Daily Fix
Self-Inflicted Wounds:
India`s 2014 Election
T. SHER SINGH
Half a billion Indians have spoken. And have elected a new government.
Recognizing that the misery of their lives had only increased under the current rulers, they exercised their franchise in the only way they could.
So, given a choice between two groups -- and no real options -- each with a clear history of genocidal tendencies, they threw out the incumbent and embraced the other.
The latter’s self-proclaimed plans portend even worse than anything the country has seen in its 67 years of existence, but the writing on the wall has been carefully white-washed under a wide brush-stroke of Hindutva -- an appeal to religious prurience -- and the promise of a more ‘business-friendly’ environment.
Two thoughts come to mind on this ominous day.
First, it is worth noting that this is the first time in history -- the entire span of human history -- that a people used to perennial slavery and who identify themselves as “Hindus” have found themselves with untrammelled power over such a large swath of territory on the subcontinent.
The absoluteness of the ‘majority’ control handed to the right-wing BJP/RSS alliance by a people desperate for relief, is the very same one we have been warned about by our elders: “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.”
Especially when it is handed to a people who have no history of handling power, leave alone handling it with foresight and vision…
I am afraid we’re going to see an escalation of the same anarchy that has already become the hall-mark of a country minted less than seven decades ago.
Drunk with unbridled power -- yes, they’ve been handed absolute power because the size of the majority they’ve been handed makes it unnecessary for them to pay heed to any other interests, even their own friends, supporters and allies -- they will have no time to spare for thought or long-term strategy, no patience for nay-sayers or voices of reason or advocates for a measured approach to things.
All of these are classic ingredients of anarchy. A recipe for chaos.
That brings me to the second concern that begs our attention.
The mantra of the victors is that the country is open for business.
That India is now “Pro-Business”.
Of course it is.
It is pro-business the way George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were pro-business when they bull-dozed their way into oil-rich Iraq and handed the keys of the kingdom to the likes of Halliburton Company.
It is pro-business the way Enron was pro-business and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were pro-business. And how their ilk brought the economies of the world down on their knees.
It is pro-business in exactly how New Delhi’s Commonwealth Games were pro-business.
I don’t know about you, but within this new, ‘pro-business’ context, I see Narendra Modi as a mere front man, not particularly bright, neither exceptional nor extraordinary. But yes, extremely supple and malleable ... and ever ready, able and willing to be handled by his betters.
Look at the election itself. In a country of incompetents, it was run with an efficiency which has got even the Republicans scratching their heads in pure, unadulterated awe.
What created this efficiency was the unlimited supply of lubrication. The lubrication that comes with an unlimited supply of money.
Corporate money.
Corporate money is not charity. It demands returns.
“Dividends”, to use their own parlance.
The election is over. The voters have been courted and wooed and seduced. It is time now for the 1.2 billion inconvenient plebians to step aside and make way for … B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S.
That’s what it means to be pro-business, a la India.
And the West, which is built on disposable ethics and values, is a willing accomplice to any and every corporate game … as long as the pay-back is above the prime-rate.
So, there you go.
The games are about to begin.
So, am I saying that all is lost?
Not really.
Wealth is finite. Ali Baba’s cave, no matter how high it is piled with booty, is finite.
How long does it take to plunder a country?
The India of old kept invaders busy for centuries. But now we live in a fast paced, cyber-powered world where plunder travels across continents in nano-seconds. Nothing gets produced any more, no materials need to be packaged and transported, no property needs to transacted. Money changes hands, nevertheless, and doesn’t rest until it has reached the pockets of the select few.
Indians have elected, in their unique brand of democracy, these latest bunch of marauders. Therefore, they deserve all that comes with the pleasure.
Let the games begin.
Ultimately, only good can come out of it.
Remember, Phoenix can’t rise but from the ashes.
May 16, 2014
Conversation about this article
1: Karnail Singh (Mumbai, India), May 16, 2014, 5:57 PM.
A new fear has gripped this country these last few weeks. It is palpable today. A little-covered story in the media: gun sales have recently hit all-time record levels.
2: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), May 16, 2014, 6:34 PM.
Indeed, these are self-inflicted wounds and needn't be, shouldn't be, allowed to fester. But, at least they got rid of the disease of the dynastic rulers. Perhaps on stock-taking, the seeding operation done by the Aam Aadmi Party may ultimately give birth to the Phoenix which is to rise from the ashes one day. Guru Nanak did that. His AAP began with only him and his rababi, Mardana.
3: Dr Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), May 17, 2014, 9:11 AM.
The commentary so far on the electoral victory of Mr. Modi has been, in my humble opinion - "Fear of the unknown". We don't know how Mr. Modi is going to govern the Indian Nation! We don't know what his policies are going to be! Why don't we wait until the dust settles down and see in which direction the Indian Nation heads! It is only fair that we give an honest chance to the newly elected government in India to set up shop and start governing the nation in the fashion they think best and then criticism of any of their irresponsible policies will be credible ... I wish Mr. Modi and his newly elected government all the best and hopefully they will prove to be good for the whole country.
4: Beant Singh (Chicago, Illinois, USA), May 17, 2014, 9:35 AM.
This election has re-affirmed what Punjabis have stated all along: Punjab is culturally and ideologically distinct from the rest of India. Punjabis have rejected the Hindutva fervor that has swept the rest of the nation. Only in Punjab's fertile soil has the anti-corruption campaign of the AAP been able to sprout roots.
5: Gurteg Singh (New York, USA), May 18, 2014, 1:26 PM.
One set of crooks in khaadi have been replaced by another set of crooks in saffron. Nobody should be fooled with a softer and "inclusive" tone for public consumption with a few minorities in high profile, token roles. These followers of Chanakaya will induct RSS ideology and spread their tentacles far and wide in every facet of Indian political, economic and military establishment with a very aggressive dose of Hindutava agenda designed to absorb the separate identity of minorities -- especially Sikhs.
6: R.S. Minhas (Millburn, New Jersey, USA), May 18, 2014, 2:40 PM.
BJP is backed by the RSS which is a paramilitary organization with 40 million members and about 40000 offices. This number is expected to go up after this result. The ideology praises Hitler and even their solute differs from the Nazi solute in only the angle of the forearm. While congress provided a corrupt dynastic system, the RSS wrath has so far focused mostly on the Muslim minority and Christian missionaries. Modi and his master strategist Amit Shah both have serious murder charges and monitored opposition - things for which Nixon had to resign in the US. The New Republic has published the account of indologist and historian William Dalrymple about this (http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117793/narendra-modi-indias-new-prime-minister-neo-fascist-or-reformer). The earlier cadres of BJP and Jan Sangha were not as sophisticated as the present ones. This campaign had spin rooms, smear campaigns and 3D holograms making speeches. Intentional hate speech to polarize the electorate against a minority was used days before polling in the critical state of Uttar Pradesh. Discussions on the internet were monitored and smearing comments, like the obvious, identical, cut-and-paste ones on all popular websites made to discredit the opposition. Without a balance of power or in the absence of proper checks and balances, life for dissenting opinions or those who do not fit in can become difficult. These politicians are capable of anything to win elections, which is dangerous but interesting.