Forgetting to question

The most sacred tenet of a thriving democracy is not in the conduct of elections, but in the ability of the electorate to freely and continuously ‘question’ the dispensation of the day. In mature democracies the invaluable duty of questioning is not surrendered to only the Opposition, as the government is often taken to task by members of the ruling party themselves.

In the UK, the most sensitive issue of Brexit had both ‘remain’ and ‘leave’ parliamentarians, amongst the Conservative and Labour ranks, seamlessly join hands on the issue. Such visible and vocal bipartisanship is unthinkable in India. The sham of inner democracy within all political parties in India is belied with vacuous statements like ‘loyal soldier of the party’, implying no space for questioning, dissent or contrarian positions within parties.

Absolute majority in Parliament after 2014 (16th/17th Lok Sabha), only after 1984 (8th Lok Sabha), has axiomatically accelerated curbs on questioning voices within Parliament, and that spirit has got extrapolated to media, society and to the overall rigour and liberality of questioning.

Tellingly, India has slipped 10 ranks to 51st position in the 2021 Global Democracy Index, whereas the independent pillar of Fourth Estate has slipped to an abysmal ranking of 142 in the global Press Freedom Index (further, democracy watchdog Freedom House downgraded India from ‘free’ to ‘partly free’).

Also read: Freedom index finds journalism blocked in 130+ countries

The worst consequences of curbing this instinct of questioning occurs in major crises, as the convenient tact of suppressing, deflecting, whataboutery and untruths may temporarily save authorities from answering uncomfortable queries, but its long-term impact can be debilitating.

The curse of 1975-77 Emergency still infects the impulse of Indian politics and, ironically, even those who were wronged by the same incident. Today, as the country reels under unprecedented pain and uncertainty with the raging pandemic, part of which is realistically beyond control, we must question those in positions of power.

It is the priceless lever of questioning that ensured that the NDA government (2004) got rejected for the insensitivity of suggesting ‘India Shining’ when the nation was beset with crippling inequities. Similarly, it was the absolutely-justified questioning of corruption and inaction by the UPA regime (2014) that enabled the electorate to call a spade a spade.

But by denying that critical tool of questioning in recent times, we must reflect if the citizenry has been shortchanged of knowing the hard reality of appropriate planning, responsibility and accountability is affixed onto those in positions of power. The rote bogey of ‘ill-timed criticism’ is pure political gold as it is always deployed and misused to avoid vital questions, especially when the stakes are staggering.

Since Independence, all ruling political classes have resorted to misplaced emotions like national security, morale of Indian soldiers or playing into Pakistani/Chinese hands to drown critical dissonance (e.g. the recent Indo-Sino border dispute). Actually, questioning the dispensation is the most patriotic duty of the citizenry to ensure that the dispensation thinks through all its actions and decisions and can course-correct, if found guilty of mismanagement.

The volubility of the Opposition (even for political one-upmanship) is a collateral trifle that must be encouraged, as opposed to imminent consequences of not being allowed to oppose.

The ensuing pandemic catastrophe begs the question: did the government and its elements consistently ensure science over gimmicks over the past one year? Did we slap punitive action onto those who professed to have a ‘cure’ and then changed the goalpost to ‘immunity booster’, whilst invoking Ayurveda and nationalism? Did the most dominant faces of the dispensation (those responsible for the law and order machinery) unflinchingly adhere to the PPE-safety protocols or did they sit in cricket stadiums with thousands in attendance, brazenly unmasked?

Why did we prioritise exporting vaccines over ensuring no shortages; if indeed it was for international diplomacy, then have we won over our neighbourhood and was it worth the shortage domestically? Is the bandied global desperation for Rs 3,000 crores by the largest vaccine manufacturer too big an amount to be funded by the government itself? Did we ensure that all religious congregations were curbed in toto and immediately before cases spiralled?

The silence

Why did we wait for millions to attend congregations and then request organisers to close the same? Did we allow the demonisation of certain faiths through echo chambers, be it in terms of religious events prior to the first clampdown in March last year, or in terms of societal disaffection expressed by way of farmers’ protest? Did the dispensation lead by example in campaigning in states?

Did the dispensation focus disproportionately on pandemic management or was a significant portion of leadership dedicated towards electioneering? Did the leadership show the matching alacrity, discipline and sensitivity of a Angela Merkel or Jacinda Ardern, or was the electoral urgency foremost? Had we planned for the inevitable second wave in terms of medical infrastructure? Why is the reality of mishandling glossed over?

Such questions were never posited in the severity demanded by the situation. With great position comes even greater responsibility. Blaming the past, citizens, China/Pakistan or the Opposition parties is inadequate and tantamount to dereliction of duty. The dispensation in times of crisis must always look beyond the lens of electoral appeal, but did it?

Acquiescence, contextualising toward deflection or sheer silence when the onus is on questioning is complicity, and not ‘nationalism’. Basically, the dominant majoritarian spirit of the day has ensured that even in times of extreme crisis, the vast majority has not been able to overcome societal divisions and partisanship.

Even loyal cadres could have questioned fearlessly for the benefit of the dispensation without changing their partisan preference. But armed with massaged statistics, make-believe claims and thundering bravado, the nation now stares at unimaginable pain. In such times, it is only questioning that can save the future narrative; anything short of that is blind politics, and not nationalism.

(The writer is former Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands & Puducherry)