Against Our Desi Taliban

Both the news and the opinion pages are full of apprehension that politically connected goon squads imposing their moral and cultural values on others implies that Free India is facing “talibanization.” See this editorial.

The adjective is apt. The Taliban believe that theirs is the perfect culture, the perfect Islam, that they are its guardians, and that coercion is a fine means of achieving the “Perfect State.” The people are just sheep. In the Perfect State, these people will obey orders and pay taxes. Theirs is not an ideology of either freedom or justice; theirs is an ideology of domination. And in this the Taliban are not very different from any of our Hindoo fundamentalists.

So where do we go? To the Congress? I dare say not. Here is the news of a Congress chief minister opposing the “pub culture” as it is not sanctioned by “tradition.” Perhaps Ashok Gehlot believes that the culture of the Delhi Congress is best: there are no pubs, people are advised to drink at home; and The State is the monopoly retailer of booze. Win-Win. Taliban with the profit motive.

Fortunately, our ancestors have left behind telling records of the liberties they enjoyed. Chanakya’s Arthashastra contains a chapter on the regulation of drinking taverns. An interesting rule stipulates that if a traveler passes out in a tavern, the tavern owner is liable for the safety of his person and properties.

The Arthashastra lists out alcoholic drinks that were locally made. It also contains a longer list of alcoholic drinks that were imported. No swadeshi at all. This was India circa 350 BC. There must have been thousands of drinking taverns in Takshashila, Pataliputra and the other great cities of the time. And there was music, dance and entertainment – for the Arthashastra also contains a chapter on the regulation of these arts, and the women who practice them. Ancient Indian culture was closer to the Goa Model of Liberty than the Taliban.

In this war between party animals and political party animals let it be widely known that we who detest political parties and love all other kinds have history and tradition on our side. Including the tradition of liberal public administration. What do our enemies have on their side? God?

We Hindus are lucky that we have many gods, many holy books, and many godmen. We have no pope. Our priests are competitive service providers. They cannot issue fatwas. Our religion teaches us to look for moksha our own way, through our own guru. And we have many false gurus. Many false sadhus. Many false godmen. So the path before us is strictly individualistic. We are not a communitarian faith. The Hindoos who want to talibanize us want to turn us into a communitarian faith – like the Sikhs, Parsees, Christians and Muslims. They want to do this not because they value religion: rather, they want to take over our The State, which is itself based on collectivism.

We Must Not Be Fooled Again.

So party on, dudes, as Free Individuals.

And fuck all the collectivists.