On this Independence Day' we the people of India should consider with some
degree of satisfaction that while Britain' Europe and the United States are
seriously contemplating new restrictions on civil liberties their citizens
formerly enjoyed' our blessed republic is relatively uncontaminated by this
virus of illiberalism. Once upon a time' not long ago' Great Britain basked in
the triumph of multiculturalism. The British pointed out with great pride that
they had managed to create a uniquely tolerant society in which the melting pot
idea was conspicuous by its absence. Immigrants lived fearlessly in accordance
with their religious beliefs and cultural values' yet contributed substantially
to making the sceptred isle a healthier' brighter' more vibrant and
intellectually robust land. Sadly' multiculturalism has today become a dirty
word' a source of many British troubles' a phenomenon which has enabled Muslim
suicide bombers to do their dirty work on London's clean streets. Prime Minister
Tony Blair candidly and publicly confessed last week that the "rules of the
game" had changed irrevocably. Britain will henceforth be a different
country where free speech is only allowed on soap boxes in Hyde Park Corner.
Meanwhile' in India multiculturalism prospers' indeed is taken for granted. It
is too deeply embedded in the ethos of our civilisation. The BJP in its short
reign tried gamely and repeatedly to subvert multiculturalism' but eventually
gave up. The single identity advocates had few takers while the supporters of
multiple identity easily won the day. Mr L.K. Advani' possibly the most dogmatic
and dogged exponent of identity politics' himself converted to multiculturalism.
Interestingly' Mr Advani's conversion to Nehruvian India was not on account of
minority pressure; he was defeated' in a delicious twist of irony' by Hindu
India. After all' who is more multicultural than India's nearly one billion
strong and eclectic Hindu population? The Brahmin of West Bengal would feel an
alien' culturally speaking' in Tamil Nadu. And vice versa.
Recently' President George Bush (by his standards) said something at once
interesting and profound. Introducing Dr Manmohan Singh to his wife' he said'
"He is the prime minister of the world's largest democracy in which there
are 150 million Muslims. Not one of them has joined Al Qaeda."
Rants and Raves (feedback to this story)
Prosaic And Banal
Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Tryst With Destiny' speech will doubtless be played endlessly by TV channels over this weekend and on Monday. That grainy black-and-white footage' showing old-style ceiling fans whirring furiously and members thumping their tables' is possibly the most famous and over-used clip of film from our independence history. Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins' in their epic Freedom at Midnight' report that Nehru' who had burnt much midnight oil working on the text' lost his notes a couple of hours before he was to speak. He quickly reassembled his speech in the 45 minutes or so available to him and later told friends he felt he had failed the nation since what he had hastily put together was both prosaic and banal.
According to the authors' the Viceroy' Lord Mountbatten' was visibly depressed and glum on August 14' 1947' as he went about handing over the jewel in the crown to the squabbling natives. He spent the evening and night alone with his ADC in a dimly lit room drinking brandy.
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Shining Shame
What depresses you most about Shining India? Many things are undoubtedly moving in the right direction as one of the fastest growing economies gathers momentum. I have no problem with people enjoying themselves spending hard or easily earned money on cigars and champagne. However' when it comes to finding funds for the poor and destitute' there is always a huge hue and cry.Fiscal deficit' mounting debt' penalising the honest taxpayer....You can always find some reason for denying human equity. Currently' on the BBC one can see harrowing pictures of famine in Niger. Stick-thin children and emaciated mothers stare vacantly at the camera amid clusters of flies. These heart-rending visuals cannot shock an Indian. You don't have to go to Kalahandi or Bastar to see similar sights. Just around your traffic light' hungry children and men with no limbs are available for daily inspection.
Leave aside the politics and the economics of the Employment Guarantee Act' the argument that a country which is poised to take on China and boasts of soon becoming the fourth largest economy in the world is unable to find Rs 50'000 crore to partially remove a social and moral obscenity' is shameful. If you cancelled one nuclear submarine or recovered 50 per cent of unpaid tax by corporates' much of the money could be found.
Rants and Raves (feedback to this story)
Candles In The Wind
A gift to my critics. I am going to be characteristically "naive" once again by celebrating Independence Day lighting peace candles at the Wagah border. This year a strong delegation from Pakistan is expected and' fingers crossed' we hope to exchange a few words' even candles. The peace process is driven by people-to-people contact and I hope the message goes out loud and clear to the rulers in New Delhi and Islamabad. The message? There is no going back on the journey the two countries have begun.
Rants and Raves (feedback to this story)
More Diaries by Vinod Mehta
• Delhi
(03-Aug-2009)
• Delhi
(13-Jul-2009)
• Delhi
(15-Jun-2009)
• Delhi
(18-May-2009)
• Delhi
(27-Apr-2009) more
On this Independence Day' we the people of India should consider with some
degree of satisfaction that while Britain' Europe and the United States are
seriously contemplating new restrictions on civil liberties their citizens
formerly enjoyed' our blessed republic is relatively uncontaminated by this
virus of illiberalism. Once upon a time' not long ago' Great Britain basked in
the triumph of multiculturalism. The British pointed out with great pride that
they had managed to create a uniquely tolerant society in which the melting pot
idea was conspicuous by its absence. Immigrants lived fearlessly in accordance
with their religious beliefs and cultural values' yet contributed substantially
to making the sceptred isle a healthier' brighter' more vibrant and
intellectually robust land. Sadly' multiculturalism has today become a dirty
word' a source of many British troubles' a phenomenon which has enabled Muslim
suicide bombers to do their dirty work on London's clean streets. Prime Minister
Tony Blair candidly and publicly confessed last week that the "rules of the
game" had changed irrevocably. Britain will henceforth be a different
country where free speech is only allowed on soap boxes in Hyde Park Corner.
