On Jean Dreze... And Me

New Delhi: May 29, 2008: 0730hrs
In an earlier post, we had commented on the “death of an activist’, referring to the “rural employment activist” who got murdered in Jharkhand.

We also spoke of Professor Emeritus of sociology, Jean Dreze, who was a friend, philosopher and guide to this activist, and who is an activist himself.

Now, there is a report of Dreze leading a procession in the area where the activist was conducting a “social audit” of NREGA projects. There is a photo alongside the report. The banner in Hindi reads “Shaheed Lalit”. The word shaheed means “martyr”. Thus, a bright young man has been “martyred” to Dreze’s cause of rural employment generation and the social audit thereof.

Is this “moral” activism?

I too spent some years in “grassroots activism”. I lectured street hawkers and vendors on why they should ask the government for nothing except the Liberty to carry on their businesses.

No cheap credit – for they were already getting credit easily from informal money-lenders.

No doles.

Nothing except Liberty.

Huftha Bandh!

I gave my stamp of approval to ganja dealers and “dance bars” – that they too need Liberty.

Huftha Bandh!

My activism, and that of my handful of volunteers, consisted in explaining to ordinary people why they should ask for nothing from the State – except freedom: the highest political value.

Jean Dreze’s “activism” consists of rounding up poor people to collect the dole.

My activism was in a city; Dreze’s is in remote villages.

Yet, which is really “activism”?

If people want a dole, and if the government gives it to them, there should be no need for activism. What is the need to round up poor people to collect money from the State? How is this “moral” – since the money has come from taxpayers? What is a “social audit”?

My activism consisted in telling small businessmen, some of whose businesses were illegal because of repressive legislation, to liberate themselves and get rich.

This is preaching “self-help”. Nothing immoral about it. Nothing to take from anyone else. No claims on the State. Nothing except khulla dhanda.

Of course, the government is happy with Dreze’s “activism” because it poses no threat to the State.

The government hated my kind of activism – and I was repeatedly attacked by the cops, and their hired goons.

There is a moral lesson in this.

And I hope you got it.