Intellectual Class’s Apathy Toward Politics
The intellectual class among the Bahujans is spending a good amount of time in organizing lectures on Indian constitution, celebrating constitution day and reciting the preamble to the constitution. Which is a good thing to do? However, if this intellectual class had spent, half as much time it spends on these awareness programmes, on thinking about how we ourselves can become implementers of the constitution by capturing political power, how we can strengthen our political party, how we can fight and win elections and send our representatives to the Indian parliament, then we wouldn’t have had time to give lectures on the constitution. We would have been busy as a ruling class in implementing the constitution.
We keep singing laurels about the importance of the Indian constitution, we keep celebrating the Constitution day, but at the same time, we are passing on the responsibility to implement the constitution to the RSS.
Our intellectual class has distanced itself from the only national party of Bahujans that we have, the only hope to capture the political power and become implementers of the constitution. The political indifference of the Bahujan intellectual class is a very big cause for concern.
There are many Programmes, Dhamma Parishads, National Conventions, etc. happening daily but none to discuss how to capture political power. Is that an issue that should be a concern of a political party only? Doesn’t the intellectual class have a responsibility to contribute to the strengthening of the political party, so that we become constitution implementers and not just celebrators of the constitution? If this apathy of the Bahujan intellectual class towards the Process of capturing political power continues, it won’t take a long time for the constitution to become antiquity. Then we will be left to celebrate only the memories of the Constitution.
Author – Jayanti Pathri
[irp]
As usual Jayant has discussed a topic which is very close to heart. Though there is a certain importance of conducting various awareness programmes, Jayantbhai has hit the nail by raising appropriate point. Regarding spending the time i think our peer group decides the time spent. As intellectuals are spread discretely a cohesive thinking is not coming. As Buddha has said that people who have frequent meetings, who respect each other, females and have faith in each other can be rulers.
Intellectual class is awaiting the role to be played in political scenario where they are merely looked as source of funding. No politician believes that intellectuals can be of any help. Rather i have seen some politician addressing intellectual gathering and telling them just to contribute money and to avoid giving advise.
No doubt Political power should be our prime concern. Socio political economic and religious movements will work hand in gloves. There should be no confusion like egg first or hen.
As political parties have a definite widespread structural organisation, political party has to take initiation and find a role for intellectuals in political structure. I think it should be a vertical programme. The intellectuals who are convinced will become facilitators and motivate other intellectuals. They will arrange well planned targeted programmes and meets regularly rather than being descrete celebrators.
Can this intellectual group dare to ask existing national political party to describe their role in current political scenario? Later no politician will be allowed to duplicate Babasaheb’s words saying “padhe likhe logo ne mujhe dhoka diya hai”
Jaibhim
Dear Jayanti,
I read with your posting with great interest .I have my take on it.Politics is a dirty game and the intellectuals don’t want to have their hands dirty. Howevevr they have missed Dr.Ambedka’r warning in Annihilation of caste that intellectual class is the vanguard force of the society.The structure of Indian politics is set in such a way that Dalit-Bahujan has been disenfranchised by the politiical bosses and used Dait politicians as pons(Mohra in Hindi/urdu ).We send sheep and not tiger as our representative.It is state of total disarray.
Helplessness is n’t it?