Is India moving towards a civil war?

Every time I see a crush of (near) destitute men (waiting in long lines for handouts of food; lunch hour in a factory area etc), I get a sense of foreboding. There’s so many, impoverished, teeming like ants, in tedious/exhausting exploitative jobs or without, living life in penury, aware, either through stark juxtaposition or mass media, of extreme disparity. I wonder if it’s only a matter of time before these ant-like people will be overcome with rage at the hopelessness of their life, and instead of turning inwards direct their rage at me, and what I represent (self-absorbed rich Indian, occupied in consumption, selling “value”, unseeing the dying). Most Indians are unashamedly disparaging of Africans: their color (manifestation of our self-loathing of our own brown color); their extreme poverty; their raging diseases; the never-ending conflicts. But when I read about farmer suicides, of the growing insurgency in the red corridor, our increasing terrorism, rising Hindu fundamentalism, growing clout of Mayawati/Modi, it seems to me that we are but few steps removed from a civil war ourselves. Here’s some broad trends to consider (loosely based on the Collier Hoeffler model):

Widespread poverty: India will be the next world superpower. 9% growth rate. Trillion dollar economy. G8 should be expanded to include India. India has the highest number of billionaires, third only to America and Russia. India Shining. India Poised. Incredible India. … Easy tiger! In all the euphoria, some sobering facts. In the 2008 Global Hunger Index, India ranked 66 in a list of 88 countries (transitional/developing). We have one of the highest incidence of child malnutrition, and our hunger index category of “alarming” is comparable with many sub-Saharan African countries. Notably, we are one of the only two countries with an “alarming” hunger index score yet we are a net cereal exporter. Last year, our debt-laden farmers driven to suicide made global news

I think, therefore I dither

Is it just me or have things taken a decided turn towards alice in wonderland-esque surrealism. Like a kaleidoscope, the events of one’s life are seemingly determined by external movements, people like bits of colored glass significant only in the patterns formed by their repeating mirror reflections. The force of events that upturn people’s lives is breathtaking, and completely beyond the scope of most to foresee, let alone control/alter. There is both absolutism and arbitrariness, and the individual is left with a galling sense of powerlessness. How do the apparent odds of absolutism and arbitrariness coexist? The answer can be traced to an ever tighter black hole of power: the capriciousness of the egocentric, yet an all encompassing influence. We see both at work in the global meltdown, and the mass hysteria that is Slumdog.

The complete disregard for reasonable risk and ethics concentrated in a few square mile area in Manhattan has wreaked havoc around the world, leading to collapse in the economies of entire countries (Iceland, Latvia) and an anticipated 50M lost jobs. No one will be spared from the aftershocks, even those who’ve never heard of CDOs. Blips on the computer screen representing ridiculous financial engineering and 30-1 leverage ratios by a bunch of men in dark suits has led to a global recession, and the leading threat to stability around the world. Slumdog vaulted its cast and crew unknowns into premier league, after narrowly escaping its own Direct to DVD demise. Everyone looks suitably overcome, esp the three slumkids on the improbable journey from tinroof to Oscar red carpet, courtesy “Danny uncle”. But what about the other thousands still under the tinroofs, yet now with hungry hearts?

Instituting democracy in India

India is not a democracy. Governance by the will of the people, and its automatic corollary, accountability of the State’s representatives are a basic premise of democracy. In India, the State is not accountable to its constituents, the public. While there are many progressive and honest politicians/bureaucrats, the organizational structure of our government with its centralization, administration opacity and multiple overlapping functions allows corrupt officials to evade responsibility. Consequently, apart from voting once every five years (the vote, constantly devaluing in the face of population explosion), the citizen has no say in the governance and no institutionalized processes to safeguard against failure or mismanagement by the government representatives.
The status quo must change. The citizens in a democracy must be able to influence State policy (the part about our representatives “representing” us) and at the local level, the associated state machinery must be accountable to us and not some supervisor. While some of us may nod in affirmation in our living rooms, in the absence of a legislative framework, individuals cannot truly hold the state accountable. Individuals can’t; however, organized citizens can. History is replete with examples where the sheer force of public opinion overthrew repressive regimes, forced change of course, and enacted reformist legislation.

It is now past time that we the citizens of India organize and develop a counterweight to the State. At Swaraj Abhiyaan, we envision clearly defined channels of communication between the State and the individual, with transparency in the flow of information downward and accountability in moving consensus upwards. For instance, both the State and Central governments enact major laws without any input