We are feudal, come what may

This happened a few years ago when KSOU had not yet been derecognized. I wanted to meet the professor of Sanskrit and was in the corridor searching for his office when I heard a commotion behind me with someone saying, ‘Give way, give way’. I turned around to see two security guards clearing the way for a group of people with the Vice Chancellor in the centre and others fawningly following him to pass unhindered. I was taken aback. Is this 21^st century, I thought, when a Vice Chancellor is treated like royalty. It was disgusting to see such feudal mentality and kowtowing even to an appointed official.

We see similar behavior all the time. MPs behave as though they own the place and demand special privileges as it happened at airports in two recent cases. They are invariably not apologetic and claim privileges as their right. And there are instances of followers on of minor politicians vandalizing toll booths when asked to pay the toll as normal citizens are supposed to. I do not know if it is a hangover from the days of Maharajas, Zamindars and Pallegars but we seem to instinctively pay obeisance to anyone in power. Despite adopting the so called socialistic pattern of governance where everyone is considered to be equal, we seem unable or unwilling to shake off that Ji Huzur mentality.

This feudalistic mindset also influences our attitude towards obeying laws. As the so-called rulers think that they are beyond the law, the ordinary citizen takes vicarious pleasure in breaking the law which he feels is imposed on him by the ruling authorities. If you can break the law and get away with it, perfect- there is nothing like it. Don’t even ask about the law being for the common good and that there is a case for consideration for others in a civil society. It is remarkable that a highly feudalistic society such as the Japanese has transformed itself into an extremely law abiding one. I do not know if the White Anglo-Saxon Ethic has anything to do with it but in most of Europe and USA people are by instinct law abiding. There was a case of a visiting Indian minister in Europe wanting to skip the line because of being a VIP when he was pointed to someone in the queue who was the Prime Minister of that country!

The only place in India where this feudalistic mentality is vanishing seems to be Mumbai where utmost importance is given to the work at hand rather than the person handling it.

Can we ever see a truly egalitarian India where everyone is equal and treated as such?