Strategy for Anthropology

62 years back , a salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National Flag by Dr. Rajendra  Prasad heralded the historic  birth of the Indian Republic on January 26, 1950 ; 894 days after our country became a dominion following withdrawal of British Rule. Since then, every year the day is celebrated with great pride and happiness all over the nation.  The transition of India from a British colony to a sovereign , secular and democratic nation was indeed historical . It was a long journey of around two decades that started with the conceptualization of the dream in 1930 to its actual realization in 1950. Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it enjoyed the true spirit of Independence on January 26, 1950 when the Constitution of India finally came into force.  On the eve of India’s Republic Day , Indians were assured not only of a fully democratic and secular state but also a country that will fight for “the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity”. It is interesting to ask how far along we have gone in 62 years in fulfilling that momentous resolve.

INDIA AS A DEMOCRACTIC REPUBLIC-On the democratic front, India’s success was immediate and came with astonishing speed. There have been regular and orderly elections (thanks to the institution of an  independent Election Commission) and adult franchise has manifested that “It is the will of the people” that matters for the successful working of the democracy. India as the world’s largest democracy has withstood the litmus test for more than six long decades and in a geopolitical framework that’s marred with failure of democracy .India has in fact heralded the drift towards a mature nation. Decentralization of power and subsequent devolution to grass root institutions of panchayats (73rd Amendment Act, 1992) and Municipal bodies (74th Amendment Act, 1992) reflects the resilience of our democratic framework. The fact that last few decades has been characterized by coalition politics and eruption of more and more regional dynamism hints at the fact that Indians have accepted democracy as a way of life. India’s democratic success is sometimes seen only as a consequence of British Rule, but that is comparatively recent history shared by a hundred or more other countries that also emerged from the empire, none of which has had quite the easy success that India has had with democracy. In fact, as Amartya Sen in his book “Argumentative Indian” stated that it is India’s long argumentative tradition and toleration of heterodoxy, going back thousands of years, that has greatly helped in making democracy flourish with such ease. India has also had other essential features of a democracy, in particular continued freedom and vigor of the media and independence of the Judiciary .However, certain disheartening shifts like less number of Urban Population (specifically Urban Youth) turnout during voting and a general sense of delusion amongst this quartile towards politics is slowing posing challenges for the Indian democracy. Issues like Paid news and malpractices in elections, notwithstanding the marvelous achievements of Election Commission calls for immediate corrective action. The launch of UID scheme and emphasis on creation of a more favorable environment for political awareness would help to stitch the few torn strings of democracy.

India as a “Union of States”- India has been fairly successful in maintaining the federal structure of Indian constitution which describes India as a “Union of States”. Dual Government, division of powers, supremacy of constitution and rule of law have helped to keep the federal features intact. However, in recent times instances like meeting the Naxalite threat (which has been described by the PM Manmohan Singh as largest internal security threat) through mutual cooperation of Naxal infested states and Centre, Inter-states and Centre-states dispute over water sharing as well as complaints of biasedness in allocation of resources to different states on political affiliations are certain arenas that calls for shift and subsequent balancing in centre-state relations.   Right To Education is a recent instance whereby the success of the scheme depends on the mutual cooperative  implementation mechanism of the centre and state (Education being a part of the concurrent  list under constitution of India). India has to its credentials achieved the milestones of being a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. India as a sovereign nation pursues an Independent foreign policy whereby it tries to fit in comfortably into the picture of the globalised world by chalking out strategic and important diplomatic relations with almost all major and minor countries of the world. India chose to have a solidly secular constitution, and it is as a secular democracy that India has flourished. Secularism has been threatened from time to time by actions of sectarian groups but the massive support for secularism across India has asserted itself again and again.  Issues like Khap panchayats(kangaroo courts), Kandhamal violence reflect  that the nation in spite of being “the hot pot of melting culture” with diverse languages and religions have to tread a more cautious path for  cultural survival.

We also cannot deny the fact that in certain fields the Indian constitution has failed to live up to the expectations of its makers. Inequality (social, economic and political) is widespread. At 36.8, India’s Gini Index was more favorable than that of comparable countries like Brazil (55) , China(41.5) , Indonesia(39.4) and even USA(40.8)(HDR 2009). Nevertheless, for a democratic country registering high GDP growth and aspiring for double digit growth figures such unequal distribution of income (or consumption) among Individuals or households is a cause for worry. A Democracy inherently connotes equality of opportunity and high HDI ( Human Development). Nevertheless , the fact that All India rural and All India combined poverty headcount ration at 41.8% and 37.2%( Estimate of the Planning commission Expert Group-Tendulkar Committee)  reflects that still huge chunk of the population is devoid of the basic subsistence needs.  India’s HDI for 2007 was 0.612 on the basis of which India is ranked 134 out of 182 countries of the world (UNDP , HDR Report 2009) indicating that our human development effort still needs to catch up with the progress made in GDP per capita.Nation has in recent few years showcased  to the world her capacity to make and implement  absolute policy miracles in terms of MGNREGA, Right to Education , Right to information and Right to Food(which is in the pipeline). Such policies are intermingled with the basic tenets of democracy and shows that India is maturing and rising to the challenge of governance and transparency.  In 2009, India was however, ranked 84 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index prepared by the Transparency International. The recent spate of scams ranging from CWG to 2G has blurred the confidence in the governance and throws light instead on the Governance deficit. This shakes the very foundation of the belief of the citizens in the institutions of governance. What is the need of the hour is to slowly progress in the direction of institutional change –not in terms of the theory of institutions to imitate and adopt the institutions of an ideal country to ones economy-instead to make this change an internal move whereby citizens realize and mutually adapt themselves for the change according to the dynamics of the society.

Let’s strive standing at this 62st Milestone of Indian Republic to make the dreams of first president of India a reality. Dr. Rajendra Prasad , in his special message to his countrymen , on the birth of the Indian Republic said-

“We must re-dedicate ourselves on this day to the peaceful but sure realization of the dream that had inspired the Father of our Nation and the other captains and soldiers of our freedom struggle , the dream of establishing a classless, co-operative , free and happy society in “his country”. We must remember that this is more a day of dedications than of rejoicing –dedication to the glorious task of making the peasants and workers the toilers and the thinkers fully free, happy and cultured”.

Let’s promise to convert this dream into a reality.