By Soumitra Banerji
Tavleen Singh did it yet again, through her article in the ‘Fifth Column’ on Sunday the 14th of September (Revolution in the Air). She catalysed an inner debate, which has always brought anarchy within me.
Nepal activated the majorly deprived ‘Gen Z’ on account of the burden of a sack full of ‘Have-Nots’ each of them have been carrying, because of the Truck Loads of ‘Haves’ which a small minority of Nepalese Elites carry around in broad daylight, causing angst to the gaping deprived.
Here in India, we not only have a huge mass of Gen Z, but also ‘Gen ABCDEF…’ who are literate enough to note the chasm that exists between the Rulers and the Ruled. They also are aware that the Rulers are the ones who were supposed to be ‘Serving’ the Ruled…but somewhere on their path ahead they lost their Maths…and started Ruling instead of Serving.
This so much resembles a scene from an entertaining Bollywood movie, ‘Sattay Pe Satta’, in which Amitabh Bachchan apportions small shares of delicious food to his six brothers; and keeps a giant share for himself. An ideal case of a benevolent elder brother losing his way and serving himself. This is exactly what started to happen to our Indian dedicated Servants, who suddenly invented the Throne instead of the humble Chair…the throne which the ruling British forgot to take back with them, in a hurry to leave the Indian shores.
So today, instead of Royal Palaces, we have huge Mansions placed on prime real estate…starting from Lutyens Delhi…to every major State Capital and Indian Megapolis; housing the Servants turned Rulers…so much resembling the Whites of the Raj…or may be a tad bit more pompous. How humbled would the Mughals have been in rediscovering their own basic existence.
And then…every party of the elite and social gatherings which makes it to Page Three of leading Dailies, Magazines and Social Media…one would find the Servants in a fancy dress ball…dressed up as Rulers…moving around with Bodyguards et al, nursing Single Malt Tumblers or flutes of a Premium Bubbly…since that is the least they can do for themselves after struggling to keep their Employers…Taxpayers…in proper shape. After keeping them safe to fight another day of struggle…another day of meagre existence…another day of trying their best to provide for their living…another day of trying to pay off critical bills.
And yes…by talking of critical bills I suddenly remember…and find it pertinent for the moment…my visit to a reasonably swanky Hospital, for my Mother’s treatment. Me as well as my family’s biggest worry was whether we would be able to afford the cost…also found it critical to provide her with the best…and this is when I count myself more fortunate than many who might have to liquidate assets so as not to feel guilty on not having been able to save their kith and kin and, instead, letting them languish in one of the smelly, dirty, infectious and cavernous Government Hospitals. On the other hand, you keep on seeing your Rulers rushing off to these Five Star Hospitals…getting ahead of the queue…creating traffic jams to reach there before their next sneeze. The cost…well of course has to be borne by the same Taxpayer and many more, who are slipping below the poverty line to reach the same Hospitals trying their very best to get to a Hospital Bed alive.
And further…all the uber expensive premium schools…Ivy Leagues and top-notch Universities of the US and UK seem to be swelling in size, more with the next generation of the Indian Rulers…than by the next generation of productive Professionals and successful Businessmen who are creating wealth for the Nation and its Servant turned Rulers.
This gap is hurting the average hardworking citizens of our great Country…and I am apprehensive of anarchy on the streets quite a few times larger than the Gen Z protest in Nepal, in case our Rulers upgrade themselves to be Emperors.
I would like to wind up with what one of my younger cousins had to say about paying higher taxes in Australia… “Well I do not actually mind it at all…it is worth every bit of it…at the end of the day we are looked after well by the Government, even when we are immigrants in the country.”
Our current dispensation is definitely trying to get to Welfarism…however a lot has to be achieved in order to avoid blood on the Rulers’ hands.
(Soumitra Banerji is an acclaimed Indian author and writer, best known for his thought-provoking novel “Liminal Tides”.)
