We need to Believe We can Win
Some of you may remember a Discussion we had at IIT-Delhi, courtesy the IIT-D Alumni Association and FTI, a few weeks back (Aug ’10). The digital recording is finally in and I have slowly begun the process of editing it in manageable snippets and uploading them on the web. I am about half-way through this exercise (expect to complete by weekend) and this is my favourite snippet so far. It is in response to a question by Dr Vijay Saluja, Convenor, Social Outreach Committee, IITDAA
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Feedback, comments and thoughts very welcome.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
P.S. This post will be incomplete without my sincere thanks to the team at IIT-Delhi Alumni Association, in particular Dipinder Sekhon, Somnath Bharti and Swapnil Khandelwal – without whose tireless efforts this would not have happened – and of course Dr Saluja who was not only a very gracious host but a very engaged member of the audience. Thank you all, once again.
Shantanu ji,
Really pleased about being part of these discussions (even if virtually now rather than in person).
IIT Delhi was a very good forum to choose, this could be a precedent to many more forums for students who want to be involved in the cause. I have seen and experienced the lack of good forums to express/discuss/learn for students and youngsters who are inspired to do so.
Would like to hear your thoughts on that aspect. Looking forward to the other videos from this discussion.
Thank you.
Suhas: Thanks for your warm words of encouragement and support..
I spend a considerable amount of time on these discussions and meetings…Over the last 12-15 months, we have had similar talks/discussions at IIT-Guwahati, IIM-Indore, Rotary Clubs in Guwahati & Indore, a large number of institutions in Indore, Bengaluru, Pune, Guwahati, N Delhi and Mumbai… and also at two private companies.
More in the pipeline…
I am very open (and very willing) to come and have these talks/discussions anywhere in India…I expect to be in Bengaluru and Delhi in about 2 weeks time; then in Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram) in late Nov – and again a few cities in mid-Dec..so if you have friends at any of these places willing to organise something like this, pl do ask them to get in touch with me (email is best: jaidharma AT gmail.com).
Thanks alot
btw, here is the link to the rest of the videos (still being uploaded): http://www.youtube.com/user/jaidharma#p/u
I am rather curious how an Indian middle class can be so little regarded when the normal situation that obtains in the Western world is that nothing is done that would displease the middle classes. The answer to that is that there is not the middle class as we understand it in India as it is riven by caste, religious, linguistic loyalties, ideological differences. The list is endless. Here I am saying nothing new. This is also why the BJP Ayodhya movement was a one day wonder. Nations are created by the application of an agency, whether it is religious, historical narrative etc. Hinduism created society whose hallmark is that there will not be any agreement about the holder ultimate authority in the land. This is why I think Hinduism and Hindu society needs to be revisited.
Hi shantanu, great job. You are very articulate in delivering your message. Look forward to more videos about your work on the youtube channel.
best wishes
BELIEVING IS SEEING and not the the other way around!
Best wishes!
@Khandu, Re “The answer to that is that there is not the middle class as we understand it in India as it is riven by caste, religious, linguistic loyalties, ideological differences.”
Yes and no…While I agree with some of what you are saying, I feel/believe that the nation can be re-built on the basis of a “national identity”.
Sadly, partly due to our painful recent past and partly due to a weak sense of history, this could not happen before. The leadership of the independence movement managed to get us independence but could not create – or articulate the idea of India, the idea of an “Indian identity”. That – I continue to believe – is our biggest challenge.
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@Chaitanya, Seadog: Thanks for the encouragement and support. Hope to have lot more of these in the future…
The narrative of the independence struggle has it that it was obtained by certain people, notably Gandhi and Nehru. Had the British actually wanted to stay, there was precious little that India’s independence leaders had as a Plan B, that would have stopped them. The British were finally persuaded to leave because independence achieved by the Indian mutiny would have have caused irreparable damage to their prestige and power in the world. Instead Hindus reposed their faith in Gandhi’s leadership. The country was only saved from disaster by Patel.
I am inclined to believe that the military option would have saved India from the bloodshed of the partition and Indian officers with the likes of Patel would have saved us from the shambles and disgrace we have today. To win, we have to believe is only the starting point. The lesson of history is that the moment can only be seized by leaders of vision and audacity who actually have the sort of support that can make it happen. If we wait for the day when the majority of the Indians back a call for radical action, then again we overlook the lessons of history. The Bolsheviks were the minority in Russia’s Parliament (the word itself means minority)when they seized power for the communists. America won independence with no more than an influential 40% minority. I can go on with further examples.
