There are two prophecies on how India would shape up in the hands of Indians when it became free. They are quotes very popular with observers of the Indian scene, sprinkled all over the Internet Web sites.
The first is a statement attributed to Winston Churchill, as having been made by him in British Parliament during the debate on the Indian Independence Bill. “If Independence is granted to India, power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw. They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air and water would be taxed in India.”
The second is from the Vellore jail diary of Rajaji, the tallest intellectual among India’s political leaders in the last century who fought for India’s freedom, dating back to 1921:
“We all ought to know that Swaraj will not at once or, I think, even for a long time to come, be better government or greater happiness for the people. Elections and their corruptions, injustice, and the power and tyranny of wealth, and inefficiency of administration, will make a hell of life as soon as freedom is given to us. Men will look regretfully back to the old regime of comparative justice, and efficient, peaceful, more or less honest administration.
“The only thing gained will be that as a race we will be saved from dishonour and subordination. Hope lies only in universal education by which right conduct, fear of god, and love, will be developed among the citizens from childhood. It is only if we succeed in this that Swaraj will mean happiness. Otherwise it will mean the grinding injustices and tyranny of wealth.”
OPPRESSIVE AVATARS
If the British regime is indeed brought back, it will miss nothing. It can, in fact, pick up the thread exactly from where it had left it. It will see all around them the political and ruling classes not only revelling in the same old colonial trappings, life styles and utter contempt for public opinion, but even outdoing the colonial Blimps in brazenly flaunting them.
The recalled imperialist British regime will find that all the laws they passed for lording it over its subjects have taken on new and more oppressive avatars. In particular, the erstwhile Blimps would be overjoyed to know that Section 124A on sedition, their greatest favourite which they used at the drop of a hat against all and sundry, has become the cherished weapon brandished by the current rulers. No matter Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted to get rid of this “objectionable and obnoxious” provision and Mahatma Gandhi called it “the prince among the political sections of the IPC designed to suppress the liberty of the citizen.”
The old Blimps will notice with not a little amusement that the new Blimps have made mincemeat of their best practices and buttressed their worst systems. For instance, under British regime, if you wrote to any public functionary, including the Viceroy, you received a reply within a week, signed under the superscription, “I am, Sir, Your Most Obedient and Humble Servant”.
WORTHY DISCIPLE
The first thing the new rulers of free India did was to notify the deletion of this formula, no doubt for fear that it might put “wrong” ideas in the minds of the people as if they were the sovereign masters and those running the governments were their servants. As for receiving replies even from the bottom rung, forget it. Even retired IAS officers are considered worms by incumbents junior to them by 30 years or more!
(If our rulers were watching the US Republican National Convention, they would have been chastened to hear the roof-blowing roar of approval when Clint Eastwood declared, “Politicians are our servants. Anyone who fails to perform must go!”)
Under the British regime, Commissioners of Divisions, who were exalted functionaries, were required to call on political prisoners to make sure that they were treated well. Our rulers most likely do not even know that such a practice existed.
Under the British regime, standards and norms were enforced. They are anathema now.
On the whole, the Indian Raj has proved to be a worthy disciple of the British Raj!
Keywords: Indian Raj, British Raj, India’s freedom, imperialist British regime
Comments:
BSRaghavan sounds like a castrated eunuch poring out his powerlessness to stem the rot.I am sure vast majority of right thinking people in this country must be having similar feelings.what is the cause for our current predicament? One man one vote is a folly which our founding fathers committed with which the whole country has been pushed into the criminal class.When the country has large number of illiterates, the issues will get hijacked by people who can drive this illiterate masses and to get these large horde as followers, the leaders will indulge in all kinds of skulduggery.If education up to 11th standard had been mandatory to cast a vote, it would have ensured that those who get elected will not go unchallenged.Those who administer us as IAS/IPS will not be swindling us.It would have also forced the government to invest massively on educating the uneducated because without education, they will have no votes.Seed of wrong approach was sown in 1947, now we are reaping it.
What I wish to express cannot be compressed in the 1500 words.In
villages, mothers working in agri expect the elder child to take care
of the younger and hence cannot go to school and not concentrate on
school. The mother expects the slightly grown up boy to earn since the
husband is more devoted to liquor than to the family. The government
law prohibits employing minors. Think about a family of this kind.
Government laws are blind to the reality in forcing its objective
instead of solving social problems. The hungry family simply succumbs
to the tempting money for voting. Youth have found the new way to earn
easy money by joining politics and emerge as powerful by smashing
private and public property. In power, he gets wealth to last for many
generations easily and all cases are dragging ending in no punishment
or a kid glove pat. In power, you can openly lie, bluff,mislead. If
you join government service, you lose job and end up in prison.
Mr.Raghavan I do think Mr.Churchill would be equally appalled the way
the UK is going.Their politicians are no better,whether it is gifts
scams,charging the Govt for their houses, or taking donations from
unworthy characters.
What about Mr.Cameron hobnobbing with the Murdochs,their executives
whilst his newspapers tapped into phones of people including the Royal
family.Or Mr.Blair earning his millions,he was promoting Business for
JP Morgan with Gadaffi.
We are not very proud of lots of our politicians and their antics,but
they are people like Nitish Kumar,Shivraj Chouhan in MP and Mr.Modi
who are at least developing their States.
Our younger generation are much more articulate,smarter, and I am sure
will do a better job of governing India.
Let us not forget every election,inspite of promises,the so called
uneducated Indian voter knows that development,his or her betterment
is what they are seeking.
Mr BSR, I new what you have written. But you have failed to mention the so called Father and uncle, both were elephant that has one type of teeth to show and another set to grind? correct? You have failled to prove to follow Rajaji as well (2nd para for verification). We indians are like that.
We must not forget that politicians are people voted in between us. as long as we legitimise corruption and continue with the "CHALTA HAI ATTITUD" in our everyday life , how can we expect our leaders to be spotless. Also I believe many politicians are sincere and it would do good to highight such personalities instead of branding the whole political class as looters etc.
when 120 crore indians can not have an indian as the ruling party
chairperson, India and Indians are doomed to fail.
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