(Samaj Weekly)
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
As 2020 coming to its culmination tonight, the future still look uncertain despite tall claims of vaccine development by various Pharma companies. Of course, the powerful block have already blocked huge number of doses denying the others at the hands of ‘God’. This remain one of the darkest years that we have witnessed. It is not that the tragedies did not stuck earlier or their wrath was ;less atrocious but the enormity and spread this time remain unprecedented. It impacted all. The lock down broke the bones of not merely our economy but also the informal sector workers who realised that it is not merely their ‘class’ but their ‘caste’ matters as they persistently faced discrimination and adversity in the cities they built while being ‘declared’ as ‘migrants’ in their own country. Nowhere in the world, we term fellow citizens as ‘migrants’.
Every crisis is an opportunity and western governments felt it that way where many of the countries strengthened their public spending particularly on the health as well as other welfare measures. Many provided subsidies to small industries so that they are not closed down while others also transferred money to their people so that they continue to have cash to run their homes and spend it. A country like UK which was on the verge of handing over its famous National Health Services to big corporations in the USA, found that it is the best landmark of their country and now feel proud of it. NHS has become the backbone of British people which they feel proud of.
The impact of Corona was high in the western world but Asian countries handled it much better. China, from where it all started showed why it is one of the finest governed countries, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia handled it in a much better way. In terms of mortalities, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka were much below. It is a reality that Covid assaulted the Western World more than any other countries but for India to compare it with them will not serve any purpose. India can claim that the deaths here are below US but the economies in the Western World have not collapsed like us. They have managed things better. Of course, with leaders like Trump and Johnson, US and UK paid a heavy price for ignoring the earlier warning.
In India, the government used the Covid as a shield to impose emergencies and brutal lock down without even thinking of what will happen to the poorest of the poor who become more vulnerable. Prior to Covid, we had massive anti CAA-NRC protests which were brutally suppressed with physical assault and false cases. Shaheen Bagh showed a mirror to the government yet the BJP converted it into a We verses them theory in its election campaign and helped by the powerful propaganda media and notorious IT cell.
The covid norms washed away when the ministers and leaders were campaigning but were imposed when farmers were protesting. The youths are staring at an uncertain future while Industry is prepared for a longer recession but the ruling party is enjoying this phase and using it to privatise the national resources. This is shameful to say the least.
I am not fascinated with the big ‘movements’ because one thing is clear that this state is jolted when they feel their ‘own’ people have revolted or drifted with them. Kisans too have castes and prejudices. Most of them enjoy their upper caste privileges even when people like us felt that they should follow the path shown by revolutionary Jyotiba Phule. It is unlikely that they would. A majority of them will be trapped in the vicious cycle of anti Muslim narrative. We all know how anti CAA-NRC protests were portrayed and why it failed when the questions of farmers came. It is simple. Most of the farmers are neither Muslims, nor Dalits nor Adivasis though most of them are OBCs yet very much part of the Hindutva narrative of Sangh Parivar who they can not dare to antagonise.
As the year come to an end, we can only hope that people of India will realise that not only capitalism but Brahmanism too is root cause of the crisis that we are facing today. Hence it is important that when farmers and working classes identify capitalism as their enemy, they can not ignore the bigger power of the Indian Brahmanical elite. Ignoring this will only ensure their future defeats. Whatever big a movement is, I don’t see the defeat of the powerful Brahmanical elite unless the peasantry understand what Jyotiba Phule mentioned Sethji Bhatji combine. The problem is the so called ‘intellectual’ ‘leaders’ of these movements who are only targeting to be in Parliament and not to really change the system.
As the year end, I wish that sanity prevails and we come back to normalcy. Hope that democratic forces world over will unite against the undemocratic social order which is dictating terms and conditions to us. Covid has shown how unequal is this world order. It has shown us that we need to unite and fight against prejudices. We need to stand up together. We hope that year 2021 will bring more energy and hope in our life. We have lost a number of friends and co-travellers. 2020 has been a dreadful year. Let us join hand and hope that humanity will prevail and the world will rise up to the current crisis for the betterment of its people.
Wish you all good health, lots of strength and happiness. Let us stand together and speak up against all forms of injustice and discrimination. Wish you good days ahead in the year 2021.
