Democrazy

There's a new party in town; it's called "YSR Party". No points for guessing who started it or what it is about though. It's an easy guess, even if you aren't very familiar with the political scene in this region.

Keeping aside my opinions about the how lame the name is, I am actually thrilled about the fact that Jagan had to resign from the Congress party and start one of his own. And, I say that with no prejudice or malice toward him. I’m just sick and tired of the whole 'the king is dead, long live the king' routine and am glad Jagan didn't get an automatic bid to the throne just because of his father. At least now, if he does become the chief minister, it is not simply because his father was one. 

No, I am not so naïve as to consider it a triumph of democracy - the power play was unmistakable, just that the fallout was favorable.

If we look around, most of our leaders are relatives of guys who were in power at some other point of time. Nepotism is rife and party tickets going to the highest bidder is commonplace. We do vote, yes, but do we really choose who our leaders are? Or what they do? Makes you wonder if India really is a democracy, doesn’t it?

Participation is key to the creation and maintenance of a true democracy. When was the last time a regular taxpayer talked to his/her representative about a piece of legislature? Even a suggestion to that effect sounds ludicrous to people around here. "We" don't tell "them" what to do! Come to think of it, there is not even a channel open that allows us to tell them directly what we want. Once they get elected, they become unreachable. Sadly, there is not even an expectation in the least bit in the public that we should all be a part of the governing process by influencing the elected in their decisions on legislature. The responsibility of the individual in shaping the course of this country should not end on the day of voting. This policy of "don't ask, don't tell" that we follow around here, where they don't ask us what we want and we don't tell them either, has created a perverse decadent system that reeks of monarchy with pretensions of a republic on the outside. Even when there is a transfer of power or a change of guard, it is ever so subtle and demands minimal labor from the common man; it's almost like we live in parallel universes, one insulated from the other.

We in India have focused on survival for so long that we may have become insensitive to all the murkiness around us. And worse, we have internalized it ourselves. Each and every one of us, somehow, somewhere, has either been a part of, or contributed to this twisted system. They rationalize it in any way needed, inflicting long-term damage for short-term convenience. 

Just the other day, my friend was telling me about how he was waiting in line to apply for a driving license, and an "agent" casually came up to him and asked if he wanted to avoid the hassle of giving the test, or the risk of failing it, for a competitive price of Rs. 500. I am sure his experience was not atypical. I wonder how many people have declined his offer on principle and not because they didn't want to shell out the extra cash.

The most frustrating part about it is that people tend to find excuses for all the filth around here! Whenever we find out about some corrupt politician, or a scam, one can hear lots of "Oh, he's gotta live" or "that's how they are" or "he's just a fall guy; everyone's in on it", instead of being outraged by the news. Decades of movies showing politician after politician being nothing but corrupt murderers has made sure that the general population has no expectations from the government. If you are not protesting what you believe is wrong, you are actively abetting it.

Democracy comes from the Greek word dēmokratia - dēmos (the people) and kratia (power, or rule). But, in this country, the term is so incongruous to reality. The only people who are acting in their self-interest are the politicians. The common man has long forgotten (or never known) what 'rule of the people' really means, and has continually betrayed what's in his own best interest. Maybe it's just me, but that is crazy!