Is democracy another term for goonocracy?

Contrary to popular perceptions, the Ancient Greeks didn't care too much for democracy. Even though the word is derived from the Greek language, its meaning for people such as Plato was more mob rule than people's rule. Karl Popper, the great philosopher of science (I can see him twisting in his grave at this description of mine), put Plato at the top of the enemies of open society. For long academicians, especially those who believed in the linear conception of history, and also in the interpretative method have quite severely castigated Popper for being insensitive to the cultural differences that history creates and talking about an open society in the context of Ancient Greece while it was more of a modern construct. This is not the appropriate forum to discuss the rightness or wrongness of Karl Popper in his uncharitable description of Plato. However, I have invoked his argument for a specific purpose. For once I shall accept his characterization of Plato without question. So Plato is the enemy of open society. He was "totalitarian" in his thinking. He had no respect for this sacred cow called democracy. Now I shall mount my own critique of Karl Popper for scoffing at Plato for being an enemy of democracy and open society. Here I shall firmly stand on the side of Plato and agree with his idea that democracy is mobocracy. And why have I become like this?

A couple of days ago I read in the newspapers of some of the actions of the pro-Telangana "students". Yes those very ones who have been beaten brutally in public by the police and consequently earned the "right" to behave as they please. Some of these people who apparently are on a higher moral plane than people like me, have decided that they have had enough of Andhra Pradesh and that the Government of Andhra Pradesh should not celebrate the formation of the State. (I am quite at a loss to understand why a State Government should mourn the existence of itself though). As a mark of protest and and as a guarantee to validate their claims, these leaders broke into the premises of the Potti Sree Ramulu Telugu University, doused Potti Sree Ramulu's statue with kerosene or petrol and tried to set it on fire. A security guard alerted to the authorities and this bid was foiled, albeit the statue of the said man was damaged. Then the Osmania University Students JAC created and burnt the effigy of same man, as a symbolic freeing of Telangana from the clutches of the Andhra colonists. Some of the leaders then decided to even burn up the statue of Telugu Thalli statue. Hence the police is sparing no efforts to keep anyone away from the statue.

Here I have a couple of questions.

1. How did Potti Sree Ramulu contribute to the betrayal of Telangana or to its colonization by the Andhra capitalists and land grabbers? Do these "students" and "research scholars" even know what Potti Sree Ramulu did? I am sure they don't, otherwise why would they apportion blame on him for things that he is not remotely responsible.

2. What is the language spoken by people in the Telangana region? I was under the stupid impression that it was Telugu. And if it is Telugu why are there intentions of destroying something which is nothing more than a symbol of the Telugu language. Like the Bharat Mata or Maa Bharthi.

3. I wonder how many people will not be angered by terrorists if they set fire to a statue or effigy of Bharat Mata. If people who set fire to Bharat Mata are anti-national, what are people who do the same here to Telugu thalli and Potti Sree Ramulu?

4. And why are not people indignant about these things? Is it fear or have we simply become so comfortably numb that these things do not mean anything to anyone anymore?

If fear is the key to understanding this mute spectating by people then Plato must be right that democracy is nothing but mob rule or in this case goonocracy. That in itself would not have been so bad, if it wasn't for the fact that these goons are "vidyavanthulu", "intellectuals", "research scholars" etc. I am now trying to imagine how the uneducated will be then. Wait a minute, I think I know the answer. They will be much more enlightened, since they are not goons masquerading as something else.

It brings a tear to my eye that a man who has given up his life after an arduous 40 day fast has this done to him. Rest in peace Sri Potti Sree Ramulu, we are not worthy of your legacy.

P.S. I have not proof read this post, due to paucity of time. All errors may please be forgiven, thank you.

Justification for Violence - Shocking

My intention was originally to continue my posts about education being a categorical imperative, but as is normally the case I have been busy and when not busy inertia has kept me away from writing the blog. This time around there has been a reason that has brought me back to the blog and that too with a sense of indignation. I am going to narrate an incident that happened on Facebook and how that has shocked and horrified me. My initial reaction to that was to fight back on that thread itself, then I thought I should let it pass, since the people involved in it are all my very good friends. But a certain sense of righteous indignation persists and therefore I have decided to write about it in my blog. I will not reveal any names, I am still good friends with them and will continue to be, and I assure that this incident despite the indignation in me, has brought no rancor or changed my feelings towards my friends.

I am sure you are all aware that last week or perhaps the week before that there was this incident on one of the Telugu news channels. This incident justifies my opinion that TV channels have been trying to make merry and increase their TRPs by focusing on the Telangana agitation again and again. One of the Telugu news channels called two protagonists of the separate Telangana agitation for a discussion. Both are young men and very "educated". They were representing two views on the issue and this was obviously an inconvenience to each other. Suddenly in the middle of the discussion of the leaders turns around and hits the other and all hell breaks lose with both fighting but the aggressor clearly having an upper hand. In spite of the anchor's plea for a break, the telecast goes on for about 30 seconds, long enough for people to see the fisticuffs and hear abuse such as "nee amma"and "lanja kodaka". These were two that I could make out, there were more. (Those who have missed this can do a search on Youtube and get the clips). The clip was posted on Facebook by one friend and there was some banter about what the leadership was going to be and what that meant for the future of a separate Telangana. One of the friends started getting a little serious in defending the actions of the persons involved in the incident on live TV but put a disclaimer saying that this was not condoning what had been seen on live TV. His argument was that the present leadership is equally bad, so no need for any special castigation of the new leadership. Then comes the bomb. A long term protagonist of the separate Telangana agitation (and a very good friend of mine) writes that the person who started the fisticuffs was "brutally beaten by the police in front of TV cameras"then taken to the police station and given "more of the same treatment there". He also pointed out that this person was hard working and supported his family by working in National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and is a good student who was eloquent in Telugu though not the same in English. Here it may be pertinent to point out that the said leader is a Ph.D student in English at the Osmania University. The post justifies that Osmania University has big contingent of "rural"students who should be seen in a different light. The other friend who was gingerly defending this in the beginning decided to go to the defence of this person with the argument that Osmania University was a university of rural and "dalit"students who have impeccable moral rectitude. That may be the case.

I have two questions coming out of this.

1. Is there a justification for misbehaving in public (on live TV) because you have been beaten up yourself by someone else? I must tell you here that I once knew someone who wanted to throw garbage from the top floor because when this person lived on the lower floor in another apartment in another city people did the same to him. Another person did not want to pay rent to his flat owner because his tenant in another city was not paying him rent on time. Is this logical or is it just me having a problem?

2. By invoking the rural and the dalit categories are we saying that we do not judge them by standards that are normally applicable to people for behaviour in public? Are these people different? I wonder if the dalits and the rural people will agree with this.

I also anticipate that the arguments of my friends will be that the points raised by me are not to be taken seriously and that they were for information only. My request to people then is do not talk about issues that have no bearing on the discussion in question. It can mislead and portray a picture that is not true.

I will be back with some more posts very soon. Hope I can keep up that promise. I have typed this in a huge hurry so mistakes may be forgiven.