We the people? Whose India?. What India?

 

 Adoor

22 May  · 

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We the people? Whose India?. What India?

Poor migrant workers are in endless exodus. Walking hundreds of miles to the heart of India, from the heart of darkness : in search of secure feelings from lack of jobs, lack of food, and lack of any social protection.

Though the poor people of this country have been running around for decades in search of basic livelihood, everyone was so busy to notice

Migrant workers didn't happen over few months. They have always been there in the margins, in the make -shifts labor camps, in the labyrinth of slums, without any substantial rights or social protection. They were in the midst of busy cities, working day and nights. To build skyscrapers, roads, bridges and pavement for others who could afford all those things. Most of the migrant workers are Dalits, Adivasies and Muslims, from the hinterlands of povery and discriminations in the republic of hunger.

They are real people making India and making in India. They were making India for others from the invisible margins. They made Delhi a New Delhi. They made New Mumbai. They made the apartment you and I live in.They worked in the field so that we have enough food. They made India and India never gave them dignity or equal rights. Politicians needed only their votes, in return to promises that got eternally postponed.

After every election media got back to their business and bucks from ads.. Media got so busy reporting ' ' good things ' ' good stories ' 'good governance ' and ' Acha Dins " !!! Media was supposed to ' make feel good '.When foreign dignitaries came, walls were constructed to make poor invisible and make the rich feel good.

Middle class often not seen the poor and marginalised , made invisible by those in power, to make India look ' shining ' !!

The covid has exposed all those things put under the carpet for decades every where : massive inequality, marginalization of migrant workers, abject poverty and multiple forms of discriminations. Covid exposed the unhealed wounds in the heart of India. Old ways of doing things don't work any longer.

Never seen this much of dehumanized governance in India. Millions of migrants workers are in exodus from joblessness, poverty and insecurity. The tears, the sweat, hunger and tribulations of human beings don't matter much in those who are in power in Delhi and many states.

People are losing jobs. Poor neither have employment, nor wages and no money to survive. More and more vulnerable middle class are worried about the meals next week, the loans that need to be repaid, children fees as they stare at future of uncertainty, without jobs or means of livelihood.

Even when people and organizations come forward to help migrant workers and poor, dehumanized leaders are playing dirty politics as we have seen in UP.

While government declared packages for the well off, only crumbs are thrown for the poor.

A bigger tragedy than covid 19 is unfolding in India. Democracy is being pushed under the Covid emergency carpet. Rights are restricted. Dissent less tolerated. Opposition is ridiculed. Power gets centralized. Leader gets deified. Questions become inconvenient.

A bigger tragedy of unprecedented economic crisis is looming over the country. A bigger crisis of jobless recession. A bigger crisis of new poverty. A bigger crisis of more people dying out of hunger and malnutrition.

There are more anxieties, questions and concerns about economy, politics and democracy. Populist Authoritarianism of any kind undermines democracy, development, freedom and human rights.

This country belongs to all the people, irrespective of caste, creed, class, religion or language.

People need to speak out and stand up for the constitution, rights and justice for everyone , everywhere and keep asking accountability. Because government belongs to people and not the other way around.

'We the people ' need to be an affirmation and not a question mark in India. We simply can't afford to be afraid. We simply can't afford to be silent spectators of injustice and unfreedoms.

We need to reclaim the values the preamble and fundamental rights of the constitution.

We need to keep reminding those in power.

We need to be a part of the solutions. We need a new India and new politics where everyone can live a life with dignity and equal rights. We need to reimagine economy and politics where peace, prosperity for everyone and equal rights for all will prevail.

This is our country too. And we need together reimagine politics and economy so that we shall overcome some day.

We are not afraid and we are not alone. We need a new India. We the people !

JS Adoor

288Methilaj MA, James Varghese and 286 others

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