The Idea Of India

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

The idea of India is not a defined or definable entity. A five thousand or more years old civilization which has passed through vicissitudes of history, aggressions, repressions, wars and political movements is not amenable to a straightforward categorization or a normative identity. No nation or people can ever have a straightjacketed indelibility of identity. The Idea of a country may not be the same to all people of a country or to all nations. India has always been defined by others. But orientalism(s) notwithstanding the soul of India shines with its own colours and attributes. The recognizable constructs of the Indian mind, in terms of historical change, are three: The Vedic –post- vedic Idea of India; The aggressor dominated (the Muslim-British) discursive mindscape; and the modern Constitution mediated India. But it must be admitted that regression and progression, the dur’ee and multi - directional memory make overlapping distortions over which no regimentation of ideas can ever hold sway. Since Indians do not have a sense of time these three constructs exist simultaneously leading to our discomfiture in the society.

What India was to herself and the world before the transition between BCE and CE is termed Hindu (India)- a term not yet defined or conceived of clearly  in the medley of interpretations by desi and videsi scholars. But  polytheism, pluralism, tolerance for intolerance , belief in diversity, the world as one family, the theory of karma and the trivarga –dharma,artha, kama( a fourth was added later- moksa- which was abstract if not vague). The universal Soul or Brahman absorbing the individual soul after death, was a kind of fulfilment of the individual life. It was also an attractive optimistic belief guiding the human spirit.  The Lokayatikas or Charvakas too existed with their scepticism and materialism. Groups pursuing their own faith systems lived under the overarching faith of pluralism and secularism - with a non political connotation. The aims of life were modulated by the four margas guided by the vedic texts (for dharma),Brihaspati’s Arthasashtra reformulated with need based variations by kautilya (forArtha) and Vatsayan’s Kamasutra ( for pleasure).

But when the country came under Muslim rule another narrative was built around their achievements. The classical civilization of India was redefined as the new age historians thought that any civilization practising values akin to the classical values is a classical civilization. The past heritage was remodelled on the new culture. Dynasty, monuments and texts of the past lost their vertical space. The new lateral, horizontal view searched for the hidden and less conspicuous elements of culture to create a new narrative. The Idea of India appear to be chaotic, a jumbled up concatenation of a new India. The British colonial idea of India was a slicing apart of so called Indian culture. Religion and caste devides dominated the new idea of India. The British with their sense of skewed justice created an idea of India that has caused a series of problems beyond any profitable debate. They tried to make India a composite culture of simultaneous existence of irreconciliable opposites. The old texts were junked, the old monuments and the history of destruction of the past citadels considered virtuous, were scorned until Gandhi came. Gandhi stood as a new Idea with old classical values of Truth, Non-violence and coexistence of all values without caste or religious dichotomy. Neheru mostly thought  of an urban suave India.

But after free India gave herself a Constitution, the Idea of India gained new dimensions of Unity in Diversity, pluralism and freedom with rights protected by justice. India in the first phase was secular but to give it a constitutional authority, the word Secular which was not in the Ambedkar framework was added by Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. Indian democracy survived the Emergency not because of the new word- Secular- in the constitution but because of the tolerance of intolerance which the Indians have in their DNA.

But today if anyone asks about the idea of India, no answer could be accepted as definitive. The Gandhian idea of truth, Non-violence and unity of thought, speech and action are of no more any operational validity. The caste groups, minorities and ideologically self-segregated groups have their own Ideas of India, each claiming superior authenticity over others’. Mandal report implementation was a turning point in independent India and the Babri Maszid demolition was another: both have destroyed all ideas of India. Some Muslim groups think in terms of another partition. RSS and Fringe groups start lynching people for cow slaughter. Beef eating is now the anti –idea of India.  The cities have their own ideas of India. The fashion designers and the Bollywood industry have their Ideas of India. Politicians are mostly responsible for the Idea of India to be corroded by self- contradictory proclamations. Each political party has its own idea. The intellectual elite have their own India. There are millions who do not bother about India: they try to loot and cheat the India we have, by their own logic. Plurality now means a cacophony of Ideas of India. What the country needs today is an intellectual revolution. But who has the incontrovertible idea of India in his mind to lead such a revolution?