Disclaimer — Brutally honest.
“Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birth right of all”, were the words of the legendary martyr Bhagat Singh. But are we free; in the 21st century?
The economic divide between rich and poor in India is worse than the British period. This might not be alarming to many people but for those who are cognisant of developing a deeper-understanding through subtle hints such as these, it is ringing alarm bells.
Let’s step back and analyse this situation. Many of the laws in our penal code are still reminders of British Legacy (Changing the name of the book doesn’t change the content). Many of our judicial institutions and bureaucracy-dependent institutions are still reeking of colonialism. A trivial but potentially profound observation is the prevalence of the “sir” culture. I can summarise all of this through humour and say the following story:
The British came to India and told Indians, hey there fellas, would you like to play a game? It’s called Servants-Master. And Indians said, hey look at these Aliens! Wouldn’t it be fun to play a game with them!! And then they played a game of slave and masters for almost 2 centuries. But then some Indians said, okay we are now bored with this game. Actually we have understood the game well enough and don’t need you anymore. Go home. Please! And the British said, OK! And then Indians created their own game of economic-servitude.
Now let’s understand this game. It is a game where you can play the role of both the servant and master in your lifetime. A person from a poor family is obligated to keep his/her head down to the needs of the people more affluent than them. A young employee has to hustle his way in to the company. But once they get powerful enough, they become the masters. “Now you call me Sir and you work 100 hours”. Some privileged people would never get to play servants as they are well-off and some poor people will never become masters. But, for many the game is of a dual nature.
Hats off to the EIC for messing up all our institutions so badly that many have not even realised the extent of the problem, let alone find solutions. An educated mind is still a danger to the society. Because it asks questions. These are not arrogant, destructive questions. They are polite and apt, and force many to think. But, if everyone starts thinking, the game fails. The rules of the game don’t allow thinking. So the hierarchy favours people with degrees and not people who are educated.
So are we truly free? Do we care about learning, not just through text-books, but through experience? Can we indiscriminately learn esoteric but important things like anthropology, gender studies, astronomy? Are government jobs a way out of the servant-culture; because the servants are tired of being servants and want to become masters for once? Why do we have to call people “sir” to get the job done? Why are people who ask questions ridiculed? Why is sycophancy rampantly rewarded in young Indian professionals? Are we free to speak an honest truth albeit politely, creatively, and insightfully?
And finally, is this the India our freedom-fighters envisioned; and sacrificed their life for?
Leave a Reply