Book Review: Revolution from above

For some India is a superpower. A few others bask in the glory of India supposedly once being a golden sparrow and a land of plenty. At the other end of the scale, India is seen as a Third World country with creaking infrastructure like a war-torn zone. Still others hope for the return of ‘Ram Rajya’ where everybody prospers with social justice, inclusion and equality. No matter where you stand, what determines the well-being of country is the quality and delivery of public services, be it in the spheres of education, health, protection of the weaker sections.

Often these concepts are themes of casual chatter for semi-literates. On the idiot box, self-acclaimed experts give a spin to it with their half-baked knowledge. Those in academia explore it a little more seriously. This is what leading sociologist Dipankar Gupta has attempted in his latest book, Revolution from Above: India’s Future and the Citizen Elite.

Prof Gupta seems to have bought in a paradigm shift on the concept of revolution from above by choosing to focus on ‘an elite of calling’, ‘who force the state to deliver public services like health, education, and energy at quality levels, to every citizen regardless of class.

Acknowledging that India has a large elite class, Prof Gupta points out they do not qualify as members of the ‘citizen elite. “They lack one critical attribute. They are either unmindful or unaware of how crucial fraternity is if one is to advance citizenship. Generally, they are of the kind that would play safe, maximize their given assets, and protect their position in society and not risk a thing. What a waste!”

The immediate provocation for writing this book came when the author had the good fortune of being appointed as a visiting Professor at Deusto University in Bilbao city in Basque Spain.

Basque Spain, he points out, usually arouses images of terrorists, of the ETA. Today terrorism is a story of the past in Basque and documents how citizen elites have transformed the region with the building blocks of the welfare state. In 2010, the Basque government allocated 35.8 per cent and 25 per cent of its budget respectively to health and education. India spent 2.3 and 4.97 respectively.

Awed by the transformation in Basque, Prof Gupta, much like any ideal citizen, wishes that similar winds of change too would sweep through India.

Much against the popular half baked wisdom, Prof Gupta argues that democracy does not come in the way of overcoming poverty and ethnic strife. It actually shows the way out of these circumstances, and the most efficient one at that.”

He further demonstrates that it is not by elections alone that democracy prospers and calls for an active intervention by citizen elite to dig deep and bring out democracy’s many potentials.

The book also discusses the role played by India’s towering leaders - Mahatma Gandhi and his political heir and the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, whom the author calls citizen elite. Who are citizen elite? They lead the charge, often going against the grain of popular demands and sentiments. He lists Gandhi’s fight against untouchability, for women’s emergence in public spaces, protection of minorities and practice of Ahimsa.

However, Prof Gupta is quick to point out how Gandhians retired early during the Ahmedabad riots of 2002 and failed to face the killing mobs like Gandhi did.

Turning to Nehru, Prof Gupta lists the establishment of temples of modern India - dams, state-owned
enterprises, temples of learning (IIT, AIIMS, IIS, ISI) and qualifies him as citizen elite. Discussing several instances, the author points out how Nehru directed India towards secularism, and scientific and industrial self-reliance and saved India from being a pawn in the hands of superpowers.

KS Narayanan
Criticising the political class and lawmakers on various issues, Prof Gupta devotes a few pages to economist-turned-PM Manmohan Singh and shreds him to pieces.
Citing how IIT graduates refused to take degrees from Dr Singh in order to mark their support for Anna Hazare, Prof Gupta asserts that ended the hopes of the current Prime Minister of emerging as another chacha.
That Manmohan Singh is an overrated economist but an underrated politician is attributed to Digvijay Singh, a senior Congress spokesman. However this was first pronounced by former JNU VC and Minister of State for Planning in the United Front government, Prof YK Alagh. Of course, it was repeated countless times by Congress spokespersons.
Revolution from Above is an interesting read although Prof Gupta expects little more than asking for the ‘citizen elite’ to emerge from its stupor.