Who, the People?

The preamble to the Indian Constitution begins with the words, "WE, THE PEOPLE of India" and goes on to say that we resolve to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular Democratic Republic and secure to its citizens various rights. Later in the Constitution, various Fundamental Rights are provided to all the people of India and some even to others visiting or residing in India. Still later, the Constitution gives every adult citizen of the country the right to vote and also to contest elections and become a part of the government.

Vaguely speaking it does appear that the Indian state and the Indian government is for The People. Abraham Lincoln said, "of the people, by the people, for the people". But what does 'People' really mean? It appears so simple yet I find it utterly difficult to comprehend. As a civil servant am I supposed to serve all the people? Does it mean EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL? Is it possible? Is it practical? Is it justified?

I have loads of doubts. When some 'people' want to make a nuclear power factory on a place that would benefit some 'people' by providing them jobs and providing electricity to a lot more 'people', but displace some 'people' who had their homes there, which 'people' should I support? When some 'people' who rape a girl are very poor, are they victims or attackers? When parents want the best groom for their bride and are willing to spend lakhs of rupees to get a good groom, are the parents right or wrong? When two 'people' from different castes or religion want to get married, they offend the religious/social sentiments of a lot of 'people', which one should the government support?

When a riot breaks out, it is some 'people' killing some other 'people', so whom should the government protect and whom should it punish? Weren't the people who are killing are also kin of some other people who got killed? When an upper caste official feels that he is being discriminated because he is not promoted despite merit, is he right? When a tribal official is always discriminated that he has reached the post by reservation and not by merit, he is a gainer or a loser? When some 'people' want to preserve the Indian culture and so prevent other 'people' from wearing some particular costume, which 'people' is more important? Doubts galore.

Are 'women' people? Are 'tribes' people? Are 'businessmen' people? Are 'government officials' people? Are 'politicians' people? If they are all people, then how does one decide the State is for which people?

When a woman who has done well in education and earns a good salary in a good job, expects her maid servant to do all the household job for a petty sum, who is the woman who is being exploited? When a mother-in-law tortures the newly arrived daughter-in-law, who is the woman that one should support? When a newly arrived daughter-in-law refuses to take care of the old and sick mother-in-law, which woman should one listen to?

When a student of upper caste says that he thinks that he could not get into a job because people with inferior intellect got into job as they had 'reservations? and when a tribal boy says that he cannot get a job because everyone doubts his ability as he has come through 'reservations', whom should I support? When parents love their kids so much that they want to select their kid's marriage partners or when kids love someone so much that they want to run away from their parents, whom should one support? 

When an enterprising man who understands all the tax laws, forest laws, mining laws etc and  'manages' to make a lot of money but another man who doesn't understand many laws and is forced to pay a lot of fees and taxes to the government, who is the right 'people' here? When a boy goes and slashes the girl's neck and drinks poison himself, who is more guilty? 

Are the people who feel proud of being a Hindu or a Muslim more important? Or the ones who do not care at all provided they can lead a happy life? When a Hindu boy wants to marry a Muslim girl, is he bringing communal harmony or disturbing it? When a poor tribal kills a rich and enterprising business man, is he a poor tribal or a murderer? When the people who hate corruption in the country fabricate 'rent receipts' to claim HRA benefits in Income tax returns, are they against corruption or for it? When the same 'people' bribe the traffic policeman for not wearing a helmet or jumping a red light, is the traffic police corrupt or the 'people'?

I am very confused as to Who is the People that the government is accountable for? In a village, some people complained that the tap water promised has not begun as the motor has not been installed. On asking the sub-engineer, he said that attempts to install the motor has been hindered by tribal women beating officials with lathis. Which people should the government listen to? The ones who want tap water or the ones who don't want it?

Should one listen to the people who protest with candles near India Gate against corruption but think that giving poor food at cheap rates is a waste of money or should one listen to the poor who do not know where India Gate is but want cheaper food?

