Of Epithets, governance and Godmen
by Nitesh Pillai
Land of the Free and Home of the Brave - that's the United States Of America for you. What about India? Well, we used be the land of terrible snakes, maneating Tigers and uncivilised folk in the eyes of the Europeans and Americans, thanks to the misleading anecdotes of the Gora Saab who returned to his blessed land of 'Fish and Chips'. These have come to pass and now India is known by the number of nuclear and ICBM tests it has carried out or the number of close encounters of the nuclear kind it has had with its neighbor Pakistan.
Of late, there have been in the news quite a few religious figures for the wrong reasons. The Kanchi Seer is the foremost who comes to mind. More recently we have had evangelist and healer extra-ordinaire Benny Hinn to grace the pages of newspapers. India, with its multitudes, can get quite a handful to govern, no doubt. But, is the nation bereft of its resources? Does the country have nothing more to offer in terms of succour and basic welfare to its peoples?
Why is the government so impotent come up with free services and public welfare schemes that are at par with these 'Godmen', 'Seers' and 'Evangelists'? If it did, then such Godmen, Swamis and Faith Healers wouldn't hold that big a sway and command over the people! Not that it is a bad thing. But then, why do we have a 'democratically' elected government for? Of course, it's a whole different matter that the increasing number of criminal element has made a mockery of the democratic way of thought.
Coming back to the 'healers', these individuals get away with 'influencing' the people towards their religion which just isn't and shoudn't be acceptable, be it influencing the people towards Hinduism, Christianity or Islam.
The situation across the length and breadth of the nation is replete with stories of misery and starvation, disease and drought, illiteracy and unemployment and a widening gap between the 'Haves' and 'Have-nots'. Farmers are committing suicide almost every day in some part of the nation. This shouldn't be the scene du jour in an Independent India, after 57 years, no less!
It is thanks to the inability or the incompetence on part of the successive governments at the Centre and State that the poor remain thus and the rich stay untouched by the realities of LIFE. Such a stark disparity in the quality of life and welfare of the people of all classes need to be addressed on a war footing. When the numerous African nations and tribes have gradually realised that civil war and petty power politics don't help the people, then it should be no big a deal for the powers-that-be in India to do something similar, to that effect. Our political parties and Netas should bury the hatchet and refrain from 'Gaddi' politics in favour of the collective welfare of the citizenry.
Better management and utilisation of resources will go a long way in this endeavor and it might be possible for the Indian government to take charge of the peoples' welfare without the help of the scores of 'Godmen', 'Seers' and 'Faith Healers'. Today, India is plagued by the various manifestations of holy men. Sure some are genuine good folk, preaching the word of God. But let us dwell upon the reasons why such 'incarnations' of God or Godmen/women are dime a dozen? Obviously it doesn't wax eloquent of the Indian Government or its garibi hatao, rozgaar dilao programs. There have been numerous welfare programs by the government since the past half century, but still the layman has virtually little or no recourse to make himself gainfully employed and sustain himself. A huge section of the society is still below, way below the poverty line, the garibi ki rekha, so to speak.
Projecting India as an emerging Super Power is one thing and actually doing something substantial for the multitudes with no representation to their woes and basic needs is quite another. The crores of the national demograph can do without the empty rhetoric of the politicians and the five-year plans. Again the integrity and political will of the individual political parties and Netas determine whether aid, welfare and relief reach the right person, instead of being siphoned-off into private accounts or pet-projects. It was heartening to hear APJ Abdul Kalam's Presidential address the nation on the eve of the Indian Republic Day, and speak at length of the unemployment situation in the nation, the illiteracy and the overall pathetic living conditions and disparity. His vision to give impetus to the Agricultural sector and generate more employment opportunities in the backward areas of our vast nation which stands ignored was music to many a ear. But his opinions, dreams and vision for India-2020 to become a reality, many a hurdle need to be crossed, short-sighted people, wisened and self-serving people booted out.
It remains to be seen how many of the above visions of our Prez gets actually materialized.
