India has jackboot laws, a state prepared to stomp all over you, and citizens who don’t often realise how easily they can be crushed under both.
Back in 2014, a noted author and commentator had put forward the position that he was willing to make a trade-off between society and the economy, and support Narendra Modi because he would do good things for the economy, even if his party might provoke or preside over negative trends in society. In the event, it has not proved much of a trade-off because the promised economic pay-off (remember the talk of double-digit growth) has not materialised while shockwaves reverberate across the country following the arrests of people who look more like middle-class sympathisers of the marginalised than violent revolutionaries bent on overthrowing the state.
Unless the police produce credible evidence, the arrests will mark a disturbing step in the establishing of a “security state” that has an openly partisan view of law and order. This, even as the air has been fouled by a new ugliness: Abusive trolls, pressure on the media, hateful references to minorities (Muslims can go to Pakistan, or ramzade and haramzade) and the rest. Vigilantes can roam the highways, lynching people or making a business out of cow protection, and go scot free; indeed, a minister recently garlanded those arraigned on a lynching charge. Meanwhile, fundamental freedoms are trampled upon in the name of love jihad.
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What is notable is the transformation of a political party whose leaders were jailed during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule of 1975-77, into one where today it is hard to hear any voice arguing for civil liberties, for tolerance of differences, and for restraints on the state. Mr Govindacharya, ideologically no advocate of individual freedoms, is an unexpected exception in the wake of the arrests.
Meanwhile, what of the economy that was supposed to provide us with compensatory benefits? The promise of “good days” (achhe din) implied faster economic growth, but any hope of that was vaporised by demonetisation, which unsettled so much and so many in return for precious little. Farmers and small businessmen are unhappy, and possibly traders too, while “Make in India” and exports have gone nowhere. Those who thought the rupee would climb during Mr Modi’s rule from Rs 60 to Rs 40 as a mark of economic strength see it has moved the other way to rs 70 (though that is no bad thing).
The arrests themselves show up Maharashtra’s once competent police as malignant variants of the bumbling Keystone cops. An arrest warrant can’t be produced when demanded. First Information Reports don’t have the name of the person being arrested. Reputed citizens who are to witness a raid, to make sure the cops don’t plant evidence, turn out to be people brought in by the cops themselves.
It’s not just the police. A public prosecutor arguing for custody puts forward outlandish arguments that are not related to the documents produced. And a magistrate who can’t read the language of the documents placed before him passes orders regardless. The media too is implicated, for TV channels hammer out conspiracy theories based on police leaks that sound like fiction. In an environment of general intolerance, a case involving an actress who winked during a song had to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Rahul Gandhi had better be careful.
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Of a piece with current trends is the tendency to criminalise civil action. Anyone who divorces using triple talaq is in danger of going to jail, though how that would help the injured wife is a mystery. Punjab under Congress rule wants to imitate Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, and terrorist tax laws still exist, while internet shutdowns are far more in India than in any other country. The truth is that India has jackboot laws legislated by all parties, a state prepared to stomp all over you, and citizens who don’t often realise how easily they can be crushed under both. Only if awareness grows, and we get some homegrown Thomas Paines, can there be hope of some reverse swing.
By Special Arrangement with Business Standard.
Ninan sahib, you have a valid point about current state of affairs of the nation. But please do not mix up politics with law. If you insist that ‘First Information Reports don’t have the name of the person being arrested’, half of the crimes will never get registered in India. And your lament that that ‘Reputed citizens who are to witness a raid, to make sure the cops don’t plant evidence, turn out to be people brought in by the cops themselves’ is Utopian – you should know how we become visually impaired as and when a crime takes place in front of our house.
In the Pune Police case, I too will like more evidence to come before I believe police’s version. But why such a tearing hurry to exonerate the people? The case is in the monitoring of the judiciary which has already passed some critical observations. Why cannot your judgement wait for the Court’s?
