9/29/2016

TheimportanceofdissentindemocracyTheHindu

Illustration:DeepakHarichandan
TheHindu

TOPICS
civilunrest
politicaldissent
politics(general)
politicalsystems

Inademocracy,nongovernmentalorganisations
provideaplatformtocivilsocietytodissentinan
informedandreasonedmanner

OnOctober31,1570,MartinLuthernailedonthedoorofachurchinGermany95objections
totheCatholicfaiththatledtotheemergenceofProtestanism.Soonafter,GalileoGalilei
challengedtheChurchbystatingthattheEarthandotherplanetsrevolveroundtheSun.He
diedunderhousearrest.
In1927,HeinrichWielandreceivedtheNobelPrizeforChemistryfordiscoveringa
structureofcholicacidwhichwasproventobewrongwithinayear.In1959,SeveroOchoa
andArthurKornbergsharedaNobelPrizeforthediscoveryofenzymesthatcarryoutthe
synthesisofRNAandDNAinlivingorganisms.Itturnedoutthattheseenzymeswerenot
therightones.

Infact,thehistoryofprogressofmankindisahistoryofinformeddissentmuchofcreativeactivityofhighquality
inallareasofhumanendeavouratanygiventimehasbeenareflectionofsuchdissent.
Todaywefavourdemocracyasthemostacceptableformofgovernancebecauseacitizenhasarighttodissent
withoutfearofvictimisationaslongassuchdissentdoesnotleadtoinhumanorunconstitutionalaction.By
contrast,dissentinanauthoritarian,dictatorialorcolonialregimecouldleadtotheseverestofpunishments
lossoflifeashappenedincolonialIndia,HitlersGermanyorStalinsUSSR.
Platformfordissent
Inademocracy,nongovernmentalorganisationsprovideaplatformtocivilsocietytodissentinaninformedand
reasonedmanner.Theyprovideamechanismfortheruledtokeepacheckontherulers.
ThereareofcourseNGOsthatengageinillegalorobjectionableactivitiesusingIndianand/orforeignfunds,
muchlikehow34percentofnewlyelectedMPsinParliamenthavecriminalcasesagainstthem.Justasthe
majorityofMPsdonothavecasesagainstthem,alargeproportionofourNGOsoperatetransparentlyand
legally.
ThepowerthatNGOswieldhasincreasedconcurrentlywiththeincreaseddemandforrealandoperational
democracy.IfitwerenotforourNGOs,wewouldnothavethesystemofobligatorydeclarationofassets,now
requiredbyallthoseaspiringtobeMPs.WewouldalsonothavethetheRighttoInformationActorthe
ProtectionofPlantVarietiesandFarmersRightsAct.
DenigratinggoodNGOswouldthereforeimplythatourdemocracyisonlynotionalandnotfunctional.Such
denigrationwouldsmackofadictatorialattitude.
TherecentIntelligenceBureaureportontheConcertedeffortsofselectforeignfundedNGOstotakedown
IndiandevelopmentprojectscastsseriousaspersionsonsomeofourbestNGOsanddistinguishedcitizens.The
reportalsoallegesthattheseNGOswouldhaveanegativeimpactonGDPgrowthby23percentbystalling,
throughagitation,developmentprojectssuchasnuclearpowerplants,uraniummines,coalfiredpowerplants,
GMOs,projectsbyPOSCOandVedanta,hydelprojects,andextractiveindustriesinthenortheast.
BycastingunwarrantedandunprovenaspersionsonhighlyreputedNGOssuchasGreenpeaceandNobelPrize
winningAmnestyInternational,andindividualssuchasSumanSahai,VandanaShiva,ArunaRodrigues,Prashant
Bhushan,Udayakumar,AdmiralRamdosandPrafulBidwai,theIBhasindirectlyindictedeveryindividualand
NGOthathasvoicedreasoneddissentintheinterestofourcountryanditspeople,withinourconstitutional
framework.SuchanattitudeonthepartoftheIBmakesamockeryofourdemocracy.
Whatiswronginreceivingfundsfromwellmeaningindividualsorbonafideorganisationsabroadwhowantto
helpaworthwhilecauseinIndia?DoesnttheIndiangovernment,forexample,helpworthwhilecausesin
Afghanistan?Infact,theBureaushouldhavelookedatthedamagecausedbygovernmentfundingto
organisationslikeSalwaJuduminChhattisgarh.MedhaPatkarsNarmadaBachaoAndolanstartedasafully
justifiedcampaignonJune12againsttheillegalraisingoftheheightoftheSardarSarovardamfrom122to139
metres,whichwilladverselyimpactover2.5lakhpeopleengagedinvariousoccupations.Weknowfrompast
experiencethatnothingwillbedoneforthosewhostandtobedisplacedbythismove.ButIBwouldprobably
condemntheabovecampaigninitsnextreport.
LetuslookathowspeciousandridiculoustheargumentsintheIBreportare.Thereismassiveoppositionto
nuclearpowerplantsaroundtheworld,andmanycountriessuchasJapanandGermanyhavedecidedtoabrogate
theminatimeboundfashion.Inourowncountry,manyhighlydistinguishedindividualssuchasaformer
ChairmanoftheAtomicEnergyRegulatoryBoard,aformerChairmanoftheAtomicEnergyCommission,and
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9/29/2016

