Bharat Mata- What it simply means?

"Bharat Mata" by Abanindranath Tagore in 1905- The first native depiction of Bharat Mata through the medium of miniature paintings. Instead of the radical and misguided notions for what Bharat Mata stands for in the English Media- In very simple terms- The country Bharat is imagined as a Mother which gives- Food (Anna), Cloth (Vastra), Education(Shiksha) and beads of Salvation (Diksha) to all its children born in their motherland.

Impressions of a youth from the stage of Lokmanthan 2016 November 25, 2016 SPMRF

Last week, I got a wonderful opportunity to attend “Lokmanthan”, a Colloquium of ‘Nation First’ Thinkers and Practitioners held in the city of Bhopal.  Having reached Bhopal, initially Iwasn’t very sure of what to expect out of this ideation platform as ayoung learner.  Fortunately so, it turns out, that all the knowledge, thoughts andexperiences that I ended up learningthrough the medium of public discourse and brainstorming sessions, has in fact been by far the most intellectually stimulating exercise that I have ever attended. Hence in this article, I am sharing some relevant learnings which are particularly useful for the young and the “new” generation of India and the rest of the modern world.

As opposed to the western mind set of reductionist globalization, the focus of “Lokmanthan”was on the philosophy of Integral Humanism where all the discourse and learnings were universally aimed at humanity as a whole. Refuting plurality of souls, the idea of oneness amongst people of all races, caste, creeds & geographies was established. Most importantly, it was emphasized that this idea of collectivitywas not opposed or antagonistic to the idea of “Nation First”thinking. Hence identifying with your nation and the rest of the humanity were rightfully described as being capable of peaceful co- existence.

With this larger vision various discussions were directed at addressing current challenges like Decolonizing Indian Minds, Rashtriyata (Nationality) in Neo-liberalism and Globalization, Identity, Aspirations and National Integration and Role of Art, Culture, History and Media in Nation Building. Various Academicians, Intellectuals and writers, Policy makers, Artists and Students from all over the country had come together at this forum not with concept of passively prescribing text book learning but to use this platform as a medium to ideate on burning issues facing contemporary society.

India and its history were aptly described as a “wonder” by J Nandakumar who explained how even though our country had faced numerous invasions and counter cultural influences in the past, there was still a thread of “Rashtriyata” which was binding us all together.  Hence even though for an outsider, India might seem to be a crucible for diverse identities, intrinsically there was a common bond of collectivity and common Indian values that we all shared. Unfortunately, this diversity in modern times has been perceived as a source for anti-nationalist and centrifugal forces, especially so in a democratic political structure like that of India. The reason for this sorry state of affairs is that the western philosophies and notions of modernity perceive social identities to exist in water-tight compartments and do not see them as an organic whole with the shared values of “Rashtriyata” percolating through them. Tarek Fatah added to this by stating that religious and social identities are and should not be antagonistic to nationalistic thinking. Thus being an Indian, irrespective of castes, religion and colour, it is our duty to be honest andcommitted to collective values of nation building.

An important distinction made by Dr Anirban Ganguly, Director of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation was the difference between the meaning of “scientific modernization and blind westernization”. He explained how the political hegemony since the establishment of Western Education system by the British, had led to a process of cultural homogenization in India. This in turn has led to a situation where the western education system in India has become a source pool for western ideas of consumerism, conflict and market thinking; thus completely ignoring the essence of Indian teachings and sustainable living.  On the other end of the spectrum, Smt Smriti Irani explained how Indian way of living and thinking was not to be confused with feudalistic and backward thinking. Illustratively on the issue of gender equity she stated that “Regression does not come wrapped around in a Saree”. Thus explaining how following traditional values and lifestyles including indigenous clothing, food and outlook did not mean we were rejecting ideas of social justice and universal rights. Instead it meant how youth, both boys and girls can take this country forward while respecting national duty and Indian traditions and at the same time also following universal notions of gender equity and social empathy for one and all.

Social inclusion was a very strong theme in the panel discussions where challenges related to empowerment of Scheduled Caste and Tribal population were discussed. Milind Kamble, a social entrepreneur who is also the founder of Dalit Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) was probably the best choice for a guest speaker. I personally found his thoughts to be very progressive. Instead of harping on social identities and reservations, he spoke about how PM Modi’s Stand Up India campaign and initiative like DCCI were generating employment for lakhs and lakhs of young SC entrepreneurs.  In his own words rather than “asking for jobs”, SC youth were increasingly being made self-sufficient to “give jobs”

Hailing this Lokmanthan as the beginning of a new era in India, Shri Rinpoche, ex-prime minister of Tibet explained how Terrorism had become a market place; which would very soon collapse on its own weight. On the same lines, actor Anupam Kher, over and above his star attraction, in very simple terms explained the importance of family values, ‘nation first’ outlook and the importance of speaking the truth when it comes down to the matters of national security and taking strict action against forces which were anti-national in nature. He explained how the so called intelligentsia influenced by the misplaced notions of modernity, had made the youth so defensive about his/her patriotic values. Thus he advised the youth not to fear failure in the light of stiff opposition from fissiparous tendencies; and to put all their efforts in constructive nation-building.

