What possible generalizations could possibly be generated about the Indian society? A couple of surveys that I have gone through tell me that Indians are extremely sensitive to power structures and the powe-distance equation is one of the highest in the Indian society. The other one tells that (after probably the United States) India is a deeply conservative society with a decidedly libertarian slant.
This then means that Indians intrinsically despise big, interventionist form of government and value private enterprise and the dignity of hard work.
But most of us would also agree – if not openly then in sercret, that as a race we also practice a certain deviant kind of hypocrisy. We proudly talk of our "unique" ulture yet shamelessly cling to western modes of lifestyles and status seeking in our minds as well as public lives. Our political class talks of “socialism” and “aam aadmi” yet “aam aadmi” is the one getting hammered and impoverished by the day.
One of the most corrupt politicians in contemporary India have been Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati. And both standing for the downtrodden and the “aam aadmi”. While Mulayam has named his party as “samaajwaadi” (socialist) party, there is scant “socialism” that he practices. Witness his lifestyle and the way he runs his own party – and you would realize that he is the most “un-samaajwaadi” leader around.
Mayawati talks about empowering the down trodden and the underclass. Yet if you travel to UP you would realize that the only person she has empowered is herself.
Let me now draw this debate to Agriculture. Yes, India is an agriculture-dominant country with around two-thirds of the population directly dependent on this. Logic would say that Agriculture should be the focus of this country’s legislative and governance apparatus.
Yet, as we see in this article by P.Sainath, how the simple peasant are being given short shrift by everybody – the institutions, the bureaucrats, the government and even the “average thinking Indian”. All of them are too busy chasing the images of western lifestyles and worldviews.
You must pay attention to the following quotes –
“It means over a quarter of a million Indian farmers have committed suicide since 1995. It means the largest wave of recorded suicides in human history has occurred in this country in the past 16 years. It means one-and-a-half million human beings, family members of those killing themselves, have been tormented by the tragedy. While millions more face the very problems that drove so many to suicide. It means farmers in thousands of villages have seen their neighbours take this incredibly sad way out. A way out that more and more will consider as despair grows and policies don't change. It means the heartlessness of the Indian elite is impossible to imagine, leave alone measure.”
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