India shining...or rotting?

As a child, I have always been proud of my country. Since being a non-resident and my family financially well off, I came to India once a year. I would get ecstatic whenever I flew down to my country and returned with a heavy heart, always. That was years ago, many many years ago.

Back then I was naive about the progress my country and what 'India Shining' or 'Incredible India' was hiding from the rest of world and the nation.

Even during my college years I had little idea of the rot that was beneath all this glam and shine that our leaders, elite, politicians, intellectuals and so on professed. India used to be called, and still, the land of democracy. The land of vibrant democracy. People talked about the magic of democracy that can be experienced here.

I am not the same kid anymore, and neither can I be forced into believing the same. Far from democracy, India has been revealed to be a totalitarian state with gross human rights abuses and endemic corruption. Ever increasing dissent and the widening gap between the rich and the poor are telling indicators.

Kerala is called as Gods own country. If you're to only consider the scenic beauty, created by God and unaltered by man, this place is truly heavenly.

The truth is that Kerala, as with the rest of the country, is Gods own country: currently leased out to the devil. There is no end to the corruption, the bureaucrats are lax, the people are divided along party lines (and parties play to appease voters and this often is played along communal or caste lines) and are ready to do anything for their party (this mainly has to with ignorance of the mass and the ability of the leaders to exploit this weakness), villages divided along party lines, villages divided over communal lines, exploitation of Dalits..... it would be exhausting as well as impossible to pen down every deed of the devil.

The presence of an opposition in the state helps in bringing out social issues to the public, but is limited. These issues are given centre stage when parties feel that their association with it will boost their electoral presence. The ignorant masses duly follow and fail to understand that they're being taken for a ride.

The victims affected by the spraying of Endosulfan in the district of Kasarkode haven't received any respite from successive governments- a paltry sum of Rs 50,000 has been given out to the kins of the dead. The living are yet to receive any compensation or dignity. Plans on their rehabilitation have been muddled up in political and bureaucratic waters.

After numerous commissions and studies conducted (15 to be precise) on the effect of Endosulfan to environment and humans, the central govt. has decided that it will conduct a new study to ascertain its effects on humans. Even though it has been proved around the world that the pesticide is harmful to humans, evident from its effects in Kerala, India is strongly opposed to adding Endosulfan to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Endosulfan is not an isolated case. Take the Bhopal gas disaster for instance. 25 years have passed and the victims of the disaster are left without justice. Warren Anderson was allowed to go scot free, and ironically the same govt. now wants him back (Really, who are they kidding?).

An estimated 15,000, both immediate and over time, have died following exposure to methyl isocyanide (MIC). More than 200,000 have suffered permanent injuries. Because the onus of proving "beyond reasonable doubt" that death or injury in each case was attributable to exposure, many were denied compensation.

Since the claims paid were of paltry sums, Rs 10 billion was leftover after settling all claims. Has anyone questioned what happened to the rest of the money? Interestingly the GOI claimed $ 3.3bn initially and later settled for a paltry $470mn with Union Carbide Industries Ltd.

The Common Wealth Games 2010 has become infamous for the corruption revolving around it. Even in this instance the whole coverage is around how money was squandered away in crores by politicians and bureaucrats. The whole media attention is focussed on the spenders. The plight of the workers who put in their effort day and night have been forgotten- poor living conditions, no health care, low wages and in some cases no wages.

The 2G scam has been conveniently used by the opposition to divert attention from highlighting the presence of RSS and VHP in terrorist attacks, or, any other issue in the parliament as a matter of fact. As much as the congress, the BJP wouldn't want a Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) as it would be no doubt that they too have greased their hands in it. Or else how could a govt continue its current stance even after such bitter and relentless opposition in the parliament.

Maoism is the new haute couture
for the uptown boys in India. Tribals are getting evicted from their land in the name of industrialization. If they oppose it they are branded as Maoists. The atrocities and cruelties that the state commits against these poor and indefensible people know no bounds. Barbaric would be an understatement. In such a scenario what would you prefer – stand up for your rights or bend over for the MNCs? Where is the democracy?

For all our crorepati MPs India is truly shining. So is it for the rich and elite. But for the rest who are being used to polish and keep the lifestyles and appetites of the greedy shining, India truly is rotting.