Folk culture and art was best exemplified by Dr Shetty, who explained how the world was undergoing a post-modernism phase, where all the western notions of art and culture are increasingly been rejected in favor of native representations of art and philosophy. This correlates with how there is a renewed focus on Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedanta, Sustainable way of Indian living and native art world-wide. Hence he advised the young population to identify this change in Global thinking and learn to respect and appreciateits own culture, art and oral/folk heritage. Also the famous artist, Smt. Sonal Mansingh, much like her dance inspiringly explained how Krishna destroyed the snake Kaliya to prevent the river Yamuna from getting polluted and poisoned.  Thus using Indian culture and its traditions as medium to reflect on how even our mythological stories and heroes had displayed consciousness for Environmental Sustainability, which is so very important in the current scenario of Global warming and Environmental degradation.

Summing up the session, Shri Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, our very own Chanakya from the TV screens asked us to finally contemplate upon the relevance and theutility of theseintellectual discourses in the currentcontext. He went on to describe how these learnings were of use only if these were disseminated beyond the walls of Lokmanthan, out into the mainstream discourse.  Just like how a seed is planted in fresh soil, so were these values and teachings meant to be planted in the fresh minds of today’s youth. Most importantly, he warned us all that a good thought wasn’t enough to bear any plant let alone a fruit. Invoking M.S. Gowalkar’s observations- that what had harmed India the most all these years was not so much the wrong doing of those who were dishonest to the nation; but that it was the INACTION and Indifference of the “Sajjan”(Good) people who chose not to act upon what they knew was the right thing to do. Similarly, all that I am sharing with you today, from the mind-churning exercise that was held at the “Lokmanthan” 2016, is of no practical use, if all of us, including me do not act upon what we have learnt and what we know to be in the national interest. Hence we need to act and ACT NOW to build strong foundations for this nation based on shared values of  nationalism, humanism, social justice, harmony and empathy through the lens of a nation-first outlook as also with an orientation towards progressive and holistic thinking.

Five Reasons Why ‘National Health Policy 2017’ Is A Step In The Right Direction: As published in Swarajya Magazine on 23rd March 2017

Five Reasons Why ‘National Health Policy 2017’ Is A Step In The Right Direction

As we analyse the Indian policy discourse, we find that healthcare financing and service delivery continues to stand out as an exception. Not only does it remain to be one of the least understood sectors but also, probably, is the worst performing amongst all.

Even after 70 years of Independence, 45,000 mothers die each year during childbirth (highest in the world), 43.5 per cent of children under the age of five are underweight and malnourished (higher than Sub-Saharan Africa), and every year around 2,20,000 people lose their lives due to tuberculosis (highest burden in the world).

Maternity mortality rate 

Also, quite contrary to the Western perception - the three biggest killers in India are not infectious diseases but are, in fact, non-communicable diseases like heart disease (12 lakh deaths annually), lung disease (10 lakh deaths annually) and stroke (9 lakh deaths).

As a result of which, India’s healthcare indicators are not only worse than all the other BRICS countries and those with comparable growth statistics but are also lagging behind its neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Health care crisis continues to exist despite the fact that over all these years, tax payer’s money has been continuously pumped to finance ad-hoc vertical schemes and piecemeal expansions of the fractured public health systems. Here it is important to note that healthcare spending in India (1 per cent of GDP) is also one of the lowest in the world.

Though the HLEG group in 2012 did recommend an increase in the public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of GDP, no action in this regard was taken by the then ruling government. Still, it will be useful to take stock of how these resources have been spent and whether the so-called ‘investments’ made in the public health sector reaped any healthcare dividends.

Using the traditional indicators of health, we have already seen how poorly India fares on all most all of them. Alternatively, let us use the lens of healthcare financing to describe the actual plight of a poor patient in India.

Do we know that despite having an overarching National Health Mission for the past 12 years (started as NRHM in 2005 by the UPA government) and the presence of the so-called socialist model of healthcare financing, the out of pocket payments (OoP) in India (67 per cent) are one of the highest in the world.

