Polyglot India

    The truth is what we call “India” is a massive polyglot of several thousands of “tribes” (based on religions,     languages, castes, other factors). The very fact that such a large population with such diversity was brought     together under a constitution and a functioning system was achieved is a huge testament to the founders.

A lofty tone of “unity in diversity” is the only way that place can survive, the moment populism is used to invoke divisions (for political gains), the place starts to regress and fragment. All through post-Independent history, various politicians have used divisive politics to win votes, but the big difference now is a very systematic process of creating a big chasm (sadly invoking religion) across a huge divide and also undermining the independent institutions that afforded some bulwark for democracy to succeed.

Some years ago, commemorating the 50th anniversary of modern India, the National Geographic described India as a political success and called it the “boldest experiment in democracy ever attempted”.

Undoing this is easy, and the price will be paid in ways unimaginable. All said and done, sense may yet prevail, and as Mrs. Gandhi once said in an interview “India somehow always manages to rise to the occasion even at the brink of self-created disaster” or as Edward Luce in his book “India: In Spite of the Gods” time again refers to the marvels of innovative survival that characterizes that place – may these truisms be true!

Venkat

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