TheimportanceofdissentindemocracyTheHindu

severalformerSecretariestotheGovernmentofIndia,whoareknowledgeableinthearea,haveopposedfurther
investmentinnuclearenergy.NoneofthemhasanyconnectionwithGreenpeace,nordotheyhaveanyvested
interest.Theyhaveprovidedvalidreasonsfortheirviews.
Letustakeanotherexamplecoalminingforcoalfiredthermalpowerplants.Suchminingrequiresdestroying
Indiasforestwealthandthelivelihoodoftribals.WhataboutournationalcommitmentsinceIndependenceto
haveover30percentofourareaunderforestcover?Whyshouldweinvestsoheavilyinnuclear,thermalorlarge
hydelpowerplants,noneofwhichwillbeenvironmentorpeoplefriendly,whenwehavefarbetteralternatives
staringusinourface:solarpower,windpower,microandminihydel,biomassandbiogas,lotofwhichcanbe
producedandusedlocally?Isntitstrangethatourcountrydoesnothaveevenonesingleinstitutetotallydevoted
toresearchonsolarpower?WewanttospendenormousamountsofmoneytobuynuclearreactorsfromtheU.S.
butwedonotwanttolearnlessonsonsolarpowerfromGermany.WhatisthenwrongwithNGOsinourcountry
suchasGreenpeacefortakingacourageousstandagainstnuclear,coalfiredthermalorlargehydelpowerplants?
ItishilariousthatthepossessionofamapshowingnuclearinstallationsinIndiaandalistofIndianswhooppose
nuclearpowerallofwhichispublicknowledgeisacrimeintheeyesoftheIB.TheignoranceoftheBureau
withregardtotheBtcottonstoryinIndia,andoftheproblemswithGMcrops,isappalling.Forexample,Bt
cottonhastotallyfailedinrainfedareasthataccountfornearlytwothirdsofcottongrowingareainthecountry.
Evenif,astheIBclaims,thereisanegativeimpactonGDPbecauseofoppositiontocertainprojects,sowhat?Our
experienceofhighgrowthrateinsomerecentyearshasbynomeansbeensatisfactory,forithasbarelytouched
thebottom80percentofourpopulationandhasvastlyincreasedtheeconomicgapbetweenthetop20and
bottom80percent.
Actionagainstillegalactivities
Itisonlyproperthatthegovernmenttakesactionagainstthoseorganisationsthatobtainforeignfundsillegally
and/orarenottransparentinusingthemasrequiredbylaw.Manyorganisationsdonottakemoneyfromthe
governmentorbusinesshouses.ItisadmirablethattheysurviveondonationsbyindividualsinIndiaand/or
abroad.TheyfollowtheprovisionsoftheForeignContribution(Regulation)Actandtheiraccountingis
transparent.Ibelievethatinthelongterminterestsofinclusivegrowthinthecountry,itismuchwisertosupport
suchorganisationsthantohaveFDIinretailwhichwillbenefitaselectfewbutadverselyaffectmillionsofpeople
inthecountry.
(PushpaM.BhargavaisthefounderdirectoroftheCentreforCellularandMolecularBiologyatHyderabad,
andchairmanoftheSouthernRegionalCentreofCouncilforSocialDevelopment.)
Keywords:dissent,democracy,politicaldissent,transparency

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