A Democracy Rigged By And For Nikammas

Khushwant Singh’s column in the Sunday HT, titled “Nikamma Number One,” referring to LK Advani’s fall from grace with the RSS, also reveals the sorry truth that we are a “democratic” country without any political party that believes in Liberty.

On the BJP-RSS link, Khushwant Singh says:

An important omission in the analysis of the rapid decline of the BJP is the role of the RSS. The BJP took its ideology from the RSS. Islamophobia was its motivating factor as it was of militant right-wing organisations like the Shiv Sena and Ram Sena. An increasing number of people no longer subscribe to this ideology. Membership of these parties has dwindled.

Mohan Bhagwat’s assertion that the RSS includes members of the minority communities, including Muslims, has to be taken with a large dose of salt. While he decides on replacements for Advani and Rajnath Singh, he should also take a closer look at the factors which have contributed to peoples’ disenchantment with what all these parties stand for and the readiness with which they resort to violence to achieve their ends.

It is also true that those who believe in Liberty detest the use of force and violence. We idealize a voluntary society, where all exchanges are freely entered into, without coercion. This is a political-cum-economic ideology that has nothing to do with religion – although, as I have recently blogged, there is no religion in the world that opposes free markets.

Anyway, the sudden demise of the main opposition party to Chacha Manmohan’s populist excesses is worthy of note. This, when it is quite apparent that the Congress is also devoid of genuine political leadership. Chacha is a baboo, Sonia is a housewife, and Rahul is a non-entity. It is amazing that the UPA has a second term in office, and this undoubtedly has a lot to do with the fact that the BJP has gone down the drain. What worked for Chacha was the TINA factor: There Is No Alternative.

Intelligent, secular-minded Indians must wake up to the fact that this is a worthless and meaningless democracy if classical liberals and libertarians are legally debarred from forming a party and contesting elections. As long as this continues, the government of India will remain in the hands of one nikamma or the other.

I spent last evening with two “young liberals” discussing Margaret Thatcher’s Britain. But Thatcher was legit. Ron Paul is legit. Here in India, only Advani, Modi, Mamata, Pawar, DMK and the Commies are legit. This is the “unseen” tyranny. We cannot see a political party of liberals because the Congress has rigged the competition.

What do we do?

Protest, I say.