DEMOCRATIC UNHAPPINESS
Hello Friends,
A lot of uncomfortable events are taking place across the world. Apart from the troubling developments that lend themselves to enormous violence, hatred and insecurity, a whole lot is also happening in democratic societies. Much of that can be passed off as the usual democratic process normally expected in any free society. My perceptive self alerts me to other dimensions. Read on...
Readers are aware of the central thesis of my paradigm on FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS: that we human beings suffer from innate tentativeness, anxiety, meaninglessness, emptiness and depression. This basic human condition is so painful that we adopt many strategies to cut ourselves off from facing the muck within. We do so by diverting ourselves from what goes on inside us; we focus on the external - pursue ambitions, chase wealth, stay busy and relevant by doing seemingly important things, look for a romantic partner, and may also latch on to mesmerising personalities, in the hope that they shall redeem us. We whimsically fall in love with an idea without going into any depths. I suspect this blind love helps us cover our ugly and tentative interiors, at least temporarily, until we secure a better, apparently more durable support system - until it lasts!.
This phenomenon of our love for getting hooked on to an idea or a personality with romance-like zeal is important in the context of my current post. This is relevant to the political fault lines being witnessed in democracies.
Let us closely examine the situation in two democracies: US, the oldest, and India, the largest.
This phenomenon of our love for getting hooked on to an idea or a personality with romance-like zeal is important in the context of my current post. This is relevant to the political fault lines being witnessed in democracies.
Let us closely examine the situation in two democracies: US, the oldest, and India, the largest.
India
From the time momentum was being built around the last general elections in 2014, I have been witnessing an extraordinarily fractured society. There is general distrust and intolerance for any contrarian view. This divide is not between different religions or social classes. Instead, I notice a very loud and disturbing conflict within the same educated sub-culture. This borders on hatred, based only on political preferences. Today, educated Indians appear horribly split, like never before. This split is bitter, spiteful and spews rigidity, mistrust and impatience.
My belief is that this divide is not based on any true ideological preference. It has more to do with latching on to an idea almost romantically, in the hope that citizens are soon going to experience political bliss. This preference for a particular political order is often expressed with a passion akin to religious zeal. It was not like this before.
I had earlier written two posts: Indian elections - Human Angst and Beyond on April 17, 2104 (click here to read), and Is the Era of Rented Intellectuals Over in India? on June 5, 2014 (after the earth shaking Indian election results) (click here to read). Both captured how the basic human tentativeness, meaninglessness and despair may have got uncovered during the last election process leading to a public display of raw ANGST.
Since independence, India has been ruled either solely by left leaning political parties, or in coalitions led by them. The only exception were the years between 1998 and 2004, but that too was a coalition.
Sometime around the latter part of 2013, the political dynamics seemed to have overturned, when the old, socialist-secular tricks were not working any more. The discourse changed to the Bharatiya Janata Party versus the rest. And that's where we are today.
This change in the political equation yanked off many 'liberals', 'socialists', and 'intellectuals' from their traditional comfort zone of an exaggerated 'secular' and welfare politics. The results of the summer of 2014 proved shocking for this section of people in India. This was bound to release human angst - and we get to feel this unease in good measure.
Many of the utterances by the fringe elements of the Hindu outfits are undesirable and often in very bad taste. Raking up past 'injustices' is always a waste of time, and a favourite pastime available to human beings to 'create' external causes for their fundamental inner unhappiness. Nurturing a sense of hurt is one of the most common traps that human beings can fall into and create unhappiness for themselves. I have dwelt on this aspect in detail in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? Also, the frenzy with which the 'left-liberal' class in India has arrogated to itself the sole rights to decide what is correct, borders on in-authenticity.
Interestingly, if you look at the big picture in India, there is broad agreement on most aspects concerning the country: other than the small fringe, no one wants India to turn into a fundamentalist theocracy. There is a sense of pride in India remaining a truly secular democracy, despite all its imperfections. The vast majority agrees that India needs economic growth, jobs, upliftment of people living in penury, and huge investments in infrastructure. Yes, there could be some disagreements on how to do all this. But should that throw up so much of angst and hatred? Is it not justifiable to suspect that this unease is driven more from ego rather than from any considered long term good of the nation?
And they claim to be liberals! These are the contradictions one has to contend with in contemporary India. You are slotted the moment you open your mouth. You can't speak freely. How long can you discuss the weather?
And if that was not enough, in the middle of all this you find 'fairytale idealists' who seem to descend from heaven to deliver an entire nation. Educated, intelligent people fall for their abstract ideas. Having given a mammoth verdict just some months back, people now seem to question everything that they themselves had supported then. There is no patience; we Indians can be so cynical! This adds to chaos and confusion. Democratic India has got more noisy than ever before!
