A good State breeds good citizens who in turn breed a good State. So said Aristotle. As is the case with most instances one does not understand the implications of such statements until one is placed in a situation which highlights their importance. While studying as a student, that statement was one of those that sounded genuinely profound but I for one did not understand the full import of it. I have been teaching Aristotle, and for all my conceit which made me believe that I knew what I was talking about, it seems now that even then I did not understand its true significance. But the events of the last few days have finally opened at least a part of my eyes to what deep meaning Aristotle's statement has for all. The culprits again in this instance are the usual suspects, the TRS, the MNS, the Shiv Sena and since Valentine's day is fast approaching we could see action from Sri Rama Sene and the Bajrang Dal. K. Chandrasekhar Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has warned yet again that consequences will be severe and that there would be blood baths if Telangana is not granted in ninety days. The Shiv Sena under the capable leadership of Bal and Udhav Thackeray has ensured that the film My Name is Khan is not screened in Mumbai. The other Thackeray, Raj has been Mumbai for Maharashtriansing for a long time now. But this blog is not a news channel, so I will spare of the details of their wanton acts and get to the root of what all this means.
Starting with the Shiv Sena, the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Samithi) it is very clear that their actions are very clearly impinging on the fundamental rights that are guaranteed to every citizen in India. That means Shah Rukh Khan has the right to say what he did about Pakistani Cricketers and the IPL. To stop the screening of his film on the basis of his utterances ultimately shows the resentment of the Shiv Sena when people use their fundamental right to freedom of speech. Especially so when it militates against their brand of communalism. Communalism also undermines another fundamental right, the one that guarantees everyone the right to follow a religion of their choice. To always target people on the basis of the religion they follow smacks of complete intolerance, which needless to say is very bad for society.
Now that brings me to the basic point of what cripples Indian society and regularly throws up crisis after crisis. Intolerance. There was a time when the country was known to have great tolerance to all things different and that lead to a reasonably peaceful coexistence among the citizens of the country. The situation has now changed quite significantly. The Sri Rama Sene does not 'tolerate' what it thinks is not 'Indian' culture. The same is the case with all the other vigilante groups that are sprouting all over the country. It is saddening to see that there are so many people who seem to think they not what Indian culture is when in reality they are clueless about it. Take the concept of democracy for example. Indian democracy is very different from democracy practiced elsewhere in the world. The concept came from the Western World to India. One should have a similar understanding of Valentine's Day. Indians practice it in a way which is quite different from what people in other countries do. To that extent it is now a part of Indian culture just as the practice of Christmas as a festival is. The police are there to take care of any nuisance that may arise out of stupid people doing idiotic things on Valentine's day. There is no necessity for vigilante groups to navigate around various parts of Indian cities and separate men from women.
The protagonists of Telangana cannot 'tolerate' the people of Coastal Andhra. They want them kicked out of Telangana. Or if they remain then they have to be second rate citizens. MNS and Shiv Sena cannot 'tolerate' non-Maharashtrians, especially North Indians in Mumbai and Maharashtra. As a result, two cities that represented true cosmopolitanism, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, namely Hyderabad and Mumbai, are victims of parochialism that threatens to wipe out in a day or two what has been built over a couple of centuries. And India in general starts witnessing things which were never considered possible here, things such as genocide, eliminating of missionaries, chasing men and women who choose a certain lifestyle etc. Intolerance is on the rise everywhere and that threatens to tear the fabric of democracy a bad name or perhaps it is already giving it one. Now you may ask what has this got to do with leadership crisis and with Aristotle. I would say everything.
The State is defined by its leadership that can and does mould good and enlightened laws and political practices and this transforms citizens who in turn lead an enlightened life. I am using the term enlightened here without the rigours of academic definitions which in certain instances confuse rather than clarify. The citizens who are enlightened in turn throw up good leaders who represent the State which is then a good State fostered by good citizens who are fostered by the good State. And so the wheel turns. That is what Aristotle had in mind. The Indian State did not have a bad beginning at all. Very much to the contrary its beginning was rather good. But somewhere the wheel stopped turning or has been punctured. That is there for us to see in the form of the current leadership in all parts of the country and in all parties that are here. That is what makes the Indian State a not so good one and obviously that is telling on the quality of citizens as well. That is not to say that there are no enlightened citizens in India. It is only to say that the State no longer creates a political playground in which there is scope and room for enlightened citizens to participate. Today the sword is mightier than the pen and brawn has got the better of brain. Bad leaders, bad political practices, intolerance and instability have therefore become the order of the day. So today India stands as bad ambassador for democracy. There must be an explanation for this. After all of what use is problem identification if it is not backed up by an explanation of what causes it in the first place? In the next part that is what I shall attempt to do, i.e answer the question of how Indian democracy and leadership got to where they are today. That part will come soon.
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