Democracy is the cradle of freedoms but these freedoms are being diminished – by fundamentalism, majoritarianism and general intolerance. It’s the rise of illiberal democracies. A kind of lumpenised democracy. Look at what’s happening in our own country. Movies are banned without being seen. People are killed for storing the wrong kind of meat or for transporting an animal. History is being re-written to demean national treasures while roads are being renamed because they glorify evil empires and statues are being brought down because they are identified with another ideology.
The media is constantly threatened with violence by all kinds of groups. We have become a ‘Republic of the Offended’. Just waiting for someone to affront us and make a cause celebre of it. When there is silence or inaction, bigotry gets emboldened. Reasoned debate is descending into cacophony even in Parliament. I am sure Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who you will hear after me, will have something to say about all this. I look forward to that. In the highest temple of justice, the Supreme Court, judges are openly squabbling with each other. Bureaucrats and law enforcement officers are being assaulted by politicians. And the bureaucracy seems to exist to serve itself and not the people. When all this happens you know democracy is in peril. And if I say democracy is in peril, the nation is in peril. As India can be governed only as a democracy.
The third paradox is the rise of the maximum leader. One would think under a strong leader society would be more unified and we would all have a far more peaceful existence. The opposite has happened. Society is far more riven with strife than they were before. America is a case in point. Here is a country torn apart ideologically with no middle ground, the result is constant friction and perennial conflict. Tomorrow night we have Mrs. Hillary Roland Clinton to put this all in perspective, there’s no better person than her as she has seen and participated in American politics for over four decades, up close and personal. India too has becomes a far more divided society. It has seen the rise of identity politics whether of caste or religion or even region. India is a pluralistic society and that I believe today is been undermined. Minorities feel threatened, even Hindus are now been questioned about what kind of Hindu are you. Soon India’s democratic credential will be severely tested with the Babri Masjid verdict.
The fourth paradox is that despite the rising prosperity the great divide exists, while countries have become more prosperous with the economic growth spurred by globalization and innovation, the rich have got richer and the poor poorer. Inequalities have grown across the world and India is one of the countries where inequality is the highest. The top 1% owns 58% of the wealth in this country and more importantly it also captures 78% of the new wealth created, with widespread farmer distress and pervasive joblessness. This is a time bomb ticking in our backyard. And the alienated will only be enraged further when they see banks been looted by the rich with impunity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has understood this well, many of his schemes launched by him are targeting this paradox. The challenge of course is to have equity with growth while not punishing the wealth creators. Yet, the oft repeated question of India, are we heading from a demographic disaster or are we going to reap demographic dividend? still hangs in the balance. You will hear much about this, about banks and this Conclave.
The fifth and final paradox is the rise of global digital giants. They have great power but no accountability. They changed are lives for the better but at a cost. Privacy is a thing of the past. They know everything about us and are free to use it any way they want. Their empires know no border as they conquer the human mind across the world. They are the new gate keepers to the flow of information, interaction and entertainment. The big four, Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple are together valued at almost $3 trillion dollars, that’s as much as the Indian economy. Social media too is a double edged sword, it can be used for evil or good. It gives everyone the freedom to express an opinion which is threatened now by organizations and use troll armies to denigrate those who disagree with them. But it allows for greater social activism, with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements exposing those who wear the cloak of civility for the barbarians they actually are. The other irony is that, with Google, we live in a time when the world’s knowledge is at our fingertips and the truth is easily verifiable, but the truth is constantly on trial. Fake news is a virus that has infected our digital ecosystem. And there is no cure in sight. Regulating these tech giants will be a big challenge in the years to come.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe these paradoxes that I have spoken about will be the key issues that will dominate the 21st century. Conversations on all such issues and more, this is what the Conclave is all about. On that note, let me welcome you again to our annual festival of ideas. This is where we debate, discuss, argue and learn. I believe learning till your last breath is a life well lived. Let this Conclave be part of your learning.
