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The State as Bully

For 45 years, from 1947 till 1991 when Manmohan Singh was sworn in as finance minister, the Indian economy was almost entirely controlled by the state. What did we get in return? The Hindu rate of economic growth, which was lower than that of many Sub-Saharan African states. Crony capitalism masquerading as evangelist socialism. Wicked, all-pervasive, bloating corruption that eventually grew the black economy to a size almost as big as the overground economy. The only people who actually benefited during these 45 years of ruthless misrule were corrupt politicians and bureaucrats and, surrounding them, a gaggle of crooks and carpetbaggers who flaunted their badge of nationalism to gain legitimacy as industrialists.

India suffered. And how.

Much of our wealth, hard earned wealth migrated overseas. Into Swiss banks and tax-free havens. The rest went underground, into the black economy. Most of our talent also escaped and made good elsewhere. They are today the bosses of top MNCs, international consultancy firms, some of the most spectacular start-up firms in Silicon Valley. Those who remained in India ended up with far less. Not because they were less talented but because too much of state control and a punishing tax regime made it impossible beyond a point for decent, hardworking people to become successful entrepreneurs. Or, for that matter, even successful officers of the state. Unless they also joined the caucus of the corrupt or became cronies of the ruling elite.

As a result, only a small clutch of business families who knew how to use, manipulate and cleverly exploit the system grew bigger and bigger while the rest were hunted down. Decent families stopped sending their sons and daughters to join government service because they were so frustrated with the political system. They knew that it was almost impossible for good, clean officers to survive in the cesspool. They also knew that the laws were specifically designed to wield power, to harrass those who did not bow and scrape before their political masters.

Thank God, that phase now appears to be slowly getting over.

The Indian economy is becoming more free, more mature and some of the stupid and draconian laws of the past are being slowly replaced by more reasonable ones. There is even the distinct possibility that some of these laws may be scrapped as the economy further liberalises and the need for control diminishes. Crony capitalism is also on the decline with more transparency coming in with greater economic liberalisation. The laws of the marketplace are taking over from the laws of the corrupt.

But the hangover remains. In many other areas.

Like, say, movies. It is amazing how cretinous and outdated our censorship laws are in the age of amazon.com. Of course, the main reason for this is that the Censor Board chief has always been a political appointee and the incumbent is barely half-literate. To expect her to understand the sensitive undertones of contemporary cinema is like expecting Hirimba to coax the Megh Malhar out of the Rudraveena.

If you think I am unfair, let me give you a typical example of the Censor Board's cultural dyslexia. Steven Spielberg's award winning film on the Holocaust, Schindler's List, was mercilessly hacked by them, believe it for not, for nudity! Only a sick and totally perverse mind would see sex in naked bodies lying dead in a concentration camp. Yet that is exactly what happened. Following public outrage, however, the cuts were later rescinded. But that did not stop the Censor Board from trying yet again to cut out entire scenes from Spielberg's latest war film, Saving Private Ryan. Public outrage and Spielberg's refusal to let the film be screened with cuts stopped that from happening.

No, it is not sex. It is not nudity either. It is pure and simple power play. The State believes that it has the divine right to stop anything it wants under the pretext of public interest. Otherwise, there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to harass Shekhar Kapur again with Elizabeth, The Censor Board had earlier mauled his Bandit Queen. It was the courts that saved the film. Now, once again, a bunch of hustling halfwits who have no idea of what contemporary cinema is all about are trying to sit in moral judgement on a film that the whole world has acclaimed. They actually believe, in their moronic arrogance, that they can decide on our behalf what we ought to see and in what form. That is what this battle is all about. Not nudity or sex. Just obscene power play, where the State wants to intervene in our lives. It wants to tell us that it knows better than you and I whether Shekhar Kapur's film is worth seeing or not.

That is why we must never allow it to get away with the censorship.

We have now almost escaped from the clutches of our tormenters who used economic controls to harass and intimidate us. Who had a vested interest in keeping our economy in chains. But we have still not managed to escape from the clutches of our cultural tormenters who, under the pretext of preserving our great cultural heritage, want to determine what we must watch, read, listen to, and believe in. They forget that this is the age of the internet. Communication is free, absolutely free and there is nothing more obscene than the attempt to censor it.

We are today moving towards an open society, an information society. A knowledge economy that believes in globalisation. You cannot wish away Eyes Wide Shut just because it shows an orgy scene. It also happens to be Kubrick's last and perhaps most memorable cinematic statement. Who has the right to censor it, stop it from being shown? We are actually living in an era when sex is not an issue any more; the issue is quality, excellence, talent, genius. There is only good cinema and bad cinema. Not scenes that you can show in New York but must cut out in New Delhi.

Nothing can be more stupid and cussed than a bunch of mindless morons trying to colonise our minds under the pretext of preserving India's so-called pristine past. We are a democracy today where everyone has a right to be heard. Including the most solitary, the most eccentric voice.

In fact, it is time to dismantle controls. As many controls as possible. For we have outgrown most of them. We must stop thinking in terms of decision makers and focus on the decision itself. For no one knows better than us what we need, what we want. We certainly do not need a heavy-handed K P S Gill to "tame" our Olympic hockey stalwarts like Dhanraj Pillai. What is worse, this priceless idiot who has ruined Indian hockey has the cheek to mock Gavaskar and declaim: What does Gavaskar know about hockey?

Gavaskar knows enough about Indian sport, be it cricket or hockey, to teach a disgraced bottom-pincher the simple fact that control is not all. In sports, nurturance, support, encouragement are far more important than power play. Dirty Harry Gill represents the ugly system, the arrogance, the obsession with brute power, the hankering after absolute control. Whereas what our players actually want is greater understanding, more support and reassurance. A more humane response to their needs. Only then can we compete with the best in the world and win.

We are a mature democracy today. We know what is right and wrong. We know what is good, what is bad. We do not need the State or its appointees to tell us that. Whether it is films or satellite television or the World Wide Web, we need no nanny state to tell us what we must do, what we must not. VSNL need not block access to the Dawn site. We need not ban PTV. DTH is not something to be scared of. The people of India are mature enough to take their own decisions.

Economic liberalisation was step one. It is now time to stop interfering in matters of information, culture, sports. We are a mature, adult nation that knows what is good for itself. We can take our own decisions.

Pritish Nandy

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