It means that if an average Indian spends Rs 100 to seek medical care, up to Rs 67 is spent by his/her own pocket and less than Rs 30 is covered by the government and other methods of health insurance. Moreover, 70 per cent of OoP is on the purchase of drugs and diagnostics.

What is particularly disheartening is that every year about 6 crore Indian households fall below the poverty line due to catastrophic healthcare expenditures. And the majority of this financial burden falls on the underprivileged members of the society like the Dalits, tribals, rural and poor households.

Not surprisingly as high as 86 per cent of rural population and 82 per cent of urban population are still not covered under any scheme of health expenditure support/insurance system.

The Central Government, however, recently has brought over 12 per cent urban and 13 per cent of rural population under some form of health protection coverage like the Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojana.

What is interesting to note is the large inter-state variation in the financial protection for healthcare provided by various states. The following data from the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) 71st round reveals that states with the highest percentage of reimbursement of hospitaliastion expenses were Gujarat, followed by Maharashtra and Haryana, thus providing the best safety net against catastrophic healthcare spending.

Whereas Kerala, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh had only 2 per cent of their cases reimbursed for hospital expenses, and the other states fared even lower.

Safety net provided by the states, against catastrophic healthcare spending. Source: NSSO 71st round.

Yet the public narrative for health sector has remained unchanged since independence, focussing on merely inventing newer public programmes without imposing any incentive for improving either accountability or efficiency of healthcare delivery in the public sector.

Misguided by the dominant discourse of development economics and statist model for public health in India, current situation of district hospitals and health centres is marked by doctor absenteeism, drug stock outs and rampant corruption, all leading to delays in access, quality and accountability of healthcare.

Ultimately a poor rural Indian is left with only two choices:

One: Use a public health centre which offers poor quality of services.

Two: Go to a private hospital and access expensive care in the absence of any universal health coverage.

In light of the above, it becomes very pertinent for policy experts to analyse if we can afford to ignore the private sector and the choices people make while accessing health care.

According to government’s own NSSO estimates (71st round) nearly 70 per cent of the total health ailments in India are being treated at private facilities. To be even more precise, the same data shows that as much as 75 per cent of outpatient (OPD) care is exclusively private and more than 55 per cent of inpatient (IPD) care is sought from private hospitals in India.

Hence, it is rather surprising to see why and how the public discourse on healthcare has until now remained oblivious of the presence of private sector in healthcare.

Any narrative on Public-Private Partnership has been unfairly made out to be a shift towards abolition of public health systems and leaving the general population at the mercy of an unregulated and costly private sector - which is, in fact, far from the truth.

Hence an informed debate about the need for health insurance leading to universal health coverage never penetrated the public discourse, until the draft of the new National Health Policy 2017 was shared with the public for inviting suggestions two years ago.

After taking due consideration of the suggestions received, the health minister came out with the final recommendations of the policy. Let us see how this new health policy affects us and whether it fits into the healthcare needs of an average Indian.

First, the policy rightfully signals the coming of a health insurance era in India, leading to universal health coverage. Some analysts have gone to the extent of labelling these reforms as the Obamacare. India version!

This policy direction is also in alignment with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation which calls upon all the countries to adopt a health insurance model, thus providing universal health coverage against an essential package of primary, secondary, and tertiary services.

It will provide healthcare access to millions of poor households, reduce poverty arising out of catastrophic spending on healthcare and promote a significant reduction of out of pocket expenses, which in some cases, can mean the entire life savings of a BPL (below poverty line) household.

This is in contrast to the present scenario where only a handful of government employees and a miniscule of the formal sector have access to any sort of health insurance.

Second, the government commits to an increase in the public health expenditure from the current 1 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent, which will be the biggest jump in healthcare expenditure that India will see since the Independence.

And a majority of this expenditure is geared towards making drugs and diagnostics more affordable, thus addressing a major (70 per cent) proportion of out of pocket expenses.

Now the question arises, whether the government hospitals and health centres can alone shoulder the responsibility of treating the humongous disease burden of 120 crore Indians?

As of today, private sector accounts for 93 per cent of all hospitals (up from 8 per cent in 1947), 64 per cent of all beds, and 80 to 85 per cent of all doctors. As opposed to the common understanding, this penetration of the private sector holds equally true for the rural areas where 70 per cent of all the primary care visits are also to private health care providers.

Hence, as a third logical step, the National Health Policy recommends for a mix of public and private care to ensure that every insured individual, irrespective of caste, sex or religion should have a right to choice, efficiency and quality.

