Today'sPaperOPINION

Fiftyshadesofsaffron
SatyabrataPal
ThedangernowisthatunderanovertlyHindugovernment,discriminatorypracticesagainstthemostvulnerablepeoplewillflourish
evenmore

symbolic:NarendraModicanpaytributetoSardarPatelbymakingIndiaproudratherthanbuildinghisstatue.PictureshowshimwithBJP
leaderL.K.AdvaniinKevadiavillage,Gujarat.Photo:AFP

OnDecember11,2014,whentheU.N.GeneralAssemblyadoptedJune21astheInternationalDayofYoga,as
recommendedbyPrimeMinisterNarendraModi,Indiarejoiced.NevermindthatthedaybeforewasthefirstHuman
RightsDayunderhiswatchthiscreptbyunnoticed.
AttheSAARCSummit,Mr.Modideclaimed,Asweseektobuildbridgestoprosperity,wemustnotlosesightofour
responsibilitytothemillionslivingwithouthope.Hewas,asalways,matchlessasakathakar,anartistewhose
fabulousretellingoffablesreinforcestheminthemindsofthefaithfulasfact.Butwhilehisperformanceshavezero
defects,onthelivesofthemultitudeshangingontohiswords,believinginthemanddaringtohope,theyhavehad
zeroeffectsofar,becausetheresponsibilityofwhichthePrimeMinisterspokeisusuallyignored.
In1990,theU.N.launchedtheHumanDevelopmentReportbasedonthechallengingpredicatethatpeoplearethe
realwealthofanation.Howwealthyarewereally?AftertwodecadesofrapidGDPgrowth,webestrideSAARClikea
colossusdoingthesplits,onefootsplayedeastwardtokeepChinaout,theotherwestwardtokeepPakistandown.We
loomlikeagiantamongmidgets,butoneveryparameterthatmeasuresequityindevelopment,thereislittletochoose
betweenusandourneighbours.
TheHumanDevelopmentIndex(HDI)for2014ranksusat135among187countriesSriLankaat73didwaybetter
thanus,andwewereshadowedbyBhutanat136,Bangladeshat142,Nepalat145andPakistanat146.Thefactthat
Indiawasastabledemocracy,astheotherswerenot,thatoureconomyhadgallopedalong,astheirshadnot,had
madeverylittledifferencetothelivesofourcitizens.
WithintheHDI,theGenderInequalityIndexwhichmeasuresthreecriticalparametersreproductivehealth,
womensempowermentandtheirparticipationinthelabourmarketisparticularlyimportantbecauseitshowshowa
societytreatsitsmorevulnerablehalf.SriLankaat75iswellaheadofus,butsoisNepalat98,Bhutanat102and
Bangladeshat115.IndiaisinlockstepwithPakistan,bothrankedat127.TheCriminalLawAmendmentAct,which
broughtinfarreachingmeasurestoprotectwomen,isnowalmosttwoyearsoldsadly,ithasmadelittledifference.
Depthofdeprivation
MyfiveyearsontheNationalHumanRightsCommissionwereahumblingexperience.In2009,wehad82,000
complaints,in2013,alakh.AfivememberCommissioncouldnotpossiblydojusticetomorethanafractionofthese.
Wedismissed60percentofcomplaintsinlimine,orattheoutset,11percentwithdirectionstoofficialstoact(but
neverhadthetimetocheckiftheydid)andtransferred6percenttotheStateHumanRightsCommissions,whichwere
mostlyramshackle.
OurinvestigativevisitstoruralIndiaweredivesintothedarknessthatcontainedthemassoftheicebergofwhichthe
complaintscomingtouswereonlythetip.Inacountrystilllargelyilliterate,aterribleviolationofhumanrightsin
itself,veryfewknewtheNHRCexisted.Thosewhodidwonderedifitwouldbeabletohelpmanythoughtitwouldnot.
Foreverycomplaintthatcametous,ahundreddidnot,butsincesomanywereonsystemicproblemsaffectingentire
communities,theybroughthometoustherange,depthandpersistenceofdiscriminationanddeprivationinIndia.
Thetwoareoftenlinked,andthatistherealcauseofworrywithournewdispensation.Thepoorestandthemost
vulnerablewomen,ScheduledTribes,ScheduledCastesandMuslimssufferbecausethesocialbiasagainstthemis