Doubts like these confuse me everyday. The government has to choose between two sets of people everyday and one is never sure if it is actually working 'for the people' or against it?

Country to the DOGS?

Most people in my Facebook friend list, whom I know from school or college, are working or studying somewhere in North America or Europe. I assume that they must have made a conscious career choice to go abroad and pursue education or job there because they did not find such interesting opportunities in India. It is not needed to mention that India is far behind US or any European nation and probably cannot absorb all the talent that it produces. I also assume that they must be liking their life out there. I can see pictures of their cycling trips and hikings etc. and also their cars that they bought and the holiday spots that they visited. It does show that they are happy being there.

However, what strikes me is that they often share cynical and skeptic status messages or articles about how India is doomed. They are worried about the depreciation of Indian rupee, but somehow they also find a perverse pleasure in telling their Indian cousins that their package has increased in Indian rupee equivalent. They have an opinion on everything that is happening in India. Whether it is the food security bill, the land acquisition bill, or rapes in the cities or anything that is happening in Indian politics. And if I were to believe my friends staying abroad and the newscasters in India, we are a doomed nation and we have never been worse and the country has gone to dogs.

But it does not skip my attention that elections are coming nearer and in a well-functioning democracy, issues shall start burning when elections come closer and I am fine with it. If government policies are not criticized, how will improvements happen? But to make comments like "Kuch nahi hoga is desh ka" is too simplistic to digest. Most of my friends are children of Liberalization. We were toddlers during the License Raj and know about it only as history. We have grown up in an India where we walk into malls, eat burgers, sip coffee at CCD and feel happy watching cinema in a multiplex. We are also living in an era where a manual worker in some construction project puts on music on his cellphone while he is loading and unloading bricks, to keep him entertained. 

We are also living in an era where we are no longer talking about having schools in every village but talking about the quality of education. Kids of today, when they grow up, will not be able to say that we walked 20 miles to go to school, the way our parents did. But yes, they would crib that their school didn't have computers to study. Ten years down the line, kids won't be able to say that too.

I am living in a district that I had not even heard about before I got posted here and I am still in the process of knowing the place. But when we go to villages and a tribal woman comes and complaints to us that the Aanganwadi worker is not giving food according to the menu, I think that we are moving ahead. She demands it as a right and she wants her kid to get the food that government suggests. When I meet few tribal men and women who have formed a Producer company, got it registered under Companies Act and happily tell me that they have 533 shareholders and 15 members on the Board of the Company and they would like our help in hiring a CEO, I feel that we have moved ahead.

When a village that is so remote that India would not even care that it existed, has a road till its entrance and when we drive there and ask if there is a school there, they say yes, but only till 5th class, we know that we have moved ahead but need to do a lot more.

To all those who think that nothing can happen in India, I want to say that come and see India, go to places by cycling and hiking and trekking. These would be as much fun in India as they are in the forests of Europe or Alaska. Knowing your own country is as much fun as knowing Europe or America. 

I am not saying that there are no problems in India, but then are there no problems in US or France or UK? Or are there no problems in Singapore, Brazil or South Africa? There is nothing wrong in having a country with problems. All countries have problems and in all countries people come on streets and criticize governments and change their governments. And no country changes government as smoothly as India does. But only those countries come out of their problems and become better whose countrymen keep striving to do that. France was made by French and Germany by Germans. India has come this far by the efforts of millions of Indians and shall move further ahead. We will be slow at times and also falter. No one promised a ready-made solution anyways. The anger in people was always this strong and that is what keeps the pressure on the country to move ahead. Let the anger stay but do not let it turn into skepticism, cynicism or hopelessness. The problems were always like this and we have always come out triumphed. Channelize your anger in finding solutions. 

The country has not gone to dogs, it never had. Change your government, if you will. That is the beauty of democracy. But the nation shall keep moving ahead, because there are still millions who believe in it and spend their day and night trying.