Democracy and Social Media

Recently we as a country saw some unprecedented action around Anti-corruption movement lead by Anna Hazare. This movement was as much in the ether as on the real ground. Ultimately the “civil society” won the day and managed to get some unprecedented concessions from the Government of India. What comes out of the movement  and whether India improves its ranking on the Corruption Index is yet to be seen.

However, Anna and his movement got huge recognition and response from the online community. Facebook Fan Page India Against Corruption moved from a few thousand likes to a few hundred thousand likes in a matter of days. And these were not idol click of a button LIKES, but interaction happened. It was almost as if floodgates were opened on a famine stricken area.While the Administrator was interested in only one way posting and not conversation as is the spirit of Social Media – the do’s and don’ts of the Administrator can be discussed in another post. Each entry from the administrator got instant responses by hundreds.

Detractors of the Movement were quick to dismiss the support as armchair critics and the so called educated minority. They were quick to state that “JAN ANDOLAN” are on the streets through demonstrations and sit ins (dharnas) and not by click of a button. One commentator went on to state that the support is only to fill the void created by the culmination of cricket world cup and for some it is so in to talk about “ills of the society”.  Examples were cited from Gandhi’s and JP’s movements from the last century.

Efforts were being made to discredit the movement by saying how many of these people will come to the streets if Government was to use force and that is how this people’s movement cannot be compared to Tahrir Square or other populist risings. Excuse me, don’t we claim to be a functioning democracy and don’t people have a right to speak their minds in one and why compare to a movement which was to overthrow a regime wherein the movement in India was not for any such cause.

Simplest definition of Democracy is “By the people, For the people  and Of the People” and Not by the street, of the street and for the street. Agreed majority of India is not using internet and as per the last count Indians on Internet are approximately around 100 M out of a total of 1.2 Billion thus making it around 1%  penetration. But does the fact that online population is a minority, its views are not to be heard ? The fact that these people are using internet does not disenfranchise them or does it  ? Or it does, as they have the power to take informed decision and can not be swayed by caste, religion, money or the pretty boy image of a leader ?  Or is this dismissal attributed that neither can you teargas, water canon or shoot online protestor.

On the other hand, is it not that times have changed. Would we dismiss mobile telephony because previous century was used to snail mail and inland letters and postcards and that was the mode of communication. Or would we dismiss mobile telephony and like to go back to the pigeons. Was that not a compulsion of the times and technical advancement from those days, in modern days one would possibly be put behind bars for cruelty to animals.

Village as a unit has always had its chaupal or village square as the connect point. Friends to meet, justice delivery, social interaction leading to matrimonial alliances, help and advise on disease, purchase or any other matter were sought and delivered through the Chaupal. And why not, for a common villager his universe was around the village and extended to villages which were around 50kms radius. We need not go back more then two generations to find out that majority let alone travelling across nations would not even have traversed the boundaries of their birth district.

Cut to the present times, travelling across India is par for the course for the educated and the social circle of influence for them if it does not traverse the globe at least touches different states in India. Imagine for this mobile population, what would constitute their Chaupal ? Their aspirations are on a larger scale, their advisors are diverse and need for them to keep in touch is no longer a shout across the garden. Social Media has done the Chaupal to the global villager, he can now connect with his friends, advisors, consultants and at times with foes transcending the geographical boundaries. And no wonder, he is also using this same medium to express, share and seek political views. Why should he step out on the streets to share his anger, discontent and frustrations about a system gone rotten, when he can do the same, with the help of technology from his home/office? We again come to the point – Democracy is about people and not about the medium. It is now for the political class to choose whether their democracy and participation is about people or about street. I, for one would be very uncomfortable with the educated on the streets because you know what brain always scores over brawn. Revenge of the nerd may transcend the peaceful coexistence which seem to have prevailed after the skirmish.  

Anna and Those Ones

Discussion often used to be that the younger generation has abdicated their responsibility of the nation even before taking charge and that they cared only for the material gains and it did not matter to them whether it came as Union of India or some other state. They were totally oblivious of the governance and only cared about self and that too in the here and now. Their role models were pop idols with pierced and tattooed bodies speaking in staccato and had an attention span of 140 words.

Happenings over the last few days have changed the perception on its head. They do care and the state of the nation does matter to them. And no their form of protest is not the Rang De Basanti style of justice – by the bullet. They believe in organised and disciplined protest through mass movement in the physical world and also the world of Social Media.They are well read, informed and have the natural ability to communicate. Words chosen by them are not the language of the gutter but that of a sophisticate. They are not charmed by eloquence of the language but by substance and are not awed by the Position power exerted by the powerful men and women of the polity. This is not a generation of people who will accept the inevitable but comes with a belief that “THEY CAN” and they do.

