The occasion of the Independence Day is observed with much fan fare every year and not without good reason. The historic day marked the end of the British colonial rule over India and ushered in the era of a parliamentary democracy giving the people the constitutional right to seek participation in the government. Every year people, from various walks of life, come together in good faith to celebrate this. The long held faith in 'unity in diversity' runs high during such occasions. Celebrations of this sort are important as they remind us of the values for which the nationalist struggle was carried out.
Further, such occasions also offer the critical mind an opportunity to engage in a dialogue and to assess the political and the social concerns of the citizens of India. In the context of TISS, with it being a social sciences institute with a well deserved credibility, it becomes crucial that such discussions too are raised among the students on the occasion of the Independence Day.
For any such assessment it is important to begin with an understanding of how the common people (the aam aadmi in political parlance) live in India. The data published in 2005 by the National Commission for the Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector does not provide a very enthusiastic picture (also in India's common people- Who are they, how many are they and how do they live, EPW, August, 2008). In fact, it suggests that an overwhelming majority of the population, around 85 Crore people, are 'poor and vulnerable' on the basis of their per capita consumption. These results are congruous to the findings of the government's National Sample Survey Organization which suggests that 77% of the population in India has an average monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of Rs.16 per day. On the Human Development Index India has been consistently ranked around 135 over the last few years. This is in contrast to the high growth rates of GDP that the country has seen over the last few years.
Dr. Binayak Sen in a public lecture at TISS last year pointed out that if one looks at the data about nutrition in India one would easily conclude that India is facing a famine like situation. The National Family Health Survey carried out in 2005-06 suggested that 46% of the children below the age three were underweight, 38% were stunted and 19% were wasted.
The condition of the particularly oppressed sections of the society including scheduled castes, scheduled tribe and women is alarming to say the least. The government data (quoted above) suggests that 88% of the SC/ST population of the country forms the bottom most economic group on the basis of Monthly Per Capita Consumption. Further, the cases of the violation of the civil rights of these groups is shameful, to say the least, in a democracy. During 16 years between 1981 to 2000 a total of 3,57,945 cases of crime and atrocities were committed against the SCs. This comes to an annual average of about 22,371 crimes and atrocities per year. In the case of women the condition is all too obvious. Along with a host of societal stigmatization a major lacuna exists in the presence and participation of women in politics and other social arenas.
The World Bank and IMF’s neo-liberal paradigm of economic progress followed by the country from the beginning of the 90s has contributed significantly in creating a crisis that makes the conditions of the vulnerable sections even worse. A combination of moves including the withdrawal of state support for the inputs in agriculture, refusal for conducting large scale land reforms, and forming a market out of essential commodities to be traded freely has created a large scale agrarian crisis reflected in the mind numbing number of farmer suicides. Further, the withdrawal of the state led Public Distribution System and decontrolling of fuel prices has only worsened the condition of the common citizen of the country.
Amidst this the country is seeing the intensification of the Maoist threat, who if successful, envision a single party rule for the country. It is a misconception in the minds of the people that development will placate the Maoists. As is clear in their party programme it is the installation of a single party rule that they are struggling for while refusing that there ever was an instance in the history of the country when it received independence. This inherently negates the only revolutionary gain the people have ever achieved, namely one-person-one-vote. A lack of democracy can never be the hall mark of a self professed emancipatory entity.
The middle class on the other hand is all too comfortable basking in the glory of the imagined ‘super power’ that India is. For them the country is supposedly prospering like never before. This sense of pride both instigates and fuels anti people monstrosities like the Common Wealth Games.
In the face of this, one needs to pause for a moment amongst the Independence Day celebrations and perhaps reflect upon what has transpired in India after independence. The urgent necessity of fighting the colonial domination was strongly channelized into the mobilization of the masses into a struggle. At the same time a significant number of the leadership of the freedom struggle aimed at not just gaining political freedom but also constantly vocalized the necessity of a change in the social structures within India. The vision of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar led to an emphasis on social emancipation and empowerment along with democracy as the founding principles of the constitution. However, a constant recurring of instances of Dalit atrocities, the abuse of tribal rights and oppression of women along with the persistent hunger and utter poverty of the people makes it imperative to deliberate upon the unabated persistence of such social realities in this country.
We invite comments and responses on the state of the nation and seek your participation....
shray mehta
