Millions of words have
been written and will be written on the glorious legacy of Singapore's founding
father Lee Kuan Yew, who died at the ripe age of 91 on March 23, 2015. But the
best part of his personality and his lasting message for any country looking up
for the development of
its people is his crystal clear emphasis on 'discipline' of the people.
Like thousands of his
admirers, as a youngster in 1990s I too used to be awestruck by his
vision and firmness --
later glorified as 'pragmatism'.
Lee always preferred a
trade or the right balance between democracy and discipline. In fact, this very aspect of the
person had endeared him to millions of admirers including this blogger.
Another such admirer
was Nagaland's deceased flamboyant leader Late Vamuzo Phesao.
Vamuzo, a former
Nagaland chief minister, used to publicly laud Lee for his visionary and a
radical thinker like approach and used to call it ---
practical politics -- certainly the other word for 'pragmatism'. Nevertheless, Vamuzo
also used to admire another pragmatic politician of his time and in his own country
- Jyoti Basu.
But Lee's determined
nature, likes of Vamuzo believed, helped Singapore to stay always ahead of the
curve.
I have often endorsed
Narendra Modi brand of politics in India for its inherent 'darker side' --- the
one-man show with the firm believe
that the right sense of discipline in us the Indians can transform our national
story too.
One reason for this
certainly has been Lee.
with Indira Gandhi |
Lee Kuan Yew's idiosyncratic or distinctive but peculiar formula of economic liberalization bringing in money from overseas
combined with restrictions on political freedom has truly baffled many countries and contemporary historians.
"He insisted that he would not rule by opinion polls, rejecting the idea that popular government entailed a need to be popular through his term, believing that voters would come round when they eventually saw the results of policies he had pushed through," ran a befitting obit piece in Singapore-based Strait Times.
It could look funny. The Naga leader Vamuzo, a former Naga underground 'Brigadier' believed in such theories, and used
to often take harsh steps to push his will. Succumbing to Naga students' pressure in 1990, the then Vamuzo government
had ordered that Nagaland government employees would retire at the age of 57 or completion of 33 years of service whichever is earlier. This was a shocker across the state and for government servants and their families in a state
where in the absence of industries, 'the state government' has been the sole employer. The result as expected was catastrophy.
Soon tribalism game
played in and non-Chakhesang Nagas launched tirade against Vamuzo.
The moot point I am
trying to make is a Lee Kuan Yew formula could not have brought in dividends in
Nagaland.
Well, if we argue that
such a transformation in a state dependent on New Delhi's funding was not
possible, perhaps
it will be erroneous
to believe that the formula can yield positive results at the national level,
in India under Narendra Modi too.
One reason is simply
because India is too vast and too complex than the tiny Singapore --
both in terms of land
mass and population. Singpaore has a megare population of 5.6 million ---
something unthinkable in many Indians towns and cities.
In an interview with Matters
India website last May after Narendra Modi's unthinkable electoral victory, I
had spoken eloquently on Lee's lasting message for Indians.
"In Singapore,
one ruler once said, there should be a trade between democracy or freedom and
discipline. We also need it. What’s our freedom today? In Kerala and Bengal,
people hate to work. And if you are bringing Hitler-Nazis comparison, I have
said earlier, it’s advisable not to play the fear card. The Indian Constitution
is too strong. Judiciary is strong. The President of India can dismiss any
government. Rather I feel more powers must be vested in President’s office. A
popular government can be put on well-check list then."
The question put to me
was: Is India witnessing now what Germany witnessed in early 1930s, the
euphoria for Nazis and other fascist forces? What are the signs that our country
is not heading that way?
But this was almost a
year ago.
PM Modi is today under
attack for "not acting enough" against Hindutva hardliners. But more
importantly, will he act ever as
he himself has been a
great disciple of Hindutva's hardliner politics.
Prime Minister Modi's
supposed honeymoon period with Indian voters is over. He thus finds himself in
a cobweb of Land Bill, Ghar Wapsi, growing
attacks on churches and much importantly, the impatience of his voters to
deliver.
Modi watchers know privately he used to admire Lee immensely. Lee's timely and apt advise for the Indian Prime Minister at this juncture would perhaps have been: "Never Fear". A supposed PM with 56-inch chest must adhere to these words and focus on his
works.
(ends)
No comments:
Post a Comment