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| Thursday, 9 December 2004 |
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Living with the divide and rule legacy
The prime cause in the non-realization, rather the non-repetition of a social existence that was thousands of years ago, is the presence of a perverted system that has further divided the heterogenous population - South Asia's colourful and rich social legacy. Primordial identities have been institutionalized and the South Asians brainwashed into a 'reality' that never was. No doubt, the divides were setting in with time's passage under different systems but never was secretarianism so strong and intense as during the colonial and post colonial periods. The modernized Colonial States have bred over the past 50 years generation upon generation of youth that have lived racial segregation in their respective schools - widening the disparity of ethno-linguistic divides. Today's politicians, at least a 'good' many of them, are products of such secretarian British legacy and hold fast to a majority centred, ethno linguistic trade mark where animosity has replaced tolerance. It's certainly upto politicians of Aiyar's finesse, if found in other Asian countries, to set about record-straightening for his solution in asking people to oppose such narrow-minded politicians is akin to asking feathers from a tortoise. As a prime mover in such egalitarian outlook would be a constitution that ceases to beat the tomtoms of secretarianism, majoritarianism and all that encompasses inequality. Constitutions of South Asia that assure one culture prime place, herald inequality and strike incompatibility with all of Aiyar's thoughts - secular, pluralist, universalist, non-majoritarian, non-secretarian and what not. But who then is the politician rather the statesman to beared the lion in its den? Who among them is prepared to risk his/her political future in his/her collaborative effort with justice and truth? The high risk involved in straightening the hunch in majorities coming in the form of "Rata Jhatiya", Hindutva and some other of its kind goes without saying. The Western missionaries that came over here or rather sent went about setting up schools fostered heavy polarization. The British governors themselves encouraged the charismatic leaders of different communities at that time into setting up schools on lines of ethno-linguistic colouring. The South Asian population itself was quite ignorant of the future chaos they were in for. All this apart, the political structures and institutions introduced coming in the form of communal representation as was evident in the establishment of the State Council contributed as well in no small measure to sow the seeds of division and resentment. However, the South Asian nature itself - being one of acceptance and tolerance - made an innocent people victim to such external machinations. Their lame capacity to welcome the visitor - an attribute of their's prevalent from antiquity which continuity saw no end coupled with their unsuspecting nature has moved them into rugged terrain. However, the influence and impact brought upon these nations centred mainly around ethno-centric majoritarian concepts has become - if one could call it - almost a bio-genetic factor. The question now is, do we have the political capital and will to efface this malaise? The whole drama is not without its accompanying irony. We in South Asia while sending out the ethno-centric, nationalistic, anti-imperialist patriotic cry have also ungrudgingly decided to continue with imperialistic political institutions and lay out directly contrasting all that is indigenous. |
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Produced by Lake House |
History repeats they say. But that repetition is unlikely however much
Indian Minister Raj Mani Shankari Aiyar and the like of him wish it would.
