In May 2014 – after three decades of ‘policy paralysis’ due to compulsions of coalition politics, India gave an outright mandate for a new administration. There was cheer all around and the hope was palpable in every voice. It did not matter so much as to who the victor was but the fact that we overcame a three decade old curse was reason enough to celebrate. The business sector was happy as many tough decisions could now be taken easily and the man on the street was happy hoping the economic indicators would improve under the new regime and the trickle down benefits would make life much better for all. I must make a quick side note: Elections in democracy is one of the most potent drug, it enables the governed to vote out the Government and at same time help them erase past memories and make a clean cut to new tomorrow. It almost breaks my heart to see how often this goes wrong.
The new administration in Delhi marked a change in ways we think and work with the PM laying emphasis on fast and efficient government. Once again, we cheered that we finally are a country of doers than speakers. I was not too hopeful of the new government doing much fruitful because I am forever wary of the PM. I am very aware of things he is capable of and his legendary loathe towards any criticism. To me, power – when mixed with narcissistic tendencies makes a heady cocktail that sweeps most people off their feet and here we were dealing with Narcissist himself. I was very sure that sooner than later the PM will run roughshod over contradicting views and it would be a hoot and half to see how he handles it from the seat of power. To his credit, he had two successful terms as a CM but being in Delhi under constant gaze of media is a whole different game than being a CM of a state. Round one was won by the PM when he managed to get his corporate friends buy large stake in national media and through them control the media narrative. The media had a dictat to not speak against the PM and the government and hence we had a good long run of 8 months of sycophancy in the media. This was broken by the Delhi elections of 2015.
The thing that scared me the most of these 8 months was how easy it was for an elected Government to use levers of power or influence with the corporates to effectively muzzle all criticism. Now, I know most of what Indian media does is noise; but even so, the response to wrong news is right news but here the Government was encouraging the approach of “no news is good news”. Access to all information about the administration was cut and the media had to depend on heresy to report on any happenings in the corridor of power. Contrast this to the position of media advisor equivalent to a press secretary - that existed not so long ago who effectively liaised between the media and administration. If you thought it was bad that the administration was blocking the access to media, it went a lot further.
Right to information act was modelled on the US Freedom of information act which ensured that the working of the administration would be open to public gaze and any information that is not a national security issue could be sought by a citizen by filing a RTI. In cases where information was not forthcoming, the chief information commissioner would release the information or order the administration to comply. The new administration has not appointed a chief information commissioner for the last one year, since the incumbent retired. So the administration is effectively starving the media and the citizen of any information of the happenings within the corridors of power. The question that begs to be asked – Why, exactly is the administration wary of sharing any information of its actions? Is there something worth hiding? Does it bode well for a democracy if the administration is going all out to muzzle voices of all possible opposing views and is wary of its own citizen. Why is the current administration going out of the way to hide its tracks and wipe its finger prints off its deeds.
While all this was going on, non-governmental organizations (NGO) were petitioning the courts to force the hand of the administration into being more open and transparent in its dealings. Several such petitions ended up as litigations which embarrassed the administration and hence, in a pure vindictive and ham handed way, the administration has cracked down on NGOs for violation of FCRA norms and is trying hard to out maneuver the NGOs by piling counter litigations so that they don’t have time to look into dealings of the administration. By this one act, the administration has proved convincingly that it does not appreciate criticism from any quarters and will fight with all its might to muzzle these contrarian voices by drowning them in litigations. How much this bodes well for our democracy is a question we need to ask ourselves the next time we step out to vote.
So long....
The new administration in Delhi marked a change in ways we think and work with the PM laying emphasis on fast and efficient government. Once again, we cheered that we finally are a country of doers than speakers. I was not too hopeful of the new government doing much fruitful because I am forever wary of the PM. I am very aware of things he is capable of and his legendary loathe towards any criticism. To me, power – when mixed with narcissistic tendencies makes a heady cocktail that sweeps most people off their feet and here we were dealing with Narcissist himself. I was very sure that sooner than later the PM will run roughshod over contradicting views and it would be a hoot and half to see how he handles it from the seat of power. To his credit, he had two successful terms as a CM but being in Delhi under constant gaze of media is a whole different game than being a CM of a state. Round one was won by the PM when he managed to get his corporate friends buy large stake in national media and through them control the media narrative. The media had a dictat to not speak against the PM and the government and hence we had a good long run of 8 months of sycophancy in the media. This was broken by the Delhi elections of 2015.
The thing that scared me the most of these 8 months was how easy it was for an elected Government to use levers of power or influence with the corporates to effectively muzzle all criticism. Now, I know most of what Indian media does is noise; but even so, the response to wrong news is right news but here the Government was encouraging the approach of “no news is good news”. Access to all information about the administration was cut and the media had to depend on heresy to report on any happenings in the corridor of power. Contrast this to the position of media advisor equivalent to a press secretary - that existed not so long ago who effectively liaised between the media and administration. If you thought it was bad that the administration was blocking the access to media, it went a lot further.
Right to information act was modelled on the US Freedom of information act which ensured that the working of the administration would be open to public gaze and any information that is not a national security issue could be sought by a citizen by filing a RTI. In cases where information was not forthcoming, the chief information commissioner would release the information or order the administration to comply. The new administration has not appointed a chief information commissioner for the last one year, since the incumbent retired. So the administration is effectively starving the media and the citizen of any information of the happenings within the corridors of power. The question that begs to be asked – Why, exactly is the administration wary of sharing any information of its actions? Is there something worth hiding? Does it bode well for a democracy if the administration is going all out to muzzle voices of all possible opposing views and is wary of its own citizen. Why is the current administration going out of the way to hide its tracks and wipe its finger prints off its deeds.
While all this was going on, non-governmental organizations (NGO) were petitioning the courts to force the hand of the administration into being more open and transparent in its dealings. Several such petitions ended up as litigations which embarrassed the administration and hence, in a pure vindictive and ham handed way, the administration has cracked down on NGOs for violation of FCRA norms and is trying hard to out maneuver the NGOs by piling counter litigations so that they don’t have time to look into dealings of the administration. By this one act, the administration has proved convincingly that it does not appreciate criticism from any quarters and will fight with all its might to muzzle these contrarian voices by drowning them in litigations. How much this bodes well for our democracy is a question we need to ask ourselves the next time we step out to vote.
So long....
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