HOW FREE ARE YOU?

Reflections of a young adult on the susceptible position of a subverted concept

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high….…Into ever-widening thought and action, Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”

- Rabindranath Tagore

I belong to a country that is currently sixty-three years young, but, when I look around me, the thoughts that are ricocheted seem centuries old. This paradox called India is a paradigm of ancient dogmas intermittently arrayed with a sense of an artificial modernity. Maybe, this is the reason we still revel in dynastic politics while wriggling simultaneously in despair to free ourselves from the clutches of poverty and indifference.

The question that arises in my mind is, ‘How free am I?’

Keeping the facts in mind, my attempt in this essay is to emphasise on the need to wipe out the diffidence of the youth towards the country and encourage them to assume responsibility as ‘Architects of the Future.’

This essay will serve as an exposé on the issue at hand ‘How Free are you?’ by highlighting four important themes:

Part one focuses on ‘Civil Society as a primeval need of Modern Man.’ The following section, will deal with the ‘Idea called Freedom’. The third part elucidates the Role of Freedom in a Democratic society and its gross manipulation in various fields under ‘Freedom: A Democratic Sham.’ The final section, ‘I can be Free: The Audacity of Hope’ will counter these problems with a simple seven- step workable youth program supplemented by comments by Dr. Shashi Tharoor and Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai.

Civil Society: The Primeval need of Modern Man

As we deliberate on the various periods of history, we study the progress of Man from being an absolute nomad to a social animal that cannot thrive in isolation. It is from this need for social contact that the first civilisation emanated and today continues to flourish. ^[2]

The case, however, seems to have changed drastically over the years. Given the current deplorable scenario on the political front and the dismal display of the hunger for power and money, I am forced to recall and re- think if Lao Tzu was right when he stated,

“Exterminate the sage [the ruler] and discard the wisdom [of rule], and the people will benefit a hundredfold”^[3]

As I contemplate on the issue at hand, reality strikes hard and I am faced with the quintessential question: ‘What have I done to secure my freedom?’ The issue at hand today is one that we all as responsible citizens should be vigilant about. As a young adult, I am faced with innumerable questions on the economic, political and social health of the Motherland I love.

A major determinant is the perception of man that works on two levels: individual and social. Man primarily seeks to serve an individual purpose first, fulfil his self- interest and then if he finds it in his interest he looks to the benefit of mankind.^[4] This gives rise to the involvement of the common man or colloquially the ‘Aam Admi’ who must rise above all and perform his civic duties as pre- determined by the supreme law of the land, The Constitution of India. The law bestows a certain amount of authority to elected representatives of the people. Here, it is imperative to note what an Indian strategic analyst pointed out regarding the difference between ‘power’ and ‘influence.’ He said that a country may earn its title as a superpower but if its influence is on the wane it is in need for active coalition-building.^[5] We are forced to ask ourselves, ‘To whom do we owe our solidarity? Is it to the country, a political party comprising of flawed human beings much like ourselves or something greater?’

Freedom: An Idea or a Practice?

If we are to study the question posed in the previous section, we must first deal with the idea called ‘Freedom.’ This concept may be best defined in the words of Bertrand Russell who said, “Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires.” This means that there is no scope for any sporadic hurdles if we want to consider ourselves free. Now, a concept remains so until it is put in practice but, here it is that we confront the naked truth. Although, India won her Independence at the stroke of the midnight hour on the night of 15^th August, 1947, she attained a limited ‘paper- freedom.’ This is because the lust for power was overwhelming to the sons of the soil. The fact that pristine politicians like Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel and others existed cannot undermine the reality that corruption exhibited its ugly countenance through the lower rungs.

Today, India features in the ‘Top 100’ list in terms of Corruption. On reading this statement you and I are now forced to cogitate on the more important point, ‘When we talk of realisation of desires, whose desires are we talking about?’ The ancient Latin Proverb, ‘Optima corrupta pessima’[6] comes to mind.

Freedom: A Democratic Sham!