Since independence, India has been ruled either solely by left leaning political parties, or in coalitions led by them. The only exception were the years between 1998 and 2004, but that too was a coalition.
Sometime around the latter part of 2013, the political dynamics seemed to have overturned, when the old, socialist-secular tricks were not working any more. The discourse changed to the Bharatiya Janata Party versus the rest. And that's where we are today.
This change in the political equation yanked off many 'liberals', 'socialists', and 'intellectuals' from their traditional comfort zone of an exaggerated 'secular' and welfare politics. The results of the summer of 2014 proved shocking for this section of people in India. This was bound to release human angst - and we get to feel this unease in good measure.
Many of the utterances by the fringe elements of the Hindu outfits are undesirable and often in very bad taste. Raking up past 'injustices' is always a waste of time, and a favourite pastime available to human beings to 'create' external causes for their fundamental inner unhappiness. Nurturing a sense of hurt is one of the most common traps that human beings can fall into and create unhappiness for themselves. I have dwelt on this aspect in detail in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? Also, the frenzy with which the 'left-liberal' class in India has arrogated to itself the sole rights to decide what is correct, borders on in-authenticity.
Interestingly, if you look at the big picture in India, there is broad agreement on most aspects concerning the country: other than the small fringe, no one wants India to turn into a fundamentalist theocracy. There is a sense of pride in India remaining a truly secular democracy, despite all its imperfections. The vast majority agrees that India needs economic growth, jobs, upliftment of people living in penury, and huge investments in infrastructure. Yes, there could be some disagreements on how to do all this. But should that throw up so much of angst and hatred? Is it not justifiable to suspect that this unease is driven more from ego rather than from any considered long term good of the nation?
And they claim to be liberals! These are the contradictions one has to contend with in contemporary India. You are slotted the moment you open your mouth. You can't speak freely. How long can you discuss the weather?
And if that was not enough, in the middle of all this you find 'fairytale idealists' who seem to descend from heaven to deliver an entire nation. Educated, intelligent people fall for their abstract ideas. Having given a mammoth verdict just some months back, people now seem to question everything that they themselves had supported then. There is no patience; we Indians can be so cynical! This adds to chaos and confusion. Democratic India has got more noisy than ever before!
USA
The situation in the US is worse, and for more than a decade now. If you are spotted as a 'Republican' supporter in some states and in some academic institutions, your career could actually suffer. Supporters of the opposite view could face similar slotting. A friend from the US once told me (post 9/11) that for the first time in a country which is considered to be the global standard for democratic values, people are scared to openly voice their opinion. They are guarded and avoid spontaneous conversation.
To make matters worse, the US has the powers to influence world politics. Much of its foreign policies have been dictated by narrow political gains. The world's oldest democracy has been found on many occasions to be preaching something and practising something else. Does the average American have any say in all this? Are common citizens staying aloof? In many ways the two great democracies of the world are witnessing opposite phenomenon, both distressing and unnerving.
Why is it like this?
My guess is that in both the democracies people have been subjected to a shake-out. In India people have been forced out of their old comfort zones. In the US, people have closeted themselves in comfort zones and are staying out of the big picture.
I find some hope in India, as the masses, bereft of their traditional support systems, learn to face the truth. In the US, people have to come out of the closet and take positions, for their own good and for the good of mankind.
As long as we do not accept and understand what we are doing in the garb of 'participating in the democratic process', we will continue with the bickering or hide in corners and suffer unhappiness. In the current context, I call it DEMOCRATIC UNHAPPINESS!
Cheers!
Deepak Chatterjee
The situation in the US is worse, and for more than a decade now. If you are spotted as a 'Republican' supporter in some states and in some academic institutions, your career could actually suffer. Supporters of the opposite view could face similar slotting. A friend from the US once told me (post 9/11) that for the first time in a country which is considered to be the global standard for democratic values, people are scared to openly voice their opinion. They are guarded and avoid spontaneous conversation.
To make matters worse, the US has the powers to influence world politics. Much of its foreign policies have been dictated by narrow political gains. The world's oldest democracy has been found on many occasions to be preaching something and practising something else. Does the average American have any say in all this? Are common citizens staying aloof? In many ways the two great democracies of the world are witnessing opposite phenomenon, both distressing and unnerving.
Why is it like this?
My guess is that in both the democracies people have been subjected to a shake-out. In India people have been forced out of their old comfort zones. In the US, people have closeted themselves in comfort zones and are staying out of the big picture.
I find some hope in India, as the masses, bereft of their traditional support systems, learn to face the truth. In the US, people have to come out of the closet and take positions, for their own good and for the good of mankind.
As long as we do not accept and understand what we are doing in the garb of 'participating in the democratic process', we will continue with the bickering or hide in corners and suffer unhappiness. In the current context, I call it DEMOCRATIC UNHAPPINESS!
Cheers!
Deepak Chatterjee
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