowing excessive intervention in the economy of the nation, has been criticized by policy makers and legal luminaries of every civilized nation of the world. There’s a lesson to be learned, even though it may not seem palatable.

Pradeep Kumar is a research scholar on Constitutional Law and writes on Human Rights. He also teaches Law at Mewar University. He can be reached at [email protected]