Cost of disharmony diverse india can’t afford imposition of one group’s ideas on others neither can its economy

Cost of disharmony diverse india can’t afford imposition of one group’s ideas on others neither can its economy

The Industrial Revolution which began in the 18th century was one of humanity’s most consequential events. Not only did it wholly transform every society’s economic arrangement, it also simultaneously forced changes in the way they are governed. It has, since then, largely been about finding ways to harmonise the gulf between community-centric traditions and economic arrangements which place strangers in proximity. Independent India’s pursuit of economic modernisation had to be achieved in a country of staggering diversity. Therefore the goal of governance has always been about finding ways of accommodation to pursue its economic and social vision.

The Indian Constitution is an instrument to seek modus vivendi. Its operationalisation needs even-handed governance to deal with India’s diversity. This diversity spans every conceivable aspect of human culture, beliefs, language, food, clothing etc. Neither is society monolithic, nor are even subgroups uniform. The differences between groups have always led to bouts of violence. The underlying theory which guides the entire apparatus of modern governance is about allowing different traditions to coexist while checking the tendency of any group to encroach on the rights of others. It’s this approach to governance which allows strangers to share common space in the pursuit of a living. A related benefit is the elimination of conflict.

An even-handed approach to governance has been scarce recently. Even without a legal basis, we have seen groups try to enforce their values on others. It has led to violence, spanning public spaces in cities to a university campus. The conflicts have emerged because the apparatus of governance across states has been remiss. There are no winners in this conflict. Everyone loses because economic progress cannot be realised in community islands. Moreover, given the level of diversity, once the governance apparatus lets one group encroach on the rights of another, there’s no end to it. It’s a slippery slope.

India’s states need to be alive to the fallout of ignoring governance. Without sticking to the spirit underlying the governance architecture, modus vivendi is not possible. That, in turn, will choke economic possibilities. An environment of coexistence is the only pathway to economic and social progress.