Anashwa Rathas, Pushpak Vimaanaas ..... and a Knowledge Society

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The social theory of a Knowledge Society explains how knowledge is fundamental to the politics, economics and culture of modern society. Associated ideas include Knowledge Economy created by economists ( note that we have ignored Amartya Sen) and the Learning Society created by educators (are Batra- Purandare- Oak our educators?) In a Knowledge Society, individuals, communities and organizations produce knowledge intensive work. (never mind the gun toting and laathi wielding RSS and their "bhakts"disseminating photo-shopped information).

It is now around 200 days of Modi sarkar. Modi came with the promise of being the clean "Kalki Avatar" to the Hindus of India. Unfortunately there have been no miracles. No "vinaashaayach dushkritam" except for labeling a few inconvenient people as "corrupt" or "ant-national". Hindus -- and let us forget the caste for the time being -- and a few innovative non Hindus -- who voted for Modi and pretended not to vote for RSS, have been largely disappointed. The larger than life image of Modi with the "may the force be with you" kind of supernatural appeal did not manage to last long after taking the Prime Minister's oath.

Black money from Swiss banks did not find its way into India. India did not become "sujalam sufalam". At least not as promised.

One dramatic change has occurred. Now I do not have to go to sleep to get a glimpse of Gandhiji. He wakes me up every morning with a message on my Reliance mobile reminding me of Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan. Then he comes with me to the clinic every day through my car's FM radio. Then he enters my home through television. Modi Sarkar, I dare say, has been pretty lucky for the old "half naked fakir" of Winston Churchill ! Whoa !! That was pretty anti national of me !!

The so called "Progressive Thinkers" or "Purogaami Vichaarvant" have breathed a sigh of relief that Gandhi has not met his maker although Congress might very well do that in near future. They are happy to place their full and unflinching trust in the new "legitimate" inheritors of Gandhian "thought" -- forget Gandhian action -- for the time being. Some of the "seculars", like those of Konkani Bhasha Mandal for instance, have even taken the Gandhi sent opportunity to take a few rewards.... oops I mean prizes ... from the hands of the "sanctified" RSS. Never mind ......

..... Never mind that the Hindutva laboratory in Modi's Gujarat is running full swing. Recently they even declared Dadaji Kond Dev to be Shivaji Maharaj's grandfather !! And Shiv Sena did not even object to that, probably in view of post poll alliance in Maharashtra. It's all in the family you see ?

.....Never mind Dinanath Batra's experiments with Hinduising education in Gujarat. "Bade bade desho mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti raheti hain !!"

When I visited Hampi and nearby areas of Karnataka I realized that such "experiments" have been quite fruitful. The "voter" -- which tacitly means Hindu voter -- has indeed started believing that Anashwa rathas and Pushpak Vimaanas did adorn the "Indian" streets and skies respectively, in the good old days. They were probably, if not definitely, destroyed by the Muslim invasion of India and by the onslaught of Western culture. In fact I was seriously told by one local that the Taj Mahal was once a Shiv Mandir by name "Tejomahalay" !! Never mind .....

The BJP and their ideological parent, RSS, with their immense talent and media control have got the "Hindu voter" to believe that in the ancient India -- read Hindu India -- the streets were paved with gold, women were being treated as equals of men and of course the Muslims came and spoilt all the fun !

In fact the way BJP-Modi-Industrialist-RSS nexus are marketing the Mahatma I would not be surprised if they declared him an avatar of Vishnu and proposed his temple to be built, preferably at Babri Masjid site, adjacent to the Ram Temple. So the highly laudable and readable Mahatma can be trusted to find "Constitutional" ways for Modi Sarkar to destroy the Mosque. Never mind .....

..... And what about democracy ?? A vibrant opposition is central to the existence of democracy. Our Modi Sarkar has no real opposition. Congress is physically and mentally handicapped. The cadre based left is fighting extinction. The progressive non aligned people have no laboratory to analyse the new Modi RSS crony capitalist equations.

In all this commotion, where is the Knowledge Society that India ought to be in order to be a harbinger of democracy and freedom ?

The social theory of a Knowledge Society explains how knowledge is fundamental to the politics, economics and culture of modern society. Associated ideas include Knowledge Economy created by economists ( note that we have ignored Amartya Sen) and the Learning Society created by educators (are Batra- Purandare- Oak our educators?)

In a Knowledge Society, individuals, communities and organizations produce knowledge intensive work. (never mind the gun toting and laathi wielding RSS and their "bhakts"disseminating photo-shopped information).

Knowledge begets knowledge. New competencies develop. The result is innovation and prosperity.

The UNESCO World Report 2005 titled Toward Knowledge Societies, printed by Imprimier Corlet, Noireau, France, establishes four principles that are essential for the development of an equitable knowledge Society. These are :

- Cultural diversity
- Equal access to education
- Universal access to information
- Freedom of expression

I request you to meditate upon what the present Modi Sarkar stands for vis-a vis these four fundamental principles for a sustainable Knowledge Society.

The PDF file of the UNESCO Report is available at unesdoc.unesco.org. It says -- "Knowledge belongs of right to any reasonable mind. Knowledge is not an ordinary, sale-able commodity. Knowledge is common good of the society."