Young men and women of today are a confident lot. They are sure of what they want, quite unlike many of us of the past generation. The young romantics of the past generation were idealistic and a lot of them were drawn to Socialism or Communism. But today most youngsters are taken by Pragmatism. Why has the change happened? I think, today life is not about just earning a livelihood, because that is within the reach of most people. Some years ago the living conditions of most people were extremely difficult but that situation has changed somewhat. Though the gap between the rich and the poor is huge and widening still, I think, the number of people who had no hope to look forward to has come down steeply in recent times. People are also realising that Socialism and Communism has not delivered what they promised in all those countries where they were or are still in power.
Though our Communists are crying hoarse about the inhumanities perpetrated by Capitalism in America and the western countries the arguments are hollow. No one is saying that Big Brother USA is doing everything right. Yes, they have done wrong in Iraq. Not everyone in India think that they did wrong in Afghanistan. Before the Talibans took over the Afghan administration who was occupying that country. Was it right for USSR to do it in Afghanistan? Was the Stalin regime such a sweetie pie? They have butchered more innocents than Hitler did, in the name of Socialism! But for Indian Communists Stalin and Lenin are still big heroes. Talk about Stalin’s misdeeds and the Indian Communists will go red in the face!
Our Communists are stalling disinvestments of PSUs, labour reforms, removal of subsidies on a number of items etc ostensibly for the benefit of the working class. But are they really good for the working class? Trade unions are relevant only up to a point. When the Trade Unions have no cause to fight against managements they invent causes to continue to do things to prove their relevance and in the process they become a burden to the community and the working class itself. They have done much harm to the working class and the community in general.
The disinvestments minister of the previous Government was undoubtedly an honest person and he has publicly offered to answer all the allegations the Communists are levelling against him. And the ruling Congress coalition government looks on helplessly and trying to weekly support the views of the Communists!! The clear policy of the ex-minister Arun Shourie, rightly was that it is not the Government’s business to run business houses. The Government’s business is to provide proper Governance and to intervene when norms are flouted. Yes, the private business class is interested in profits only. Does that mean that the Government should keep holding on to profit making companies till they become sick like mud? The private business would maximise their profits in whatever manner they want. What is the problem there for the Communists? If the workers get all their dues and more why are the Communists bothered? The poor unsuspecting workers are always taken for a ride. Up to a point it was the businessmen who took the working class for a ride and then it is by the trade unions! When an honest minister goes about his work seriously and earnestly, the entire political class sits up and finds faults with him. The present finance minister who is known to be a supporter of private capital is also finding faults with Arun Shourie for untenable reasons. That is politics!
The tragedy is that the way this Government is going, the working class will get cheated again. The Congress is giving away to the Communists in all matters, be it private enterprise or Naxalism. They have emerged as the force behind the Government and for all wrong reasons they may do better if elections were held again. This will be a tragedy because the working class will be the real sufferers in the long run if the Communists gain strength in this country. If this happens the Congress can take credit for that!
A very large section of the population of this country considered it improper (to use the mildest word) that a person of foreign origin should become the PM of this country. But the Congress had no alternative but to have a leader of foreign origins or perish. Millions of people could just only gulp and eat their pride in silence when it became a reality that Sonia Gandhi would become the PM. Though it was a relief when she renounced (!) the throne it is only a matter of time before she would claim it with strength on her side.
The NDA has really spoiled the chances to build a strong base for itself. Their leaders were too immature to gauge the atmosphere in the country. Who would be interested to see on the TV screen, some BJP leaders doing push ups in five star gymnasiums and eating such rich food which only the Mughal Kings of a different era could afford? Compared to that the young Congress new comers wore turbans, like villagers and sat on “Charpoys” drinking tea from mud pots! That really caught the voter’s imagination! Though all that is spurious humility, that worked.
Now the popular belief is that if we want a stable and strong Government The Hindus must unite. Hindus must unite not against any one but to give this country a strong Government, which has to keep the country from chaos and disintegration. The Hindu political class has to work for the up-liftment of the poorer sections and the underprivileged classes including the OBC, ST/SC and minorities. All the sections should be united which only the Hindu community can do.
Today every section of the Indian polity is trying to find their identity. The words nationalism and patriotism have lost their meaning. Secularism of thought and deed is more important than building a religious identity. The Hindus will have to win the minds and hearts of the other communities, and that is possible only if they themselves stand strong and united. Spirituality is the Ethos of India and the Hindus must take the lead to preserve that. Today secularism is a hollow word in Indian politics. All political parties are caste oriented and call themselves secular. The Communists and the Congress are experts in fishing in these troubled waters! The relevance of the Congress and the Communist parties for the future of India is highly debatable.