Liberalism and India

Eighteen years ago, or to be more precise, on July 24, 1991, India was ushered into new era of economic liberalism. Circumstances forced us opt free market over Fabian socialism.

Many of us fretted the decision. It drove us believe that decision was fatal to nation’s economy. Newspapers those days were full of reports pounding words like ‘Gatt’, ‘WTO’, ‘Swadeshi’.

I still remember: We had a debate organised at school. Whether or not conscious about the facts, participating in debates was my birth-right. I cajoled that right and entered into debate.

All participants opposed the so called liberalization. Everyone with more or less tone said, signing Gatt would push India into east India like company’s hands. The teachers applauded our understanding. And since there was no one to oppose our views, the debate, as a “debate” didn’t actually take place. With no clear winner, the prize then was distributed among all participants.

At playground, cricket followed discussions on why India should oppose “ghost of liberalization”. We did not either know what nationalism was but made us believe so by opposing liberalization.

Gradually liberalization brought in privatization, globalization and deregularization. The changes across the fields became discernible among certain class. Phrases like ‘License raj’ and ‘hindu rate of growth’ stopped cropping up in the discussions while trade unions – like the one I am associated with – partially reduced to cultural organizations. We embraced all latest technology.

As the economic liberalism made us prosper, libertian values quickly became sellable. We preferred calling ourselves libertians. Cultural block in the mindspace opened up. A new elite class was created Proponents of sex gathered momentum when they talked about open society. 'Pink Chaddi’ became sign of liberalism. Stories full of moralizing started getting secondary treatment.

On July 24, Manmohan Singh’s tiny? step completed 18 years. The man at the helm in the meantime has gathered more power. Clamor of opposition has reduced to zero. The left have already exited from the government. The right-wing RSS too is all “Jai ho” about open market – RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently said “Whatever is good in this world, is all swadeshi for us”. And while all this was happening, the Wall street bubble burst.

Some problems have been sorted out, some persist. We have prospered in liberalism yet we reserve our right to embrace it in its full form. We probably know it give us fruits, but with the bitter taste if eaten even before they are ripe. Not bitten yet shy, the India today is.

A less serious post

Few hours from now Sene chief Pramod Muthalik will start receiving pink innerwears. And when he actually gets one, one thing, I guess, that would top his mind is how to deal with it.

I have done few stories and a profile on Muthalik. I got to know that besides being a freak, a rabble-rouser Muthalik adores two persons most Vinayak Savarkar and Nathuram Godse.

A Brahmin by birth, Muthalik too believes in Godse’s one-nation theory and to keep Gandhi assassin’s views alive, he never misses to attend Godse’s remembrance function in Pune on every November 15. Last year, he stunned everyone when he actually printed a pocket calendar bearing Godse’s picture, an image of which is displayed in this post. Similarly he claims to be a Savarkarwadi.

So, will Muthalik play Savarkar, who had organised bonfire of foreign clothes on Pune’s Karve road in 1905 to fight British raj. The only difference this time around is the clothes are desi while those who wear them, according to Sene brigade, are of western mindset. I am sure, politically, he will score many brownie points against his rivals.

Er, I have actually provided Muthalik a great idea to fight back pink-Chaddiwallah’s onslaught. He now owes me another good story through doing or publishing something more stunning.

But before that he should also read Savarkar’s essay:

English Women and Hindusthani men

Savarkar writes, “If a nation has political freedom, it leads to progress in many other areas. And one thing leads to another. A good example is found in the present agitation of English women.

England was ruled by Romans for some 500 years and after they left came various monarchs. Later, since the days of Magna Carta in 1215, the King’s powers were curtailed by the Barons. Centuries later, the rich businessmen got representation in Parliament. Now women are demanding a say in the running of their country. We have to learn quite a lot from their movement. I therefore give the details of the movement…”.

Image is one front side of pocket calender, that bear picture of Nathuram Godse (left) and Vinayak Savarkar (right). Source: A nonymous worker of Muthalik.