IDENTITY POLITICS – IT’S UTILITY, MISUSE AND SIGNIFICANCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY INDIAN SCENARIO

Identity politics which lies at the core of contemporary Indian political reality is neither all bad, nor all good. It provides a means to a change, as it engineers Dalit and OBC consciousness, and thus makes these communities more vigilant and assertive for their rights and clout. It is also a vent for man’s eternal psychological need for identification and association’, and thus takes out his negative energies in less destructive and more sophisticated manner. Though it hopelessly fragments India socially and politically, but at the same time it can also be seen as a necessary phase in the process of India’s social evolution.  

India is the land of conflicting diversities, which conciliate in an uneasy yet harmonious agreement, to form together a mosaic of marvelous, wondrous and bewildering social fabric – and it is an experiment which is miraculous, and an enigma, which has proved itself time and again, as and when the need has arisen. Amidst this amazing diversity, lies the issue of identity politics – the hallmark of current Indian political set up – a realism which has been enforced by the country’s socio-cultural diversity, in conjunction with the prevailing political opportunism and the by and large immature, emotive and tender psychological status of the Indian electorate.

However identity politics is a mixed blessing. While many argue against it’s need in an India, which has theoretically long ago abolished caste system and divisive regionalism, and adapted egalitarianism as the basis of it’s socio-economic philosophy.  There are still others who question the kind of secularism, which identity politics constructs, where religious-communal identities of individuals instead of dissolving become all the more important.

While these points have substantial levels of truths in them, but they miss out the essence of the story, the uniqueness of India’s social demography. India is a country not only with a maddening diversity, which the lawmakers and administrators have to manage, but also the home to one of the most ancient and widespread forms of hereditary social hierarchical order, which has over the millennia completely destroyed the functioning of egalitarianism, and hence created deep scars in society.

What has been wronged will get corrected. This is the natural law of social mechanism. Thus the social transformation we see happening in India (in terms of the rise of Dalits, tribals and OBCs), is a self-correction mechanism, being exercised by the society, which is being catalyzed by social democracy, consciousness among the people and by other ‘instruments of modernisation’. These changes will entail phases of reverse discrimination, rise of casteism, corruption becoming rampant (as the poor castes for the first time taste power, wealth and ways & means of civilization). But these are temporary glitches. These are the milestones on the royal highway to destination, which lie on the rougher side. These are building blocks to success and construction of a new society.

Similarly the so called stone-age secularism has it’s advantages. Since the majority community of India is largely secular and liberal, and usually does not give in to communal attitudes, so in this situation the votes of minority communities become important, and the government can never ever write them off. Although it has it’s negative fallout as well. Since among Muslims – the chief minority community of India – the clout of orthodoxy is still very strong, so at times government in order to garner minority votes legislate policies, which institute regressive secularism, and hence take the minorities backwards, into dogmatic laws and orthodoxy, which are not at all in tune with modern rational thinking.

Regionalism can also be healthy, if not blown out of proportion. The premise is, if you love the part, only then can you love the whole truly. So a person who loves his region or his province and also loves it as a part of the nation, is doing nothing which violates the principles of constitutional morality. Our social life begins from our homes, the most fundamental unit, and then goes up to neighbourhood, city/town/village, region, state and finally up to the nation level. It is the movement from basics to the higher ups, which is perfectly in tune with logical thinking.

Moreover, regional affiliation should be treated as a very legal and justified sub-national identity. Nation is too remote for most of the people, so their nationalism begins with their village, town, region or state.

As India moves deeper into the 21^st century, it has to dump out some of it’s past baggage. But this can not happen all at once. There will be a transitional phase, which would be painful, stressful and inconvenience- causing. So it is an inevitable part of the process, a necessary evil. It is for us to make this change as smooth as possible.

When the new order comes, it does not mean the end of problems. There will always be problems. Different types of problems, of different nature. But this fight, struggle has to go on. An individual’s life is about continuous confrontation with challenges and meeting them with boldness and combating them. The story of human civilization is not much different.  

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SOCIO-CAPITALISM, CASTE DESTRUCTION AND STIFFER NATIONHOOD – THREE PILLS WHICH CAN CURE INDIA

SOCIO-CAPITALISM, CASTE DESTRUCTION AND STIFFER NATIONHOOD – THREE PILLS WHICH CAN CURE INDIA

India is growing - socially, economically and politically. However it has a long way to go before it can become a glaring example for the world or even for some of the developing countries. Here is a look, from a macro level, at what it needs to do -internally and externally  - to clean up it’s act and emerge as strong contendor for the super  power status.

Things which drag down India are - chronic poverty, which manifests itself in massive unemployment, hunger and malnutrition; high levels of corruption at all the institutional levels; divisiveness which usually takes the form of identity politics, mostly in terms of caste and region, but at times of religio-communal nature. And, externally,it’s confused and indecisive approach in countering external threats like terrorism and bullying tactics by it’s giant eastern neighbour.

India needs a far sighted approach to deal with these issues. The first and foremost, it needs a judicious blend of Socialism and Capitalism. We need the development and proliferation of the private sector in some non-priority areas. We need innovation and free growth.

But the prosperity so created should be encashed for public welfare. Government should get more and more money out of surging corporate tax and other direct and indirect tax collexctions. This wealth should be more and more spent on social infrastructure like health and education.

Income and prosperity should not merely percolate down to the lower levels. Rather such a comprehensive arrangement of transformation effected so that the entire national community gets involved, grows and prospers. We need various projects, massive in their size, differing in their nature and type of industry, but linked to each other in a co-ordinated manner, so that they reinforce and strengthen each other leading to a sound, deep and highly stable economic revolution.

But things will become pointless if the hydra headed demon of corruption is allowed to hold sway. We need a very honest man at the top, who selects his efficient and committed team, and they together overhaul the entire functional mechanism of our country. This sounds difficult, but is certainly attainable, if there is a will, and conditions are created in that manner.

Then there is the problem of social inequality as the ugly manifsetation of caste system of yore. Here too we need radical measures. The destruction of caste means destroying it’s inequalities and not necessarily caste itself. But it is clear, once caste inequalities are destroyed, caste will automatically cease to be the pet obsession of Indian masses.

Already we see caste equations changing in various Indian states like UP, Bihar, and others. The legislation of Mandal Commission has indeed empowered the backward castes like never before. However more changes at the grassroot levels need to be enforced. The selection of labours for various development projects like construction of national highways, and the recruitment to mills and factories, at the lower levels, must give preference to dalits, tribals, backward castes, poor among the minorities and upper castes.

Moreover, a massive movement and social crusade against voting for candidates of one’s own castes in the elections, and favouring only one’s own caste members, should be launched. Caste destruction should not merely mean ending inequalities but even purging casteist mentality from the minds of the people.

Finally we need a strong and firm India. In the recent wikileaks expose, it was discovered that US officials were calling India a spineless country, and were denigrating it’s response to terror threats from Pakistan as weak, indecisive and confused. India certainly needs a more pro-active policy towards both it’s western as well as eastern neighbour. India needs to be prepared for even a war with Pakistan and China. It must be well prepared for that, militarily and diplomatically. Fearing is not the right thing. We may be righteous and fair, but if we fear our neighbours of their bullying, we would be reckoned as cowards, which is worse than being an aggressor.

Only an India, which is equal, free, prosperous and fearless can do justice to it’s glorious heritage and it’s vastness, hugeness and greatness.

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