Sitting in Landour, the Mussourie twin town, Delhi melts into a blur. There are no newspapers and one realises upon one?s return that nothing has been missed. The Prime Minister is on vacation and continues to say the same thing ? stop cross-border terrorism! TV news gives you nothing of consequence, no real news, nothing about what is happening behind the scenes. Small wonder that the viewers in India prefer films and serials. Without access to the various media of news and communication, one feels liberated from the ?repeats? and superficial stories that are inflicted upon us all.
Cross the border into Delhi and the chaos on the streets sans traffic control is enough to drive you to drink. Cops stand about oblivious of the madness around them. Landour fades into a distant memory. The reality of Delhi saps the recharged energy and one rapidly descends into lethargy and depression. New ideas, creativity, wanting to be entrepreneurial, all evaporate in this city. Managing everyday life, living honestly in a civilised manner with integrity is an uphill task here. It is easier to beat the system and not adhere to any norms. That is what is respected.
What is it that makes us so crass as a people, particularly in public spaces? Why is it that we have no concern for those around us? It was probably this lack of community spirit, this brazen anarchic mindset, that made it easy for intruders to take over our space. In a strange way, after independence from British rule, our own governments have behaved exactly like the colonisers. They have kept the imperial laws intact in free India, laws that were made for the ?natives?; they have adopted the same arrogance of the British babu; they have used the British weapon of divide and rule; they have the same scorn for the ?natives?, the Indian nationals.
The pity is that no leader or government has consciously made sure that with the liberation of India from the British Raj, there should have been a release from that repressive system as well. In circa 2003 we continue to be the ?colony? ruled by the babus and politicians of free India who replaced the white ruler.
Therefore, when we hear all that talk about nationalism, it rings untrue and politically motivated. We have given no dignity at all to our people. We scoff at those who try to live within the rules, who are honest. What then is this jingoism of ?nationalism?, of this hindu rashtra? Surely Hinduism does not endorse the rampant corruption that has become an intrinsic part of the administration and politics of India. Surely hindu rashtra does not mean harassment of its kaum. Surely the definition of nationalism is not to divide and polarise the citizenry. The more one thinks about it, we are being taken for a ride with this kind of rhetoric.
An example of the desperation of the babu to hold on to whatever they can in an attempt to suffocate and throttle change, is their deep desire to take charge again of the airports from private operators. The thought is scary. Once again we will be at the mercy of sloppy people manning the check-in counters. Unpleasant behaviour will replace private sector handling where the mandate was to be friendly, helpful and service oriented. A backward move yet again. No service sector industry should ever be in the hands of government with babus at the helm. It is suicidal.
The world has moved on, even Russia has discarded its non-service oriented face. We in India cling to the last vestiges of the dreadful command economy because of the lurking fear that the entrepreneurs of this country will expose the third rate babu culture and their operations. Their livelihood, both white and black, will disappear, they will be extricated from their cocoons to face the real world. The thought terrifies them. What will happen to them if they are compelled to play straight? How will they deal with their inner insecurities, their ineptitude? How will they handle their false egos? How will they generate their ?pocket money?? Till their stranglehold goes, Bharat will regress regardless of new policy postures. Babu hatao, desh bachao.