We have already seen the role that Freedom should play in the logical sense. Now, we will deal with the Reflections of Freedom in the modern day scenario. The Commonwealth Games scandal and the 2G Spectrum Scam will go down in History as the darkest period of Indian Democracy. All our achievements of this period have been overshadowed by the incessant need for supremacy. It is now a distant dream for anyone to wake up one morning and read a newspaper headline that is free from the scar of another politician’s wayward ways. The immediate effect of this permanent blot on the political circle has evidently affected the economic sphere as well. Foreign investors are questioning the credibility of the country. Research shows that India is to take a severe hit financially in 2011-2012 as a result of the dent on the country’s reputation.^[7] Stagnation on the economic front will further widen the Great Economic Divide that is prevalent in India.

We call ourselves a Pluralist democracy that has transcended the most important barriers of religion and language. The point however is that it is not enough to only show unanimity on the outset and not make the best use of the opportunities that society has to offer in the service of the country.

It is rightly stated, “Poverty and prosperity are not matters of land. Poverty or riches or personal satisfaction depend on man, on his culture and on his political arrangements. Understand that and you will understand the most important cause of wealth deprivation.”^[8] It is shameful to note that in a country with 1.21 billion people we are struggling with a whopping 41.6% below the International poverty line.^[9] Sauvik Chakravarti summed up the entire situation in a simple statement encumbered in Truth. He said, “We as a nation have been woefully ignorant for far too long.”^[10]

In the political and economic spheres of our country we need to focus on the issue of collective planning that needs to be complemented by political consciousness for it to work in favour of the Aam Admi. Ultimately, the members of the Government are very much answerable for their actions to the people who elected them. The recent 2G Spectrum Scam brought to the forefront the issue of corruption at the highest levels of the political hierarchy. No one man can be held responsible for what happened. It was the callousness on the part of all those concerned to maintain a check on the working of the Telecom industry. As if that wasn’t enough, the Commonwealth Games Scandal took the cherry, the icing and the whole cake! In fact, a popular comment doing the rounds these days is that the oncoming monsoon session of the Parliament may just have to shift to Tihar! It is when I read statements like these from the naïve youth who call themselves the ‘Future of India,’ I realise we need to work our way out of this disgraceful situation. The Youth of today are slowly losing their faith in the workability of a Democracy in the country. Before we can concentrate our attention towards finding plausible solutions for this problem, we need to focus on other difficulties that are leading to social dispiritedness.

The Government of India recently passed a bill in favour of a thirty- three per cent reservation for women. However, this has failed to make a compelling impact on the majority. The reason I do not support any form of Reservation is because it gives rise to a hackneyed society. We all would prefer to have a healthy competition, rather than show unwelcome pity to a deserving female candidate whose potential may never be recognised because she falls under a category called ‘Reserved.’ The age- old myth of Reservation becoming some sort of status symbol is definitely a farce. The lesser we believe in it the better will be our future. A similar problem is faced by deserving students who lose their seats because of reservation.

A glaring issue when we talk of Freedom is the issue of Economic Growth. As I peruse the newspapers each day, I am apprehensive about the catharsis of the Economic Crisis. Edward Wilson once stated, “We are the first species in the history of life to go out of control on a global scale.” Although the statement may seem astounding, the truth in it cannot be undermined.

The major pillar of a glowing Democracy is its Free Media. In fact one of the first propagators of a Free Press, John Milton has given the essence of Truth in media in his essay Areopagitica, “Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter.”

Today, the media it seems has succumbed to the indomitable power of money. The integrity of the media is at stake especially because it has now engrossed in the trivial. This is a matter of serious concern and so it is essential that both the Print and Broadcast forms of communication must be scrutinised. I do not believe in ‘Media- gagging’ but I am in favour of a positive restraint. Given the corruption that is rife even in the Media today, Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai shared his views on the Responsibility of a Free Media and Student Participation. He wrote,

“I think the quality of the news will improve when we invest greater time and effort in content generation. News can be fast food only up to a point. The prime responsibility of the media is to report the news as they see it without any personal agendas influencing it. I wish the student community would get more passionate about public life, and their attention span should not be fleeting. There is more to news than a 140 character tweet! Explore the complexities of news, look for shades of grey, and not black and white descriptions. [11]”

I can be Free: The Audacity of Hope

Since we have studied the major issues that affect the Indian political system we realise the reasons that young people are soaked in political indifference. The need of the hour is to find a solution to the impending problems rather than fall prey to worthless Criticism.

