The weaker side of democracy

Snake greeting the eagle from Lord Shiva’s neck

By: B Nimal Veerasingham

During my middle school days once a month on the last period of the last Friday we had a session called ‘Students club’. I was not sure whether it was part of the general curriculum or simply school specific, but it was a forum or meeting we all looked forward to. I somehow felt it has some connotations in conducting business collectively for a group of people, somewhat a practical extension of the subject ‘Civics’, which as we know is the study of rights and obligations of citizens in society.

Student’s Club

Now, to start with, the session was not exclusively for our class, but another class usually one grade higher or lower was added to the same session perhaps to encourage a variety of groups and not necessarily the people you usually interacted to get together and agree upon common goals. That was very evident right from the very beginning as an executive committee had to be elected. In other words, if you wanted to become a board member you needed the votes from across your familiar line as well. The process provided familiarity and opportunity to all in the art of convincing, negotiation, grandstanding, assertiveness, fairness, equality, likability etc.

Once the board was elected it had the responsibility for preparing the agenda for the upcoming sessions till the end of school year. The agenda primarily involved performances by individuals selected. The performances as far as I could remember though could be seen monotonous was hilarious and chaotic at times, pumping adrenaline. The segments or expected performances were mostly divided into general news section, sports news, cinema songs, songs in other languages, jokes, instant speech on a subject, scientific achievements, historical notes, etc… The assembly by popular vote assign or select the performers or presenters, the only guideline being not to assign the same for the same task repeatedly. Nobody has the right to refuse once assigned. The presentation would take place on the platform where usually the teacher’s desk and chair are but removed now.

Though this exercise seems fair and equitable we were ignorant to understand that all are not equipped with the same talents. There were classmates who hardly hum any music but were asked to sing a cinema song. For them songs mean the kind of classical couplets found in the school textbooks. There were others who struggle in their own language but were expected to sing in a language other than their own. Of course, some created their own gibberish versions and called it Hindi. There were others who thought they were telling jokes but hardly anyone laughed. In sports news once one did refer to Garfield Sobers but for many Sobers is no different from Sundaralingam. As per procedural order when a presenter is not up to the assembly’s least expectation, he was brought down from the platform in humiliation by high clapping ambush by the audience, most on feet.

We just wanted to have a good time at the expense of others. Welcome to our first taste of democracy in action.

Plato and manipulators

About 2,300 years ago the Greek philosopher Plato understood the gravity of democratic process. His ‘Republic’ is considered the cornerstone of Western thinking and ethics behind its political progress. But Plato looked at the democratic process’s darker side, considered by him as mere manipulators who lacked expertise performing circus to the ignorant by swinging popular opinion. His memory was fresh as to how his mentor and friend Socrates was put on trial by the so-called democratic citizen-prosecutors on charges he was corrupting younger minds, before being jailed and executed.

When democratic process allows popular spinsters to manipulate masses to acquire illicit benefits or abuse of power for their personal gain, the word corruption starts singing in high pitch from the rafters. As we know corruption erodes trust and weakens democratic institutions, hampers economic development, and further exacerbates inequality, poverty and social division. World bank lists how corruption impedes investment, with consequent effects on growth and jobs. It also categorises how countries capable of confronting corruption use their human and financial resources more efficiently, attract more investment, and grow more rapidly. It promotes transparency, open contracts and asset disclosure standards to counter corruption getting embedded.

IMF & UN

IMF goes one notch above as it explores a new approach framing corruption as an economic problem that staff must systematically assess, discuss, and address if it is distorting the economy. It is a grand experiment in the ability to pursue anti-corruption reform even in the absence of a government’s political will.

Corruption is often systematic and organised, a crime that crosses borders and betrays people and democracies, the UN Chief Antonio Guterres said recently at a special UN session addressing corruption. It steals trillions of dollars from people all over the world, usually from those most in need, as it siphons off resources for sustainable development, he added. When powerful people get away with corruption, citizens lose trust in their governing institutions and democracies become weakened by cynicism and hopelessness.

While all unanimously agree that corruption at any level steals the hope and future of ordinary citizens, democracy need to be strengthened by way of identifying weaker links, to prevent or identify culprits who mask themselves at times in nationalistic fervor. Arthur C Clarke once said that ‘you can’t have it both ways. You can’t have a free will and a benevolent higher power who protects you from yourself ‘. An educated or awakened public’s involvement is paramount in making the kind of society they want to live in.

Brexit and experts

In the name of open reflection of a democracy, we know how a popular vote in one of the strongest democracies UK, failed its people. It was one of the most famous quotes from one of the hardest fought political campaigns Britain has ever seen. “I think the people in this country have had enough of experts,” UK Cabinet minister Michael Cove said on prime-time TV before the Brexit referendum when questioned on advice of experts. His convoluted response did not do any justice but an injustice to the transparency badge, democracies should have been proud of. Now, six years later UK is trailing behind all the G7 countries in real wages, GDP, inflation, and projected growth, summarized in a popular headline ‘Yes, Mr. Cove, the experts were right about Brexit’.

Unchecked political authority

Nineteenth century author Robert Ingersoll once said ‘Most people can bear adversity. But if you want to know what a man really is, give him power’. During our school days in the 70s and 80s tutories were springing up and taking root as part of delivering education chain. For many of us at that time power means simply earning power and education and to some extent tutories provided a gateway. Nobody knew the margins but there was competition among the tuition centres. Word went out to an all-powerful politician that a particular tutory was influencing students more on maths and physics, notably on excesses by politicians. That is enough for the politician to raid the tutory along with his goons and demanded all to show allegiance to his leadership failing which he will get the centre shut for promoting subversion. He suggested that the management and students organise a generously advertised public meeting in front of the tutory at their expense to honour him, with a lavish dinner followed. He provided the menu and the music group that will entertain the evening.

As when the music group took the stage the politician made a request for the first song and the group readily agreed. It was a song from an old Tamil movie, lyrics analogising a scene where the snake that huddles the all-powerful Lord Shiva’s neck greets or queries the wellbeing of the Garuda or hawk/eagle. The eagle responded calmly saying that everything would be fine when everyone is in their respected place. Being at the opposite sides of the food chain, the Eagle’s response highlights the snake’s current unusual superior abode with the Lord of creation and destruction.

After the devilled prawns, mud-crab curry dinner and the clear liquid flowed, the politician and his inner circle went home singing praise to themselves, while the students went home empty stomach losing their parent’s hard-earned money, they pitched in.

To this day the politician’s choice of the first song that evening, continues to be a mystery. In reality, he could be juxtaposed to the snake, as protected and unaccountable political authority invigorate abuse of power and perpetuates corruption.

Plato and manipulators, UN and IMF, Brexit and experts, snake and eagle, politician and corruption?

These are all part of the relevance theory, processing relevant stimuli with little effort.

Abraham Lincoln once proudly proclaimed, ‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth’. It has not perished and will not perish but requires greater scrutiny with accountability and transparency at the forefront through active involvement by the people.