Elsewhere in this issue is carried a London-based story of the experiences of a British film-maker who visited India some time ago to make a documentary on that country’s nuclear power programs, India, James Cutler says, in not much of a free society because no free society has laws such as India has prohibiting photographing of nuclear power stations. Cutler suggests in so many words that India really is a police state, The film reportedly shows India hell-bent upon pursuing nuclear options despite heavy costs involved. No one can discuss nuclear power in India, not even its Parliament, according to a Delhi professor quoted by the film-maker. The entire Indian program is cloaked in utmost secrecy. Even the film which largely portrays the dangerous consequences of the Indian program for its own population may not be allowed to be screened in India, says Cutler. The Indian secrecy on the issue crosses the legitimate limits on protecting matters of defence. In fact, Delhi’s attitude reflects the true nature of the Indian state however shocking it may have seemed to the sensitive British national.

India is not an open society nor much of a democracy cither. More elections do not constitute democracy. Even Hitler held and won elections but by no stretch of imagination could he be called a democrat and his state a democracy. Democracy is much more than mere electoral ritual. Even this ritual is coming to an end in most parts of India, Kashmir is an outstanding example. About Punjab’s elections, less said the better. Hardly 21% voters participated in the February poll. A Congress (I) government with a bare 10% votes came into existence. No one talks of its illegitimacy any longer. India is certain foreign visiting dignitaries are encouraged to meet Beant Singh to lend his government a medium of legitimacy. Democracy requires a certain sensitivity towards the opinion of others, whether in a majority or in minority, This sensitivity is missing in India’s polity which is strongly governed by Brahamanic order based on inequality, exploitation and the urge to maintain the status quo. This approach is at the back of most of India’s problems. It is a Goebles’ lie to attribute these problems to any kind of terrorism. This term merely connotes abuse and certain foreign powers represented at Djkarta last week evidently went along with India without understanding India’s internal problems. India seeks to impose the Brahamanic order on its unwilling minorities, minority regions, Dalits and backward communities by the force of arms rather than carrying out political reforms as in the former Soviet Union. That naturally calls for more and more militarization even after begging or borrowing from others. The nuclear option is the culmination of India’s general militarization and secrecy about it in the reflection of a lack of democratic temper in that society.

India has been making much of its economic liberalization. Businessmen all over the world have not been impressed by the Indian claims on that score which are seen as more spurious than real. In fact, no meaningful liberalization even in the limited economic sphere can be expected from a country like India which is devoid of a genuine democratic policy. Take the case of information media. Electronic media which occupies a pride of place all over the democratic world as a pillar of freedom is far more controlled by the state in India than what its position was in the erstwhile Soviet Union. India refuses to permit the country’s newspapers to be catered to by international news agencies. Every piece of national and international news must first be filtered by the state-controlled indigenous news agencies. No independent newspapers are allowed to operate in Punjab and Kashmir. Even if a journalist does try to send out the truth, he is either thrown out of employment (there is a regular cell in India’s intelligence agency, I,B., to monitor the contributions and approaches of individual journalists) or in jail.

The British film-maker’s observations about India should be seen in the totality of that country’s political scene rather than as an isolated grievance of a wronged individual. It will take sometime for the western public-opinion makers to appreciate the true nature of the Indian state. They are far too media hyped by Indian salesmanship to realize what great disservice is being caused to the suffering people of India in the meantime.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 18, 1992