Shrug Off That Intellectual Lethargy

In London, reading about how some in the Congress Party are angry with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for giving his ?first? interview to an RSS paper, makes one realise how childish and unthinking some of those political fossils are. Detached for the moment, away from the daily press and television in Bharat, it becomes crystal clear that the level of Indian political discourse is abysmal. It is embarrassing.

Jolly good show that the PM has addressed the readers of Panchajanya; that he is being described as a sane and intelligent leader by men and women who are violently opposed to anything except themselves and their ?ism?; that there is, for a change, none of that typical animosity towards a Congress Prime Minister; that a new space is emerging for dialogue with people who have diametrically different views and beliefs. In my book, for whatever it is worth, this is what democracy is about.

In India, we have always been content with communicating ideas on controversial issues to the converted. We never get down to the hard and difficult business of true debate with those who are vehemently polarised attitudinally, in an attempt to search for a consensus, a balance. We do not spend intellectual time listening, absorbing and analysing. We have ceased to look at developments around us as historical shifts in time and, therefore, are clueless about how to deal with changing demands.

Because of this intellectual lethargy and adamant unwavering positions, we have compelled a sharp polarisation in the domain of public discourse. Opposing forces must sit together and thrash out the social, economic, and political problems that confront us. Sitting apart and treating each other as pariahs because of fundamental disagreements, is no longer acceptable. Dialogue must be the new mantra.

The old in the Congress, those who are perpetually whining and the factions that are upset with Manmohan Singh being Prime Minister, should look at themselves in a mirror. Never in the recent past have we had such a dignified man, an intellectual, an internationally respected economist, a desperately honest individual with rare integrity, at the helm. You only hear positive comments about India, overseas. At home, the abject failures and incompetent, intellectually corrupt public figures who belong to the ?past?, continue to rave and rant and come across the footlights much like banshees on a stage. If they carry on as they are, they will be over and out before they know it, and thank the Lord for that.

The press in India should be structuring their inputs around such communication. They are constantly harping on the ?dialogue? between India and Pakistan but never mention how critical it is to have many dialogues within India to rectify the divisiveness that is beginning to tear the multi-cultural fabric that makes India stand apart from most nations of the world. If we can start the process of ?talking? to each other within the country, we will find it far simpler and less convoluted to ?talk? cross border with some success.

This is obvious but unfortunately our leadership has, over the years, operated to keep themselves entrenched and at the receiving end, ignoring the demands and aspirations of one billion human beings. That greed and corruption has set India back. It is time they began to rectify that ?sin?.

And, what pride is generated when one sees what some Indians have contributed to their disciplines on the world platform…how they have crossed boundaries and become truly international, taking inspiration from their roots. One such great is Anish Kapoor whose work cannot be described, it has to be experienced. But, needless to say, India has neither recognised nor celebrated him.

Extraordinary sculptures in Chicago, England, Naples and across many other countries, Anish does not have one single public work in the country he comes from. We do not have the grace or style to acknowledge and laud our best and brightest till well after the world has put them on a pedestal. We have much to learn and much to do.