Lord Byron once remarked, “Nothing is as difficult as the beginning.” So, keeping in mind the various problems that our country faces, here is a simple Seven- Step Program recommended in order to have a substantial increase in the percentage of youth participation in the country.

1. Introduce Day Training programs, workshops for the Youth to broaden their views about Politics.

2. Political Counseling and setting up of Political Engages at regular intervals throughout the year and not only at the time of elections. Make the Youth believe in their leaders!

3. Induction of young Turks in the Indian Parliament.

4. The use of various media like Twitter and Facebook to connect with the people. Excellent examples include, Mr. Kevin Rudd, former Australian PM, Omar Abdullah CM of Kashmir and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Former Under- Secretary General to the UN and currently a prominent Member of Parliament in India. All these popular international personalities have created a virtual platform for Political Accountability apart from connecting remarkably well with the young minds!

5. Establishing schools that work for an overall development of the student and imparts not only secular and cultural values but also a greater degree of civil consciousness.

6. Each political party must include Youth Participation compulsorily in their Party Manifesto and recruit committed young people in the cadre.

7. Finally, establishment of schools specializing solely in the field of Politics and Governance like the MIT- School of Governance in Pune would be a welcome relief.

With the hope that this essay has fulfilled its task of elucidating upon the current trends of Political Apathy in the Youth in the context of a free society, I conclude in the optimistic words of Dr. Shashi Tharoor,

“The only answer is to get involved! Young people must know they should not be indifferent to politics because it determines their opportunities in so many ways. We all get the political leaders we deserve, so if we stay apathetic we allow others to decide for us who makes the policies that shape our futures...”^[12]

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CAN I BECOME A POLITICIAN?

Dispelling political myths for young Political Aspirants!

I belong to a country that is 65 years young and in a month’s time ‘She’ will celebrate her 66th birthday. But, something saddens me deeply. My country is home to one-sixth of the entire world’s population, but is still struggling to get her young sons and daughters to work for her.

Politics in India is said to be confined to a few influential families; but, what happens when when we do not want to contribute to our country for fear of being branded. Can we then blame those who are willing to take up responsibility for us? Politics is known to have taken people to the zenith of a successful career while others have unwillingly become scapegoats. With this background the quintessential question remains, “Should I consider taking Politics as a profession?”

The aim of this blogpost is only to dispel the myths that most youngsters face and erase the cynicism leading to indecision and finally political apathy. With a hope that I can make a slight Attitudinal difference, I have addressed a few questions on the scope of aspiring young Indians willing to take the lead in re- defining India, a country, richly blessed with a rich history, heritage and culture!

Do I really need to be the daughter/son of a politician to be a successful politician?

This is perhaps the first question that most of the sons and daughters of young India ask. The answer is NO! You do not need to hail from a politically affluent family to be a politico. In fact there are very many politicians from our own Indian Political system who do not belong to influential political families. Prominent names include, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyyar, Arun Jaitley and many others.

Prominent Political families rule the country. Do I stand a chance?

We do not want a family to rule the country, but what happens when we willingly abdicate our responsibility from contributing to the social welfare of the country. Why do we aspire to stay away from politics and then question the policies that are made by like-minded thinking individuals? So am I an idealist? No, far from it! I’d rather be a pragmatist and review both sides of the coin. My belief takes refuge in Arnold Glasgow’s famous lines, “An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” If the son or daughter of a prominent politician is willing to make a difference to lives and in doing so positively influence young minds, why shouldn’t he/she do so? That does not mean that children of non- political families will never get the support of the masses. The people want a politician they can connect with, one who sympathises and empathises with them, not one with influence, power or money!

