The Modern Youth & Gandhi

The Modern Youth & Gandhi

SK Sharma

When Lord Macaulay introduced English education in India, his stated objective was that when the British left India, the English educated Indians would think and behave like them. Most English educated youth, till today, have the attitude that they are superior to other Indians, and everything Indian — life style, religions, institutions — is inferior.

To most English educated youth, Gandhi was a person rooted in the traditions of rural India with a deep urge to uplift the poor. They regard him as a good soul but are not sure of his relevance in a modern globalising world. Little do they realise that however hard vested interests may try to suppress Gandhi’s views, he and his ideology will keep popping up like a jack in the box to guide the destiny of the world. First, we need to understand what ideologies are all about.

Ideology

Ideology is a system of principles forming the basis of a political and economic theory. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and its socialist ideology, capitalist democracy as practised in the West is being advocated as the best form of governance. The issue is, "Can capitalism nurture a sustainable world order?" Concerns are expressed that globalisation and consumerism driven capitalism lead to over-consumption of resources and aberrations such as global warming. They also foster vulgar wealth alongside abject poverty that can, in turn, lead to violence and anarchy-like conditions.

Based on several thousand years' democratic ethos of India, Gandhi advocated true egalitarian (samata) democracy.

Egalitarian Democracy

Political science has not defined democracy properly. It can be best defined as how the people, sovereign in democracy, would like the nation to be governed.

Given the choice, the common people will first retain resources with local governments for handling all local matters such as administration of justice, police, education, healthcare, land, water systems and forests. They would then devolve a portion of their revenues to the state for higher level functions and coordination, but not to interfere in local matters. To prevent abuse of authority, they would also institute their sovereign rights to information, consultation, participation, and referendum. Derived from basic principles, this can be said to be the basic structure of universal democracy.

Gandhi laid great emphasis on "Gram Swaraj" in which village parliaments control village resources and decision-making. He described democracy as a series of concentric governments serving the village at the centre. Such grassroots empowerment nurtures an egalitarian economic system. Local communities encourage entrepreneurs to innovate and invest in business to produce goods and services useful to the society and generates wealth to meet the needs of the society, and for philanthropy, but not for ostentatious consumption. It truly is capitalism with a human face.

Gandhi was opposed to any technology that de-humanised the people through routine mechanical jobs. He favoured technology that empowered the people in their own environment. In his book "The Third Wave" , Alvin Toffler explained that technologies such as information are truly Gandhian as they empower the people.

Such political and economic systems and technological environment can make the world a confederation of peace loving local governments. Globalisation of such an ideology, not markets, is what is the need of the hour.

Youth & Egalitarian Democracy

In a world with mammoth political and economic vested interests, it would seem impossible to realise such an apparently idealistic political and economic system. This is where the youth needs to accept the challenge.

To facilitate reforms, People First has conceptualised a new institution - Sovereign Rights Commission - with the authority to direct referendums, except on issues fundamental to democracy or the integrity of the nation. Better then the royal priest of bygone days, more like Gandhi, such commissions will function as the conscience keeper of the state, based on the values of the society as a whole.

Such an independent commission will hold public consultations and local referendums. Based on these, it will draft a new Constitution and direct referendum on the present versus the proposed Constitution along with the next national election. If the people vote in favour of the latter, it will authenticate it this time truly in the name of the people as the supreme law of the nation.

During debates in Rajya Sabha on September 2, 1953. Dr BR Ambedkar lamented "People always keep on saying to me, so you are the maker of the Constitution. My answer is I was a hack. What I was asked to do, I did much against my will. I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it. It does not suit anybody."

To give peace to the soul of Gandhi and Ambedkar, the youth of India must launch a non-violent movement demanding reforms through independent commissions with the authority to direct referendums, raising slogans:

Let these slogans reverberate all over Bharat to rekindle its lost spirituality. Let the youth court arrest by burning an effigy of our exploitative Constitution and plead before the courts that it was authenticated in the name of the people as a criminal breach of their trust. This truly will be a second freedom struggle.