I shared this article in one of my whatsapp groups, friends of 35+ years, highly educated, accomplished and leaders in their own right, occupying positions of accountability, across the world.

“The world’s largest democracy has now turned into an electoral autocracy”| This is verdict of the annual democracy report of Sweden’s V-Dem Institute, as it comes a week after Freedom House’s downgrading of Indian democracy| Here is the full report — https://t.co/3TmNPbPzuF

I noticed this morning a couple of responses from  accomplished of my friends..

The first one…

“I have been a long standing advocate of a benign dictator in India who works in the interest of the country as large and diverse as India

India has not been able to progress because of leaders who always had to appease one section or another”

The second one here…

We all want to have cake and eat it too.
So we need freedom and progress. Whatever we see with China today same happened with US and Soviet Union and rest is history. China only rose because US helped and could have turned the page. Trump screwed everything up by scrapping TTP on day one. Now, We are back on track with Quad

If we were so desperate on only progress then our forefathers screwed it up big time.

Rather than fighting for independence with British they should have joined hands and make India the most progressed country in British India.

There is no price for freedom and we can speak against the government because of freedom. That is the beauty and we don’t value it because we take it for granted as we got on a platter.

We don’t have to go far just look what happened to Turkey and what happened to Pakistan.

You can’t compare to China but look where we landed up after partition with Pakistan.

In democracy prosperity is shared by all but in dictatorship it is shared by few and you suppress the others but some day lid goes off and county gets divided.
Democracy is not easy to sustain and India did a real good job

If we would have made India a Hindu nation then it would have got broken into more pieces than what happened in Pakistan.

Look at the group and see how we are divided. We all are Hindu and too from upper caste in the group and what happened. We created new groups..

Same would have happened to the country until and unless you force people to think and live exactly the same way and that is called communism and that failed everywhere.

We are in a good spot where our people are valued around the globe and we have to just sustain it.

My response

By the way ‘benign dictator’ is oxymoron!

I too am for a benign dictator, and let me talk about my idea of one.

One, who believes in democracy and who values and takes every one along with genuine discussion, debate and bringing people around in a logical and rational manner.

A. A statesman. One who promotes, appreciates capabilities and talents irrespective of which party, for nation’s good.

B. Benign and equanimous for everyone, not partial and parochial. One who focuses on humanity, irrespective of faith, religion.

C. Upright and above board, not utterly corrupt. If you are the most corrupt how will you ever eradicate it. You sow the seeds of corruption and manipulation.

D. No Duplicity. What you say is what you deliver. Cannot be a ‘haathi’ with ‘do daant’

E. Let the work speak. Walk, walk, walk….less talk.

F. Let every human being in the nation be happy due to his or her own progression and that of his or her family, without any kind of fear. That’s when he or she will go out of the way to help others. Happiness Index be the measure.

What we really are doing now is emotional manipulation of the 79% with ‘faith in danger’ showcasing and go about manipulation of the core values of the nation, destroying the pillars of democracy, democratic institutions to remain in power at any cost, to furthering ones hegemonic rule without any accountability to any one!!

We all educated need to be very objective in assessing, evaluating and expressing.

why important…

Let me put some data from MHRD released by the present government..in June 2020

A. GER for higher education is 27%. Not more than 27% of youth in 19-23 bracket ever go beyond class 12.

B. Very interesting, GSR is 9%. It means ony 9% ever graduate. 18% leave the graduation mid way!!

C. Now, less than 1% of the population, .77% to be precise, do a professional course that the nation feels very important – Engineering, Medical, Law, CA, ICWA,…..

D. Now look at the outcome of the quality. Engineering, that constitutes majority of this .77% percent, the Industry says, only 20% of the engineers are employable. So the numbers are like .07% of the age group in prime youth.

E. Now thankfully, we all are part of that .07% of the well educated, and not the 99.93% who will for some reason or other left behind.

F. Now tell me what should the role of this .07% of the population towards the rest of the 99.93% of the humanity?

G. Should we not be objective, should we not speak up when atrocities are committed, should we not keep the ruling powerful objective on track to national prosperity, benigness towards humanity?

What role are we really playing when the people in power manipulate the emotions of humanity to be in power at any cost, without accountability?

You say elections are there?

Dear friend the power buttressed by the pipelines of money being poured into electioneering by the few benefiting monoliths who have been part of the Power..

Can you imagine 27000cr spent by the ruling party in the 2019 general elections!!

PMCares, Electoral bonds cannot be questioned under RTI! Why? For obvious reasons!

Don’t you think the way farm laws have been promulgated is very good example of how the dictator is far away from benign? (We will have a complete article on the good of farm less and bad of how and why it was brought about, not here)

We all have a great responsibility. And we should be the enablers! All the more when the last resort of humanity, the law and order, Supreme Court and Police dance to the tunes of those in power!

Kindly digest, introspect and respond. observe your own process of response. Where is it originating from? Done not react!

If you have gone through the article, will be a pleasure to hear your views…kindly leave a comment. Also, can share with friends. Thanks.