I am considering taking up politics, does my Age count?

Age can never be an impediment for anyone genuinely wanting to serve his motherland. Your morals, your goals are probably what will define who you are. Implementation of your promises to the masses is the key to being a good Politician!

But what about getting branded as ‘corrupt’ and a ‘cheat’?

For all those who ask this question, I would like you to re- consider other professions. As examples, I have just added a few prominent ones. You may find these argots attributed to the following professions. At least these are some I have heard of.

Lawyers are liars!

Diplomats, smooth liars!

Doctors are butchers!

And the much hallowed Teaching profession too has borne the brunt of similar jargon. Is there any truth to these statements? NO! So does that stop one from taking up these professions? Again, No! Because the simple fact remains that despite all odds our country has the distinction of producing the finest lawyers, doctors and diplomats that the world looks up to! A few rotten apples in the Political System cannot and should not over- shadow or undermine the virtues of the rest.

Christy Romano once wrote, “And after I make a lot of money, I'll be able to afford running for office” Times have changed though and the youth wings of most parties are considering the induction of newbies who are interested in the welfare of the country and are willing to devote their quality time in the service of the nation. Many a time the political parties too help you out to stand for elections.

But, India is a multi- party State. Whom should I represent?

This is a question that every new entrant should give a careful thought before entering the political foray. Floor- crossing never holds good with the masses. With the mushrooming of political parties in every State and city, it tends to become a little confusing for any political aspirant to choose his path. A simple step one, is to read up on the Party policy and see which ideologies bear similarities to your own.

Finally, the most interesting and perhaps the most defining question of them all;

Am I eligible to be a Politician?

Yes, if you have a willingness to work for your country, principles that you ‘Believe’ in and the support of your electorate, you may not become a very rich politician but you will most definitely be a Loved Respected and admired Politician. The Choice is Yours!

This Blogpost is dedicated to the Indian Politician who changed my view towards Politics for the better:

Dr. Shashi Tharoor : An Inspiration to Youngsters across the Globe!

Open Letter to all Youth Members

Dear Youth Member,

I HAVE A DREAM….

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace.
You may say I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not the only one.
I hope someday you’ll join us,
And the world will be as one.
-John Lennon

As I sit by the riverside, this calm and peaceful morning, I ponder over these words of John Lennon a great singer and a better Dreamer. ‘Peace today is a dead man’s cup of tea.’ Ironic as it may sound the statement does resonate today's hidden truth. I believe that if people around the world recognize the need for a non violent existence on the basis of co-operation and comprehensive youth contribution, this Dream could become a Reality in the near future.

As a youth in today’s modern materialistic world, I realize that sadly members of the Global Youth Community are afflicted with the 'Who Cares?' attitude. ‘Who cares about Peace, Politics or Governance?

My point here: Are we doing our bit? If not, do we have a moral stand to question an authority that we neither supported nor rejected? Can we state cynically at the behest of some propaganda that the country's political, economic and social status is in doldrums even though we are uncertain of the facts? It is easy to criticize, rally and shout slogans, but equally difficult to practice what we preach!

It is interesting to note what Dr. Shashi Tharoor, former Under Secretary General to the United Nations and currently a leading Member of Parliament from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, wrote on a plausible remedy on the Apathy of the Youth towards Politics and Human Rights.

He wrote,

“The only answer is to get involved! Young people must know they should not be indifferent to politics because it determines their opportunities in so many ways. We all get the political leaders we deserve, so if we stay apathetic we allow others to decide for us who makes the policies that shape our futures...”

Responsibility springs from the willingness to be an active participant in the system. The Sydney Peace Foundation, for example, started the ‘Youth Peace Initiative’ to bring about like- minded young individuals together to promote peace with Justice and Non- violence as its pillars.

An ecumenical non- violent and rational approach towards Life, The Government and one’s Environment are prerogatives in establishing a Just society. Just as how Peace cannot be an offshoot of War, Criticism cannot be an offspring of ignorance. Advocating the aforesaid values during the formative years of an individual will make him/her aware about the impending issues that we encounter. Take Sebastian Marot the founder of Friends International & Ann Cotton who received significant response from youngsters around the world to contribute to society in their own little way. These organizations aim at ‘making the World a Better Place to live in.’

