In the era of global economic interdependence, where international relations and technological break through are the issues of utmost importance we tend to forget the basic reality that haunts our country.
Imagine a scenario where over one quarter of the population of a country is oblivious of all the terms, and issues mentioned above. How can we move forth when most of the people are still unaware of their rights, rather what good would these rights be to those who don’t have any material possessions. My point of argument is very simple; in this rat race to survive we have forgotten that a huge gap has emerged between the rich and the poor. To top that, we brag to be the world’s largest democracy with a splendid list of rights bestowed to our citizens. It seems to be a great achievement. But who shall all this affect. Only those who have something to protect or safeguard, would value such rights. The concept of giving rights is a bourgeoisie concept. What happens to the have not’s in this country……..nothing becomes of them …what rights do they need while sleeping on the footpaths. What would a thief rob ‘them’ off!? Worse comes to worse a drunken rich kid might drive his\her car over them but beyond that what rights are they to loose? We live in a system that is made by the rich, of the rich and for the rich. It’s an eye wash.
My role ends the moment I caste my vote, I go back home and enjoy the holiday. What becomes of that one vote, one can never foretell.
Bottom-line is that we live in an intensely differentiated society, which surely does all the sweet talk about eradicating poverty and stuff from that genre but what I’d really like to know is how many of the people sitting out there making all those fancy policies really know or are aware of the grim reality….The reality that is shouting out loud. Only to go unheard…The truth …Our country cannot survive if we do not start working from the grass root level. The system has forgotten that the people of the country must be given the utmost importance. It is the people who have to be brought up to the level so that we could actually be potent enough to talk about issues such as space exploration, financial meltdown so on and so forth...
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The Author is I year BA Programme student and part of the Webteam of DevelopmentChannel.org
2 comments:
I get your point Mahima and Ayde says this every day. Cultural hegemony, if we were to use the term given by Gramsci, would have happened in any society. You either attach the value to reason or morals or both, but a value-free society, where ideals do not exist is not possible. Every society has ideals, even Plato's. And these ideals will be twisted to suit the purpose of those who have power. Only, perhaps, in a society where knowledge liberates us and not economic greatness, can we hope of people not falling for ideals (like high moral character, hope of succeeding) etc. didnt we believe in the same things till we came to college? ramble over!
I think fighting poverting and 'uplifting' the poor while parading the benevolence of democracy at the same time can be a complicated task...
Gramsci would use cultural hegemony as a continuation of the capitalist system that depends upon a base of absolute poverty... although it seems that the world is adopting free market principles to eradicate poverty (even granting that both Marxist and Italian School critiques still hold good.)
Take the example of China, with its Socialist Free Market economy. A contradiction in terms.
China claims that the poor are too busy worrying about food and livelihood to care about democracy and rights.. this relates to Mahima's article.. the Chinese would say 'WE HAVE RAISED 300 million PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY IN TWO DECADES'.
This is a remarkable achievement in itself, but does it justify the suppression of rights?
Maybe I prefer to subscribe to Hegel (and to some extent Fukuyama)that 'Reason', 'Spirit' or the 'Struggle for Recognition' is as important to mankind as material needs. It is through these that man ceases to be a slave....
Ok.. written too much, Mahima and Arushi- Cup of coffee with me to discuss the further?
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