The overhead costs of carrying the overwhelming majority of Hindus into any plan of action has made it impossible for an influential minority to make its voice count. I would settle any day for the minority that is willing to stand up and be counted with me. The majority can always follow afterwards. This is the real meaning of democracy. It does not begrudge reposing faith and responsibility to those who have earned the peoples trust. Great constitutions by force of circumstances repose great power to their leaders with which they are able to achieve great things. Above all great peoples understand this so well that they have demanded nothing less. This is why the British called for the restoration of the monarchy after its abolition. The lesson of history should not be clearer for India as King Bharat instituted the elective monarchy so that the best man would be charged as king as the servant of the country.
The real test of the Indian people will come when the Supreme Court adjudicates on the Sri Ram Mandir question. I am inclined to believe that the Allahabad High Court got it more right than wrong. There is a danger that the Supreme Court to prove its secular credentials will either pass the buck to the Government or reverse the judgment. The Constitution will need to be revisited in such an eventuality and who dare I say will be brave to say that its useful life should be put to an end. Unless a Hindu is willing to ask such a question of his country, what right does he to possess land even the size of needle point as his lack of self respect and dignity does not justify such an honour? Perhaps we should then be willing to revisit the Mahabharat for the answers.
Shantanu ji
Excellent discussions and platform to spread your ideas. You are persuasive in your speech as you are impressive in your writing. I wish to know how student react to these sorts of discussions. Do they get effected by the urgency of the cause you mention? Are they interested to know about real deeper problem of India?
But anyway I like the way you are trying to connect with our younger generation that has hardly education on country’s history, tradition, culture. This ignorance only breed indifference. People get interested when they can clearly understand the root causes and how to root them out. Spreading information and generating interest among youngster is the first thing we need to do.
Excellent Effort
Ram
Ram
Khandu: I largely agree with your thoughts but how can any change come – and even if ushered, be sustained – if the majority is not at least sympathetic towards (if not openly supportive of) it?
That is why I feel that the task of outreach is so critical and important (although very slow and sometimes frustrating)…
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Ram: Thanks for your comment. I believe the talk(s) do create an impact but it needs to be followed up in a sustained way – something which I am still grappling with…
I think there is a very real desire for change amongst vast sections of the population…
The discontent is obvious..the desire to understand the fundamental problems is less obvious but it is there..
Having said that, it will be a long haul to convince an entire generation brought up on a populist diet that socialism is essentially value-destroying.
So some ways to go before we get to critical mass…that said, we have to start somewhere…
Sir,
I could see you getting emotional when telling somewhere in the past ten years we got so used to the system, continue your good work sir, belief / hope is a good thing , good and a noble hope is a great unifying
and driving force, as a product of liberalized generation , tapping and channelizing the youth(our) energy towards a noble goal will be the foremost for your generation. Thanks for making me believe . continue your work sir
Wishes.
My comment at 7 needs correction: the Bolshaviks means majority: in fact at the time were the minority. The opportunity provided to the organising genius of Lenin led by the intellectual leadership of Trotsky enabled them to prove their majority be the established fact of their rule. Such opportunity in history only comes once: in India’s case it came at independence about which we can do nothing now. The best we can do is to tweak the present arrangements when the country is past saving in its present form. Shantanu is very noble for providing us an opportunity to show our support. His is also the only show in town. I look to him providing more meat to make his promise a reality and to flesh out the nature of government for India’s future.
Shantanuji,
This is a really wonderful initiative, and I could see the passion in your speech. I admire your optimism your wanting to do something. We all do.
Consider the case of the 2G scam, while the nation is talking about it, is the nation really talking about it, or just one section of the nation? I read this column in Rediff: http://www.rediff.com/news/special/special-why-a-raja-is-popular-in-tamil-nadu/20101208.htm
Now from what I understand, its tough to see a wave of protest against Raja in TN. And it looks like there is no strong alternative to DMK either unless there is a family feud. With such lack of reactions from the constituents who elected and in future will elect Raja, how are we going to change anything? Probably if the scam had something to do with rice or some essential commodities he would have faced the music. But then its just 2G spectrum, that no one understands or bothers. And as long as DMK keeps giving freebies this trend is likely to remain. We have created a nation of people seeking entitlements, and that works in the favor of the corrupt.
So its a long battle, we can only hope. I am still trying to get optimistic about India.
P.S Maybe this post is suitable in another thread, u may decide.