This refers to the article “Culture, counter-culture and human rights” by Teotonio R. De Souza (Herald, August 18, 2018). Heartiest compliments to the author for projecting the reality and for suggesting the way out. Ever since human history and some progress in the material field, societies have been divided into dominant classes on the one hand and subservient classes on the other side. The wider gap is in full operation today in our country. Wealth and power on one side, poverty and penury stark millions. As long as society was primeval and collective a common culture was developed, in course of time true to Darwin’s survival of the fittest a few advanced with new tools of production and made their presence and power felt all over. Collective unity was superseded by the ‘us’ versus the ‘rest’. All dominant classes influenced cultural patterns of their own and impose on vast others and in this process an alternative-culture gave birth in different periods of history.
Modern day nationalism in India is a reconstruct of nation States and nationalism that happened in Europe centuries back. Then all nations became protective and insulated from others. However, nationalism and patriotism meant more memories and cultural patterns of the dominant classes rather than the well being of all inhabitants. There can be no denying the fact that because of dominance and subservience within one land violence was the grammar of politics, it had to defend both the interior and danger from outside, collision the permanent ethos. Various men of wisdom talked harmony and peace but that could not be the satisfying answer due to greed and profligacy of the dominant classes. For instance in Goa Portugal ruled the roost, a cry for freedom was silenced until the forces of counter-culture began to take shape.
In present day Goa we see the revival of Hindutva ideology in full swing, remnants of the old classes and cultures are in a subordinate position. The moral every action has an opposite reaction in different time span of history. Nationalism by term and content has to be divisive one way or the other, value judgments another point of debate. In other parts of the country a similar situation prevails, real issues facing the people take a back seat and manifold tensions on the surface. Not that earlier dispensations were blot free, they took sides blatantly, now the reverse. What suffers is good governance for the people, by the people and of the people.
Without human rights and liberties no country can become enlightened, they are as useful as material happiness. Disconnection from reality and motivating conformism would only lead us to become moronic, by this perpetuation, politics is doing a great disservice. What governments anywhere ought to do is to let hundred flowers bloom responsibly without posing a danger to internal security and sovereignty.
Without being eclectic as Rabindranath Tagore and many other public spirited individuals we cannot taste our freedom from colonial fetters on this 71-year of Indian Independence. Let us have a common culture which assures prosperity to all. Only ideology of goodness and happiness can do wonders but who will bell the cat, every dispensation is imprisoned in the shackles of narrowness.