It is the middle generation which had abdicated its social responsibility while in quest for personal material success. And also responsible for not providing the right values and direction to the young lot. In the movement against corruption young ones found that direction and values from an unlikely hero – Anna Hazare. Anna, a septuagenarian followers of Gandhian philosophy is the unlikely hero. He does not sport six packs, nor does he have tattoos or speak in an accented English. Anna is the quintessential common man from the rural India, hailing from a small village in Maharashtra, speaking in Hindi or Marathi in a soft tone and sporting a Gandhi topi. His form of protest is not that of aggression but silent method of the Mahatma – Fast Unto Death. While he is polite in his demeanour but firm in his ideas to the exasperation of his detractors.

Anna did not budge from his demands even for a minute while all kinds of shenanigans were being played out around him, snide comments were being made about his demand, method or the movement. It is said that for a peaceful movement to work either the opponent has to have a conscience or the movement has to be so big to overwhelm the powers. Mostly powers have the attitude that such movements fizzle out after initial euphoria as the novelty wears off, after all what  new can one do in a FAST UNTO DEATH but wait for the next step which is Death.

The movement against corruption did not fizzle out but only gained momentum with every passing day. With more and more people across ever increasing cities across the world lent their weight. What was admirable was every single one of those candle light marches or signature campaigns were disciplined and peaceful. I don’t recall any single news item mentioning any instance of violence or unruly behaviour by the protestors.

Actually at the end of this episode, one can only pity the Powers that be – did they have any options at all ? What does one do against a peaceful protest that is non disruptive. One can not arrest people for lighting candles or for fasting. Nor can you disperse them with physical force as there is no instigation. They had already tried trashing the man and the method, saying at various times that method of protest is wrong or labelling Anna as right wing activist or by trashing movement as being instigated by interested coterie. When nothing works then it is best to join in with the objective that through innovative management one can usurp the entire movement and its ideas as ONES’ OWN. It still remains to be seen if this movement goes down the time tested path or defies and brings about the change it promises.

Last word is still to be spoken, written or read on the movement.

Bundi–March 2011

We started our journey on Saturday morning around six thirty in the direction of Jaipur, ultimate destination being Bundi around 446 kms from gurgaon. First part of the journey being uneventful and with one pit stop at Hotel Tokes for a sumptuous breakfast of stuffed Parathas we were crossing Jaipur. Somehow for the first time in so many travels google maps failed us and getting onto the Tonk Bundi Road became an exercise in favourite indian travel past time of asking directions. It was around eleven am when we found ourselves heading in the right direction and crossed the satellite town of sanganer.

This brought us to the NH12 which was to take us to Bundi via Tonk. This is where similarity with any other national highway ended. This road is a single lane road all the way totally devoid of any basic amenities like a Midway or a decent Dhaba and is used by some of the worst commercial vehicle drivers one would come across. And on this road there is an unusually high traffic of trucks carrying indeterminate cargo.

It was only in Tonk we found a decent place to have lunch and guess what it had taken us a good part of three hours to do hundred kilometres. To put this in perspective, yours truly had done hundred out of Bikaner in one hour a few months back. Can’t say we were not forewarned, our hosts at Bundi had warned us that it may take more than five hours to do 200 ams from Jaipur. After the break we started on our final leg to Bundi and with the sun bearing down on us, ac were on blast and by this time iPod had also gone off charge as were playing music through a FM transmitter ( travel tip – if you want to play music through FM transmitter, carry plenty of iPods).

Bundi is a town situated in a valley surrounded by hills from all sides and was considered a seat of preeminence during the times of Rajputanas as the kingdom of the Haras. It was a more important town then Kota then and due it’s natural hilly surrounding was considered a formidable kingdom. As one winds his was around the hills the fort appears to ones left almost one with the hill on one side and a small lake on the other. It is a breathtaking moment and worth the drive of ten hours. Right next to the fort sticking out like a sore thumb is a telecommunications tower and one can only envy the lack of imagination or appreciation of history for the Babu who approved erection of the tower.

We were escorted by our hostess and her charming daughter alongwith their man friday, to their home for a round of snacks which were accompanied with a lecture on history, travels and career opportunities for youngsters by the patriarch of the family. Naturally so, forty years of being a professor in a college does come with some amount of ability to discourse.

All this brought about the sun set which we felt was early onset, possibly due to the surrounding hillocks. We were then taken on a night tour of the outskirts and landed at a Devi temple situated on another hillock which had to be climbed on foot. Ten hours of sitting in a car is not the best preparation for climbing rough heaven rocks of uneven height, even if there is only about 200 of them and especially if you are doing that in pitch dark and only light is of the sanctum sanctorum as a beacon. The journey becomes all the more tiring if one is an agnostic and also aware that lack of lighting renders the camera superfluous. Long and short of it is that we managed the climb up and also the walk down. While on top we did come across a couple of “very happy” devotees with plastic glasses and finger snacks, who miraculously decided to end their tryst with the Goddess as soon as they found us within breathing distance. Another interesting aspect at the bottom of the temple was two kitchens, one for vegetarians and another for the carnivore.

