Let us look at the big picture. There are some things that must remain sacred namely our humanity, ethics, freedom which needs a government to ensure there is law and order ensuring human rights and justice. With technology and globalisation we see around 12% of the world population has cornered most of the wealth and more is spent on protecting that wealth, on nations going nuclear with much of the nation’s productivity and resources spent towards a war machine! Our lives have become a perennial battle for existence where we often lose our compassionate nature and become cruel, deceitful, hypocritical and greedy. The system we have built encourages corruption and panders to the worst in human nature. We have generally lost sight of what is right and wrong, ravaged and polluted the world and have gone far from Mother Nature. After two world wars, an attempt was made to have an UNO body. The world order expected to develop by consensus is in fact a world disorder as clearly evident today! The Security Council has five permanent members and any one can veto any decision of the world body which is a ridiculous state of affairs. A decision of the international tribunal on jurisdiction in the South China Sea is not accepted by China. There is thus no authority that can enforce rule of law when powerful nations disagree and the prospect of a third world war is perennially on the horizon.
Technology is progressing too fast in all spheres, especially genetics. Controversial tampering with creation of life is fraught with dangerous mistakes and consequences! Every nation looks after its own interests first, which is why China has once again blocked declaration of JeM chief Masood Azad as a terrorist. Hafeez Saeed has openly threatened to teach India what surgical strike means! America needs Pakistan for easy access to Afghanistan. China with Russia needs to keep India down as necessary for their aim of world domination. With BJP the political arm of the RSS in power, the Parrivar fringe elements like the VHP, Bajrang Dal and other vigilantes are emboldened to enforce their communal writ exemplified by Gau Rakshas, summary goondagiri, extortion and even killings. A leader of MNS goondas declares boldly on television he gives a damn for the law, police and anyone else and he will not allow screening of Karan Johar’s film with Pakistani actor! Not only is Karan made to grovel before the ruling regime but nationalistic vigilantism is encouraged by the government!
Decisions of the Supreme Court in the Cauvery river dispute are blatantly not complied with by the CM of Karnataka. If India has any hope of being a great respected democratic nation in the world polity, there is enough investigative evidence shown live on television for the authorities to decisively nip the free reign of increasing intolerance, communalisation, taking law into one’s own hands and such behaviour in the bud.
Our generation is by and large the most prosperous and comfortable in all of history. But are we a happier and peaceful generation? More people have been killed and displaced in terrorist attacks/disturbances and local conventional/proxy wars than both world wars! Nations have accumulated enough weapons of mass destruction to obliterate this planet. There are rogue nations like North Korea and Pakistan which are capable of unleashing nuclear war which will suck in the world into more untold misery and destruction. Changing embedded behaviour and notably caste, class, religious beliefs and traditional rituals seems an impossible task. Reforms like Uniform Civil Code and triple talak are being strongly opposed.
When we look at the world today of ghastly crimes, corruption, intolerance and conflict, one is not certain what and whom to trust. The refugees are in millions, terrorists proliferate, the whole world is in turmoil and children who are supposed to be our future are the worst sufferers! Brexit has jeopardised the unity of Britain and the European Union. In America the people have to choose as President from the phenomena of a millionaire playboy Donald Trump and experienced System manipulator Hilary Clinton. Ironically, the people may vote for him not because they like him but they want change from the System in vogue!
Can the habitual nature of man and his mindset ever change? Religion instead of uniting has become the biggest force of division and conflict. People rob and kill in the name of God and tradition! Increasing population, dwindling resources, pollution and climate change will in the normal course force more devastation by revolution or war. Unless we can change mindsets and the System in vogue or migrate to another planet, to have a glorious future in this globalised world, we will have to quickly get out from our comfort zone to nurture and elect statesmen who can get together and work to accomplish the present seemingly impossible but essential task of completely reforming the UNO. This world body must harness the best collective wisdom, power and authority which will allow it to enforce its writ by international law which has been accepted and ratified by all nations which follow suit. Otherwise I see us like proverbial lemmings, perpetuating the system that has brought us to this sorry pass, helplessly negotiating the pot holed road with a serious probability towards our eventual mutual destruction.
(The author is a retired naval officer and Freelance writer. He is also involved in social issues)
