Symbolism matters, but this need not necessarily be a reflection of real life. The Republic Day on Thursday occasioned the spectacular presence of labourers and street vendors in the VIP gallery, which was so far filled exclusively by the movers and shakers of capital Delhi. This time, a select group of those who “move” bricks on their head for construction works or “shake” the footpaths with their vending kits were given the pride of place alongside the usual pack of VVIPs. This was a sight to behold, but alas, this feel-good image contrasted starkly with the real life struggles of India’s large army of poor, a contrast as striking and intense as between black and white. Clearly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who leads the nation from the front for a second consecutive term in office has often demonstrated his penchant for such fancy gestures or flights of fancy.
The two Presidents that Modi and the BJP installed in office were from the socially and economically most-deprived segments; namely a Dalit in the form of Ramnath Kovind and a tribal as in Droupadi Murmu. Nothing goes to show that beyond the symbolism, the cause of these sections of the society was taken forward in any significant manner by such gestures. For the prime minister and the ruling party wielding all the powers, the ways and means are many to uplift the poor and deprived sections. Unfortunately, despite the change of several governments in Independent India in its past 75 years, these segments remain mostly where they were generations ago. The Global Hunger Index 2022 has ranked India so low at 107 on a scale of 121 nations. Overall too, less than 10 percent of the population keeps with them 90 per cent of the nation’s wealth through generations. The ground realities — and not the Indian government’s claims of the nation’s rise to being the fifth largest economic power — vouch for this. Wealth for India is certainly not the problem, but its concentration in a few hands is.
The government’s resort to such symbolisms might be viewed as a clever ploy to keep social tempers under control by giving the poor a feeling that they too have a stake in India’s growth and prosperity. The poor caught in their daily struggle for survival have neither the time nor the inclination to see through such games. They live on hope through generations, some have risen above the poverty line by dent of sheer hard work or by luck, but the rest are condemned to a life of slavery to the affluent sections of society.
