Debating
Elections, Debating Development
By
Ram Puniyani
"
The
ongoing elections have created turmoil and churning in the society at an
unprecedented level. Media, social sites and whatever platforms are there, are
full of the intense debate about the so called 'Gujarat Model' the failures of
the UPA II and related issues. While there may be few who are sitting on the
fence, a large numbers has made up their mind one way or the other. To ensure
that most people vote Election Commission wrote to all the educational heads to
appeal to their students to vote.
In
tune with this and also to generate debate around these issues, Fr. Frazer
Mascaranhas, Principal of Mumbai's well known St Xavier's College, wrote to his
students through his official college email, and his letter was also put up on
the website of the college. The letter took a subtly nuanced and balanced
approach to forthcoming elections and raised doubts about the claims of
'Gujarat Model' of development. It criticized the Gujarat growth model for
being conducive merely for big businesses and pointed out the slide in the
Human Development Index and the poor quality of health and education in
Gujarat. This emphasized that where quality of life is concerned, the state has
not done well. While initially most of the society through barrage of
propaganda started believing in this propaganda, by now most the statistics
from Planning Commission and Nationals Sample survey show that this was a mere
inflated propaganda for electoral gains and did not reflect the reality of
Gujarat.
At
the same time the email brought to the notice of students the positive
phenomenon which has taken place in the society during last ten years, the
schemes and policies of great social significance, which have been undermined
and not propagated properly. The email then praises the Rojgar Yojana and the
Food Security Act as they enhance the wellbeing of citizens. It also commends
the Right to Information act. It concluded '"The prospect of an alliance
of corporate capital and communal forces coming to power constitutes a real
threat to the future of our secular democracy. Support people who pledge to
work to take Human Development Indicators higher and who commit themselves to a
pluralistic culture in diverse India." The high point of the mail was
"No magic wand or divine miracles will come to the aid of the Indian
people. Their reasoned choice of individuals and political parties, who promise
to work for a real quality of life for all, will see India prosper or flounder
on the precipice. Choose well!"
It
can be said that the chief of the institution was not only exhorting the
students to vote but also laying bare the issues which are the core ones in
these elections. It is true that Mascaranhas as a good educator outlined the
central concerns of the society, the type of development and the needs of the
society.
The
whole hell broke loose. Many students of the college said that they are not
going to be swayed by any opinion, will weigh it on their own and use their own
judgment in voting. Some of them also pointed out that their institution has
taught them the culture of healthy debate and this mail from their principal is
a part of that. But the BJP presented it as a opinion against them, against
their Prime Ministerial candidate and complained to the Election Commission,
unmindful of the fact that EC cannot advise those who are not in the electoral
battle. Still the pressure mounted on the Principal was immense. He was
attacked by saying that such a thing should not have gone from Institute's
mail, he could have written from his personal email. They accused that it is
like using the official position in expressing one's political positions. While
some faculty upheld what their principal had done, there were few critical
voices also. Amongst the academic community also some teachers/principals voiced
their opposition to this. The pressure on the principal was so immense that his
letter had to be taken off the Institute's web site.
What
is the ethical and moral position in such matters? We have seen all the
television channels broadcasting the Sri Ram Memorial Oration at Sri Ram
College of Commerce (DU) by Modi live last year. Also one recalls many
newspapers had carried full-page ads of the SRM University's convocation
ceremony where Modi was the chief guest. At the same time one has not heard any
criticism of the plans by Modi's to take chopper tours of BHU and Kashi
Vidyapeeth. There have been many well publicized endorsements of Modi by
prominent personalities. Many a Babas and Matas have been endorsing Modi in
public. This group is heading many and educational institutions. Baba Ramdev
has Patanjali University and Gurukul in Rewari. Sri Sri Ravishanker's Vidya
Mandir trust runs 44 Vidya Mandirs 39 Bal Mandirs, Institute of Management
Studies amongst other. Mata Amritanand Mayi has the National network of Amrita
Vidyalayam. Surely many wrongs don't make a right. As such what should be the
norm is very important. While Fr. Frazer has not endorsed any political party,
he has merely raised the issues, though one can see that the logic of his argument
does go against one party.
In
our democracy can we bypass such debates in the academic institutions? While
teaching about Nationalism, will we not have to compare and contrast between
Democratic Secular Nationalism and religious nationalism, Indian Nationalism
versus Hindu nationalism? While talking about issues will we not have to talk
about underlying complexities? We do need to nurture our institutions around
healthy debate sans the heat and partisanship. We need to go beyond the
propaganda and encourage our students to unravel the truth under the heap of
propaganda.
There
is another interesting aspect of this email. Mascarenhas, being a religious
priest is saying that 'No magic wand or divine miracles will come to the aid of
the Indian people', this at a time when Narendra Modi is claiming that God has
chosen him to lead the country. Modi is in line with some of the recent
happenings in the world when God was invoked, George Bush invoked God in
invasion of Afghanistan and Tony Blair did the same in the context of attacking
Iraq!
(Ram
Puniyani was a professor in biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of
Technology Bombay, and took voluntary retirement in December 2004 to work full
time for communal harmony in India.)
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