In order for anyone to move ahead, maybe, just maybe, it is relevant to know how one got to the present. We can then determine what decisions and actions need to be taken so that the past does not hamper the present. And more importantly, by being aware of the current situation we should not look back in the future and say to ourselves we wish we had done something about what we knew, when we knew it. After Sixty Years of Independence, India has made tremendous progress. However, there are some dysfunctional vestiges of the past that we inherited that if remedied would catapult us even faster for a better Quality of Life for all.
The British set up an elaborate bureaucracy implemented using Indians, designed to protect Britain’s interests, to enrich their coffers at the expense of India. It included a web of procedures and rules that enabled a few, the rulers to oversee an organization involving many, the ruled, who could not be trusted. And then when they left, we Indians perpetuated the bureaucracy they established, the ruled became the ruler, and the Naukar became the Sarkar. The once obedient “civil servant” came into power and the system that was designed to enrich the British, was quickly transformed to enrich the “new rulers” of India, namely the “Brown Sahibs”. The British did a lot of good for India, whose benefits are discernable today. They left a legacy of education, transportation and communication etc. At the same time they oppressed, exploited, exhorted and controlled India as well. And when they left, the loyal bureaucracy they established quickly adopted all of these traits. There were a few good Britishers who were concerned about the welfare of the Indians, and there were a few corrupt and conniving individuals amongst them as well. The same can be said of our bureaucracy today. And it is this system that we adopted blindly that has resulted in the situation we are in.
In order to maintain control, the British established many departments often with over lapping authority. Getting things done required the approval of multiple departments, which results in no clear authority or accountability. This is a classic case of divide and rule. By pushing an issue through multiple departments many angles of an issue are gleaned and an overseer can then determine and approve what is the best approach that protects and enhances their agenda. Now this same scenario results in grid lock and promotes corruption.
The typical bureaucrat’s approach is no different from the British. They use their position to serve themselves and protect their interests first before serving their constituents. They hinder legitimate initiatives and allow illegal initiatives to enrich themselves. Unfortunately, this malaise spread to all levels of our Government. Now even a clerk or a peon uses their level of control to their benefit. It starts with requesting “Bakshish” to supplement their meager pay to survive. Then, greed sets in and it moves to an entirely new level. Now there is a “capitation” bribe to secure a position.
This malaise prevalent everywhere, besides the the government and corrupt politicians, we have corrupt business men. Zamindars who oppress the poor, and village upper classes prey upon the lower classes and so on.
Unlike the British, who had a steadfast allegiance to the crown that brought about justice whenever there were major infractions, Indians have allegiance only to themselves and in some areas there is a total breakdown of law and order. The British adhered to a set of rules that Gandhi exploited to their disadvantage. Today our justice system is stacked in favour of the lawbreaker. Another big difference is that the amounts being stolen now is staggering. It would be interesting to find out if adjusted for inflation, who stole more, the British or the Indians themselves?
The British collaborated with local rulers and businessmen when it suited them and served their interests. They established monopolies like the making of Salt; they taxed locally produced goods heavily to encourage imported material like textiles. In some ways they operated like the mafia, the only difference was it was on a larger scale and it was legitimized, simply because they could. And when they left, they left the reins with a new class of rulers, namely us and it has been a constant struggle of Indians Vs Indians ever since. The legacy of oppression, exploitation, extortion and control left by the British continues to manifest itself today in many ways. Our government too in some ways (even today, more so in the past) operates as a Mafia by maintaining control over areas that are best left to private enterprise.
Despite all of the setbacks of the bureaucracy established by the British, India (urban) and Bharat (rural) have made great strides and has catapulted itself as a rapidly emerging world economic power. The challenge now is to increase the pace of economic growth along with making sure the ensuing tide lifts the fortunes of the lowest rung of our society as well.
All is not bad about the bureaucracy. It is a classic command and control system that does perform when commanded. Also it goes by “the book” that spells out the rules and regulations that exist. If the book is changed, the bureaucracy will follow and implement it. Change is difficult to assimilate and granted the changes should be debated and refined and implemented with the interest of the country in mind. There will be missteps and mistakes and corrective action can and should be taken to either reverse or modify these missteps. At the same time, we cannot afford not to act and take a laise-fare approach to change. We must rapidly implement ethical and rational rules, laws and policy that unleash the entrepreneurial talent of Indians. Ultimately, everyone will agree that inarguably, the solution to deal with a huge human pool of un-educated, un-skilled, un-employed residing in Bharat and the slums of India, is to enable individuals and families find a sustainable source of income by which they can survive and progress. This will require the cooperation of the Government, Industry, NGOs, businesses and entrepreneurs. For instance the current labour laws are skewed towards protecting the interests of the labourer at the detriment of companies that hire large number of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers. While it is important to provide workers with a safe environment and prevent exploitation it is also imperative to be able to weed out incompetent and un-productive workers that are currently protected by the labyrinth of labour laws. Our experience shows that the knowledge sector is unbridled with these handicaps and is thriving. We need to pay heed to the manufacturing sector if it is to thrive. The current labor laws are curtailing the establishment of labor-intensive industries in rural areas where the bulk of the uneducated, unskilled and unemployed reside. This is just one of the many changes that need to be implemented.
To increase the rate of change, we have to accelerate a top’s down approach that involve changes in policy that transition the role of the bureaucrats from one of control to one of governance. Besides changing the “book”, we need to establish clear lines of separation between the Politician, the Bureaucracy and the Judicial Branch. This is a topic that requires an in-depth analysis.
After gaining independence from the British, the citizens of India were lulled into a false sense of security and allowed the malaise to perpetuate and take root. In many ways, the citizens of India have themselves to blame for, by perpetuating a general sense of apathy and blaming it all on the government. What citizens can do and are pursuing, is a bottom’s up approach of activism wherein the people assert their rights and demand from the bureaucrats what they are entitled to.
The need of the hour is a second Independence Struggle, this one from the surrogate “rulers” the British left behind. We must “push” change through Tops Down Policy and “pull” change through Bottums Up citizens involvement and Activism. In doing so, we can raise the Standard of Living and Quality of Life of Indians and Bharathvasis.
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