Mr Ninan or who ever is the writer a common man is not an economist he understands only few basic things. The one thing I fail to understand is why wasn’t anything written for so many years when a few thousands people were forced to leave Kashmir, why wasn’t anything so bluntly written when stone throwers attack Indian army and why wasn’t any action taken against them. Do these points raise any thing in your mind
ThePrint…Just one suggestions that don’t loose your credibility by giving space to such hypocrites.
All was not rosy prior to 2014 , it’s just that a lot of people screaming now had closed eyes and were deaf and dumb. May be they were getting something which they are not getting now.
Talk is cheap while sitting in the comfort of an ac room with a good job in a city somewhere, and romanticizing violent extremism because it gets you a paycheck. I wonder if this writer would write this article again if the naxals harm someone close to him.
In his gloomy dirge, the writer left out mention of journalists like himself who form the serried ranks of presstitutes lining up to be tossed their thirty pieces of silver every Friday.
In Kerala, suggesting that you shouldn’t contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund will land you in jail. There, people accuse North Indian workers of theft if they carry some meat with them and then lynched to death. A few months back, to take revenge on the rape of a child in Jammu, people belonging to the majority community were attacked and their businesses burned down. And Kerala is the Eden ( not Kashi) of the fake liberals in this country. But the columnist is understandably happy to ignore these horror stories from Kerala.
Well said
It is a fallacy to believe we need an emergency for the trains to run on time, or that economic growth can be achieved only by undermining constitutionality. Many would say it is free societies that are the most innovative, productive, dynamic, although China has shown ways to get around this. The economy is becalmed. 2019 will be a referendum on that, far above all else. In the constant tension between the freedoms of the individual and the power of the state, the pendulum has swung too far out. As happens in nature, it will essay a return to the centre. A special note of regret for swathes of the media, which one has loved, trusted and respected since college, which was actually during the emergency.
“Meanwhile, fundamental freedoms are trampled upon in the name of love jihad.”
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You are so blinded by your vilification antics and poisonous nature that you fail to see this. Shameful and pitiful article, but you continue with your shameless charade, that’s your best doing.
Mr Ninan can do better than describing those arrested as middle class sympathisers of the marginalised. Should one have to be Osama to be branded as a terrorist or terrorist sympathiser?
Mr Ninan’s description of those arrested as middle class sympathisers of the marginalised looks amusing. How do you describe Kasab? He was not an Osama.
A completely inappropriate comparison – Kasab was a young, semi-literate individual from Pakistan. People that have been arrested are not teenagers who are more likely to get carried away with a cause without understanding the consequences (and I am not suggesting that the young don’t think). You may like to give the reasoning for your comparison rather than make judgments without any real foundation. A person who judges without explaining the reason is not trying to understand the cause opens him or herself to become a tool in the hands of crooked politicians of all colours.
Plz. Write this article in hindi so that many mores can understand the thought
“Only if awareness grows, and we get some homegrown Thomas Paines, can there be hope of some reverse swing.” I will bet my last ruppee that the average Indian (like the commenter Prash above) would tar such a Paine as anti national, urban naxal and more, lol!
“India was asked to choose between society and economy in 2014. Now they have neither” The tragedy/comedy is that we would have ended up having neither, irrespective of which way we voted, lol!
ThePrint loosing credibility by choosing sub standard authors like this.
What is the basis for your judgment about calling Mr Ninan a substandard author? More than the author it reflects on your inability to see the reality. There is nothing in the article that is not India’s reality today. Now please don’t start referring to how Congress did exactly that in the past. We know that and that is no excuse for Modi and cronies to take our country to medieval times.
lol.. reality my ass. Society is in danger screams congress, but in reality congress in danger. Marxist supporters getting arrested. We can see the reality clearly. Its you who cannot think of your own. Author say, ppl who give triple talaq r jailed, an dhe is saying how it helps the victims, can you ask the same Q for hindu women, how will getting arrested for dowry helps wives??
This article is nothing but a congress mouth piece putting their views on cleaning up of mess in today’s society. These are very dangerous views. Congress should dead at any cost
You folks are so predictable. keep it up. All the best.
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