T.K. John S.J., Delhi

Farmers union were striking in India against the farm laws for a year. After the protracted fight of nerves the Prime Minister concedes. They were committed to Gandhian values, only when it began to pinch the ruling party in votes they conceded. What does it tell Indian citizens and our democracy.
It is a ‘Mahabharata’ in action, close to ‘Kurukshetra’. People of India, and the world at large, have been witnessing a truly Gandhian and democratic engagement with an authoritarian dictatorial regime. Two distinct values systems are at work. One, those of the Farmers Unions who are armed with truly non-violent Gandhian satyagraha in action, demonstrating authentic democratic culture in spirit and in deed. On the other side is a mindset shaped by M. S. Golwalkar’s vision of what should be “Bharat’ shaped by religious nationalism, determined to resist any alternative India. Want to crush the farmers’ movement by ‘wear and tear ’sprit. The scare of impending electoral reverse was the only reason for the offer of withdrawal of the contested Farm Laws.
In spite of birth and growth in a traditional Hindu family, Gandhi had shown traits of independent thinking, as we learn from his My Experiments with Truth. He had graduated in law from England. His South African days, and his leading the freedom struggle in India, show he had learned his own critical and dissenting mind.
But the fear of the impending election, especially in Uttar Pradesh, and the inside information he had been receiving, pushed the Prime Minister apparently to a unilateral declaration instead of negotiated settlement consonant with democratic culture..
Do you think we have a democracy which respects the voice of the people or is it a democracy of corporates? Is democracy hijacked by lobbying of the rich and powerful?
We have Constitutional democracy in form but the democratic yet to grow and mature. Two factors prevent true democratic culture from growing. One is the invisible iron hands of national and international capitalist network. Second is the Indian hierarchical social structure. Domination of the upper castes and subordination and submission by the lower castes is central to that hierarchical structure and culture. Greek democracy shaped largely by Cleisthenes and Pericles, promoted questioning, dissenting and seeking consensus. From the famous Magna Carta through Petition of Rights, Bill of Rights, etc British democracy had been growing and maturing as ‘Mother of Parliamentary Democracies’.
But the Indian domination-subordination culture of cast hierarchy in general is largely shaped by Manusmrti. In the culture of domination-submission syndrome, not much of rational critical thinking can take place. Scientific rational approach is choked. These prevent real internalization of the inner spirit of Constitutional culture which is slow to penetrate this thick layer. India could profit much from the Tribal culture that has democracy in them.
Our democracy is being hijacked by the communal forces, how do we get out? Are Gandhi’s ideals dead in India?
The still growing communal forces can extinguish the flame of democratic culture that was breathed into our Constitution by men and women of eminence: B. R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi Vallabhai Patel, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu and other stalwarts. Recall to mind what happened in the parliament on the birthday of the first Prime Minister. For the traditional practice of paying tribute to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 132 birthday none from the Union Cabinet was present which tells us much. Founder of the well-known Non-Alignment Movement, five IIMs, Indian Institute of Technology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Steal Authority of India, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Air India International, Indian Oil Corporation, Life Insurance Corporation and who spend 3259 days in British-Indian Jails, and who promoted true secularism in India, was completely ignored by the ruling regime led by the Prime Minister. 700 or more farmers died as martyrs and for almost thirteen months the Kissan Union stayed put in camps in the outskirts of the National Capital yet the Prime Minister did not meet the thousands of farmers settled for satyagraha in summer rainy days and in winter. Authentic democratic culture has to be promoted.
Pope Francis speaks of Synodality, he says synod is more than a parliament. How synodality is related to democracy? How does the church system handle protests and demonstrations (which are not rare in India)? Is the church attentive to the voice of the priests, religious and laity? Are we still having a concept of authority that of Pontifex Maximus?
The synodality being promoted by Pope Francis has a solid biblical, ecclesial and Spiritual basis. Just recall the manner of election of Mathias by the apostolic community (Acts1:12). For the service of the community seven deacons were elected after prayer to the Holy Spirit (Acts6:1-6). The first major Council was the Jerusalem Council (Acts15:1-29). Synodality is being born and experimented in and through these events. The community in the synodal culture is gathering under the wings of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit of the Risen Lord that is the animating and discerning power. It is as though the Spirit is the presiding power of the Christian community.
The seven deacons were elected after prayer to serve. But there were complaints of discrimination. When the community assembled under the domain of the Holy Spirit grievances were seen in their true perspective. Synod is conducted in a democratic manner. In ordinary democratic processes the will of the people is supreme. But in synodal deliberations the will of the faithful is to be confirmed and anointed by the Spirit of the Risen Christ who illumines and confirms/corrects, interprets further the will of the faithful. The legitimate authorities have their proper role and power to exercise thereafter in the ordinary transactions: to guide the fold, to correct and to check abuse, and to elevate.
This spirit of communal discernment is much to be desired in the Church today. Priests may protest, religious can yield uncritically to arbitrariness. Hence sometimes the Church seems not to promote legitimate protest in the proper manner. There have been reports of priests’/religious’ grievances not being treated in mature manner at the proper time. Hence it is that most deviations in priestly/religious life go unattended to at the proper time. Parish-councils do not function properly in many places. These issues need to be attended to in line with the emerging synodal culture.