rootedinHindubeliefandpractice,andstillsostrongthatthelawsmeanttoprotectthemareimpotent.Evenundera
seculargovernment,publicservantswouldpleadwiththeNHRCthattherewouldbelawandorderproblemsifthey
triedtoimplementthese.ThedangernowisthatunderagovernmentsoovertlyHindu,thesepracticeswillflourish
evenmore.ThehatespeechesofCabinetmemberssignalwherethiscouldleadus.
Mr.Modiwantshispartytobecarefulwiththeirwords,buttherearefiftyshadesofsaffronaround,mostofitstrident.
Hewantscivilservantstobesensitive,buttheyalwaysare,tothewishesofthepowersthatbe.Hewantsthepoliceto
beSMART,buttheyalreadyare,reportingtotheNationalCrimeRecordsBureauthatin2013therewereonlytwo
incidentsofhumanrightsviolationsbytheirpersonnel.Thesameyear,33,753complaintstotheNHRC,athirdofthe
totalreceived,wereagainstthepolice,detailinghowtheypreyedonthosetheyshouldprotect.
InMr.Modisdefence,thesearenationalproblemshehasinherited,notcreated,butGujaratisthetemplateheholds
uptotherestofIndia,andtherearearangeofimpartialreportsthatshowhowcavalierithasbeenaboutthelivesof
theStatespeople.A2013Lancetstudyfoundthatamongthe11richStates,Gujarathaddonetheworstinbringing
downthemortalityrateofchildrenunderfive,oneoftheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.TheCensusestablishedthat
thesexratioinGujarathasdeclinedfrom934in1991to920in2001to918in2011.Notsurprisingly,theNCRBdata
showsahighincidenceofcrimesagainstwomen.Sotoo,thedatashows,arecrimesagainstScheduledCastes,atlevels
higherthanintheotherdevelopedStates:Maharashtra,PunjabandTamilNadu.TheASER/PrathamReportson
EducationshowlowpercentagesofstudentsinStandardVwhocouldreadaStandardIItext,andcoulddodivisions.
Thatisnotamodeltocopy.
Dreadfulcost
DespitewhathesaidinKathmandu,Mr.ModisrecordasGujaratChiefMinistershowsthathissightsareseton
prosperity,notonthemillionslivingwithouthope.MakeinIndiaishispriority,andtherethesignsareominous.A
fewweeksback,ASSOCHAMissuedanadvertisementwhichannounced,Repealofarchaiclawsistheneedofmodern
timesASSOCHAMhasidentified105lawsforreview,whichcanpromoteabetterregulatoryframeworkfor
successfullyactualisingMr.ModisvisionofMakeinIndia.Theseinclude43lawsthatprotecthumanrightsand
safeguardlabourwelfare,includingtheBondedLabourSystem(Abolition)Act,ProtectionofForestRightsAct,Inter
StateMigrantWorkersAct,ChildLabour(ProhibitionandRegulation)Act,andtheMinimumWagesAct.Iftheseare
thevoiceshelistensto,developmentwillcomeatadreadfulcost.
Indiasgovernmentshavesofarpursueddevelopmentwithahumanface.Vastsocialwelfareprogrammesprotect
thosewhomthemarketforcessavage,buttheseareriddledwithhugeproblems.Forinstance,hardlyanymaterialsgo
intotheruralemploymentguaranteeprojects,buteachyearmaterialcostsclaimedarewellover20percentofits
budget.AsurveydonefortheNHRCshowedthat60percentoftheallocationfortheIntegratedChildDevelopment
Serviceswasbeingstolen.Thelistgoeson.Theanswerdoesnotlieinjettisoningtheseprogrammes,butinmaking
themworkbetter.Withoutthem,ruralIndiawillemptyout.
OurPrimeMinistersmanyadmirersbelievethatSardarPatelsmantlehasdescendedonhim.VallabhbhaiPatelmade
India,NarendraModicanunmakeit.Butwithhisextraordinarytalents,integrityandability,ourPrimeMinistercan
alsobethemakingofIndia,andmakeIndia,allofIndia,proud.Thatshouldbehistributetohisidol,notthe
monstrousstatueoftheSardarnowrisinginGujaratlikeaprelapsarianOzymandias.
(SatyabrataPalisaformerMemberoftheNationalHumanRightsCommission.)
Discriminationanddeprivationareoftenlinkedtooneanother,andthatistherealcauseofworry
withournewdispensation