We had dinner at an open air restaurant called Grizzly, while the fare was ok but nothing to write home about and service was decidedly tardy and with all the moths and mosquitos about even the strictest of vegetarians would have tasted some meat. Thankful this day came to an end and we retired to our rooms for the night though not before Man Friday warned us that we need to start the morrow early and instructed the hotel staff to serve us tea at six.

Morning at six we were woken up from our sleep by Tea bearer and unbeknownst to us man Friday was lurking in the background and exactly at 6:15 he appeared to enquire how long would it be before he should fetch us to the house and were suitably warned that if we delay, we will have to face the intense heat. Thus chastened we were ready at seven am and were taken across for a homemade breakfast of poha and tea.

Start of another day and this time to the Palace which is a protected monument approached from the middle of the town. We were in for another climb up a steep slope where the ravages of time and weather had rendered the stones slippery and one was looking for footholds to save one’s life as the fall would not be a very happy one and may result into some broken bones.

At the top it was another fighting palace which must have been witness to lot of intrigue and battle plans. History was replete in every part of the palace. The courtyard where the king held his durbar for the population to the meeting place where king held counsel with his trusted advisor. Importance of the Lead Queen’s counsel was also discernible. While the minions of the entourage were restricted to watching the happenings from eyeholes, the Queen had a window to herself from where she could express her assent or dissent by a simple shake or nod of the head. So much for the women being downtrodden in the Rajput families.

What struck one was the general dismal state of repairs of the palace and what it could be made into if only some repairs were being conducted on the structure.

The remains lay testimony to the grandeur which was built in and the vandals had ravaged over time due to apathy of the family and also disinterest of the government.

One could make out the details that had gone into making of the palace a fighting citadel by the way stairs were designed for one person to pass and that too at a leisurely pace and not at a canter and definitely not with a weapon in hand. The turns and twists which were built into the design and leading into courtyards and open spaces where the enemy soldier could be picked one at a time by a platoon.

From the palace we repaired to the so called Chitrashala for a dekko at the famous Bundi paintings and had come away disappointed as most of the frescos and paintings on the walls were in a state of disrepair and just one official guide for the odd visitor who happened to visit. When we visited this guide was busy with a French couple and none of us being articulate in French it was left to the guard to help us out with his version of history and art. Produced below is what was the painting in the best condition and had supposedly undergone renovation by the government.

Surprisingly we found the courtyard in front of the Chitrashala to be very well managed. Grass was cut and flowers and trees were well tended to. Though the water tank and fountains were dry but the seats around it were in good conditions at odds with the rest of the palace and left us thinking why the same care could not be shown to the rest of the palace or the paintings inside.

We managed to get down from the fort in one piece and had look at the wares on sale at the souvenir shop at the palace and found the inventory to be very mediocre compared to what we had seen in places like Mandawa, Kishangarh or Jodhpur. We did not find anything that we could add to our collection.

We went to the museum, which was a collection of photographs, old weapons and lots of stuffed animals. These animals are proudly displayed as trophies of bravery though what is so brave in shooting an animal from a hundred feet hiding on a treetop is beyond my comprehension. May be one can explain the killing of carnivore to protect the citizenry but what harm could a bison or a deer have caused is only for these hunters to explain.

In the afternoon we made a trip to the RANI JI KI BOWRI – around a kilometer from the palace. Ostensibly the Queen used to come down to this place for her bath from the palace. I personally believe these were the water storage tanks built by the various kings for the use by the people and were also the congregation points for the people to get together for social and religious functions.

In the evening we went to a nearby village for an early dinner of Daal Baati cooked in the traditional earthen oven in the house of Mr.Ramavtaar Meena. House was in the middle of fields and had only one light bulb, no television but all the male members of the family did carry mobile phones and had motorbikes. The family eats dinner by 6 PM and is off to bed by 8, typical day for them starting at 5 AM in the morning. All the young adults in the family are graduates and young ones go to private schools. Mr.Meena’s mantra – this is the age of the educated and it is for his family to keep pace with the times. We were introduced to the family lucky mascot – Toto, the Tortoise who had adopted the family few years back and whose addition the family saw as the turning point in their fortunes. Don’t know if it is legal to keep him in the household but at least better to keep him then to let him out and die.

Food was out of this world and company interesting. We learned that irrigating the fields was still a challenge and with erratic water supplies whole crops could go bad in a matter of days. Utensils were still being cleaned with the ashes from the earthen oven before rinsing with water. Buffaloes in the stable were as moody as the humans, each one with a name and its own idiosyncrasies like one wanted to be tied under the shed when milked and the other would only allow the patriarch to do the honors.

Mr.Meena and his sons had put together Pump Set and Generator set up to pull water and irrigate the fields. Mind you, this water was ONLY for the crop and not for personal use. This was the SWADES moment, all the talks of nuclear state, double digit economic growth, third largest economy in the world and largest democracy and we still can not irrigate the fields.