As a member of the youth community, I believe that although a chance to create a phenomenal change on a global level overnight is svelte, we can and we must endeavor to fulfill this mammoth task. But the quintessential question is, ‘HOW?’

When I contemplate on this issue, I realize that primary problems faced globally include economic instability, social injustice, racism, gender bias political surreptitiousness and most importantly, Terrorism. As a member of a young and inexperienced whole, we may lack the maturity and the resources that a politician or diplomat is gifted with, but we are gifted with the opulence of one asset, ‘Will power’. Skillful use of this asset can bring about a major change in restoring World Peace.

To begin with, we need to find a permanent quick fix solution for the immediate problems at hand like poverty, unemployment, untouchability and gender bias. To uproot these four issues a group of individuals can start campaigning against them. We can achieve maximum support by using Education as a tool. For example, if two youth members have studied Economics, they must link themselves with associations or non- profit organizations especially for the development in rural areas that would need assistance in Finances. Similar attempts can be made in other fields like Agriculture, science etc.

In order to do away with unemployment, an efficient solution could be Training programs for the unskilled laborers given by experts in the field. The government could make provisions for these experts to work with the under- privileged. Community Service will foster the eradication of poverty. If we must solve these problems, we must create awareness by publicizing the ill effects of these major social concerns through responsible free media. Media support in the form of shows like The Citizen Journalist show on CNN- IBN is commendable.

Another issue that may not be prevalent everywhere but nonetheless exists is untouchability and racism. In this case members of the Global community who have had personal experiences with racism or untouchability and have succeeded in overcoming them must accompany the Youth Groups as a source of inspiration for those still suffering. Social service camps can be organized. Gender bias can be eradicated by placing men and women on equal footing in educational institutes and workplaces. Co-educational schools and colleges must be promoted to encourage a harmonious society. Volunteering at organisations like Teach For India, CRY and a lot more that work for the benefit of the rural and underprivelged urban populace.

As a young adult and an aspiring diplomat, my Dream is to make a difference by serving the poverty- stricken and victims of violence by serving the World’s Largest Organisation dedicated to the nobel mission of maintaining Peace, ‘The United Nations.’ With the help of fellow diplomats as promoters of Peace I would like to strive towards the process of reconciliation among disparate nations of the world by evicting barriers of insidiousness and deception by becoming an efficient interlocutor to instil world peace. Sustained efforts by all nations as a united global front will see the Death of Terrorism. I firmly disapprove of the dogma that the UN is merely a paper organization working only for a few Influential powers. For me, the UN is a paradigm of Universal Harmony. Although the UN has had its stumbling blocks, its ingenuity in contriving various measures through International Charters for Peace and Human Rights is commendable.

As a member of a vulnerable and yet paradoxically strong community, I urge you to re- think your stance towards the country and the government in the words of Robert Fulghum,

“Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, Something you do, Something you are, And something you give away.”

I've made my choice... The question remains... Have you?

GETTING TO KNOW MY MENTOR: YEAR ONE

As a student up until last year, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I too would look up to an Indian politician as a Role Model. In fact the existence of an honest political figure in the Indian political setup who could connect with the common man on a public portal was novel to me. I do not completely deny the existence of pristine politicians in the past, but given the intermittent political trends that exist, the statistics spoke otherwise. I have always aspired to be a diplomat but quite frankly never had a chance or the initiative to look up to anyone until the April of 2010!

It all started with our esteemed Fourth Estate playing the role of Knights unravelling the Shroud of the IPL scandal. Given the number of scandals that the Media ‘supposedly’ unveils every day, honestly I shouldn’t have been so engrossed in it. All of a sudden though the entire world around me seemed to be talking ‘IPL’ language (can’t blame them, really!) and that got me delving for information to understand what the entire brouhaha was all about.Apparently, the Head of the IPL commission had accused the Minister of State for External affairs of using his influence to earn some easy money and so on. All this was again supposedly ‘exposed’ to the media through a popular social networking medium Twitter. Something seemed terribly amiss. The plot seemed all too easily executed.

The major problem with my generation (No offence guys, but its true!) is that we hear one fragment of the entire story and the media so beautifully interweaves its own story on that line of thought that by the end of all the media bludgeoning, we pass an immediate and biased judgment on the person concerned!

I guess wisdom had the better of me so instead of falling prey to wanton media gossip I read up Dr. Shashi Tharoor’s bio on Wikipedia. It became clear that there definitely had to be a serious lapse on the part of those accusing him. Why would someone with an unblemished international career of 30 years feel the need to sacrifice a good name for a few ‘Rupees’ more? Well, the media had their heifer and they were definitely not going to miss any chance of slaughtering his name. When we discussed it in college back then, most of my colleagues had already made up their mind that Dr. Tharoor had indeed committed a folly! Revelations of the unheard second angle however led them to understand that they had indeed been a little too judgmental.

Dr. Tharoor’s popularity among the ‘Twitterati’ is unquestionable. Most people thought he would probably quit Twitter for good, but my instincts knew better and soon after my Graduation exams I too joined this networking site with a hope that I might just be able to receive atleast one tweet in reply! Simultaneously I began to watch older videos that had been posted on the internet and learnt a lot more on his philosophy, his career at the UN and the person himself. I made sure I got myself every book that was available because I was genuinely interested to read Dr. Tharoor’s books. This came as a surprise to friends and family who know all too well that I never read an Indian author unless I have to write an exam! (Maybe I just read the wrong writers!) I loved every work both fiction and non- fiction that he has written. Reading his works helped in replacing my own cynicism with a hope for a better India.

Well, but things seemed bleak on the Twitter front. The peril of being a newbie on a networking site is that you are inadvertently confronted with impatience. I tweeted and tweeted and tweeted completely unaware that there were a hundred other people tweeting the gentleman all at the same time! Fifty tweets and two months later when I was on the verge of giving up I received my first tweet from Dr. Tharoor who readily helped me out with a couple of questions I had regarding the United Nations. Soon, this Twitterbug called ‘Me’ received help to get a topic for an International Public Speaking Exam and sure enough I had his blessings too! It was a kind gesture on his part. Conversing with him was an absolute delight and he became (and continues to be) an inspiration for me! My dad was a little taken by the fact that now his daughter had enough to talk on Politics but wasn’t very interested in talking Hollywood or MTV. I guess he understands now.

So what defines Shashi Tharoor?

Getting to know Dr. Tharoor for me has been a very enriching experience. You can meet a movie star tomorrow and return home with stars in your eyes and that’s it. On the other hand, attend a Shashi Tharoor talk and you will return with an amazing amount of knowledge and positivity that will remain with you for a lifetime. I have had the privilege of attending two sessions in my hometown and can’t wait to hear him again! Trust me, this is no hero worship, it’s the Plain Truth.

I think it would be a privilege to get a chance to achieve atleast a quarter of what Dr. Tharoor has achieved and to contribute to society and my people the same way he is incessantly trying. I am sure the Indian Parliament does not lack good members but I guess we need our Ministers to reach out to the commoners more often. In fact it would be great if all citizens were just given a leeway to express their thoughts as it were. What has most ‘Tharoorians’ like me over-awed is the fact that with all the popularity he enjoys, here is a man who exudes humility perfectly complemented by the most charming witty responses that has the audience spell- bound.

I hope that Dr. Tharoor’s work receives the recognition it deserves in our country the way it has for so many years abroad. God willing, his good work will dispel the myths revolving around him so that the youth of today have the opportunity to learn a lot more from the person I call My Mentor!

How I Define Dr. Shashi Tharoor as a leader: (I’m sure there are many quotes, but this one strikes a chord for me!)"If Your actions inspire others to dream more learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” It is this quality that sets him apart!

Please Note: The views and comments stated in this Article are personal and not subject to media scrutiny.