Thus, if implemented, a poor rural household won’t be forced to use poor quality of public health services only because of his inability to pay. Instead, the public facility would be incentivised to improve the quality of service delivery in the face of competition and efficiency from the private sector.

This however needs to be accompanied by proper regulation of the quality of care that even the private sector is providing.

Fourth, the need for focusing on non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart and lung diseases, which have a lion’s share in India’s disease burden, has been rightly recognised, thus making for the most efficient use of the resources.

Finally, the policy gives a big push to health research as an important means for building evidence base for public health in India.

Though implementation remains to be seen, the new National Health Policy 2017 is a step in the right direction.

Moreover, this change in the public health narrative is also in alignment with the recommendations by the WHO, World Bank and the best practices worldwide, while being grounded to the contextual realities of the country.

Hence from a human rights perspective, it can be safely concluded that the proposed universal health coverage via health insurance with the right mix of public and private providers can soon fulfil the dream of seeking healthcare as a matter of fundamental right for every Indian.

This will especially touch the lives of poor and rural households, women, tribal and all the other socially weaker sections of the society; further fulfilling the directive principles of equitable distribution of wealth and resources across the citizens and the Vedanta Philosophy of “Sarve Santu Niramaya” (Let no one be ill).

Why I don’t mind being branded as a Jingoistic Bhakt? As published in BuzzTimes

Immediately after the unfortunate URI attacks took place this month, media started pouring with breaking news and prime times. The call for aggressive action against the Pakistani army started catching the headlines. There were demands for fighting a war, applying sanctions and even banning Pakistani artists in India. And I felt that finally, the demand for a strong action against Pakistan (except maybe symbolically trying to ban Paki artists) is gaining traction in Public. Moreover, this view was echoed by almost all news channels at least until the attacks were still fresh in our memory.

And then started another trend- Branding those who were talking about stricter action against Pakistan as “Jingositic Bhakts”. There was an entire wave of defense by the so called “liberal lefts” who started feeding- “Oh Bhakt Gan are behaving like a mob and war is not the solution”, “Let us not stoop down to the level of fighting for Indus waters”, “Music and Art are above Ind-Pak war”, “Chest thumping nationalists on News hour are spreading hatred” and that the “current proto-nationalist government is spreading divisive politics”.

Really???

Instead of shouting back at them with even a greater bang, I thought why not use Nietsche’s ‘Genealogy of Morals’ model to deconstruct why and what was happening. Nietsche talked about the rise of Slave Mentality vs the Master mentality in the medieval age. Oppression and aggression by rulers led a lot of societies including those in Europe and India, to develop the foundations for their own versions of Slave Morality. To forgive was Holy. Controlling your impulses and remaining nonviolent even in the event of war was a virtue. And Why? Because forgiving was the only option, we did not have the courage, power or resources to fight. Be nonviolent, because you are a slave and passive resistance is your biggest weapon. In Nietsche’s words Unable to put up a fight and cope with its struggle against itself, the sick will see its animal instincts, its earthly nature, as sinful, and horrible. Unable to free itself from these instincts, it attempts to subdue and tame itself as much as possible. Nietzsche concludes that “man would rather will nothingness than notwill.” And it was this thinking, which guided the moderate brand of politics in Congress during the 19th century and the majority of Gandhian led Freedom movement. I still believe, it wasn’t all that impractical considering we were being ruled by our masters- the British rulers. Though its important to note that India did not quite win its freedom with this brand of slave politics either. It was a freedom served to us by our erstwhile masters.  Just as how the 2nd World War and the economic impracticality of ruling large colonies led to the freedom of the rest of South Asia in 40s and 50s and Africa in 60s, so did India.

But even after independence and becoming “free”, this brand of Slave politics continued.Internationalizing the issue of Pakistan in UN, was our way of showing to the world, how “Great” and “Virtuous” we were. Sending back the captured POWs in the 1971 war without even extracting a strong bilateral agreement from Pakistan on the issue of LoC, was another stunt to show how “forgiving” we were. And now in the present times this has taken different forms- A home grown terrorist becomes a martyr; Azadi slogans which promote breaking India into pieces becomes an aspect of Freedom of Expression; Instead of pushing for conviction of Nirbhaya rapists; journalists run about making a documentary sympathizing with his weeping mother (which in fact she should) and worse if a News Channel is talking about a strong action against Pakistan, he is termed as a false “Jigoistic Bhakt”!

The answer to this lies in the age old slave morality that we have been carrying over our shoulders. We as a nation are afraid of our strengths. Or lets say we feel uncomfortable and awkward when it comes to doing what it takes to set things right.  So many people in the recent past have told me that they are scared of the new brand of “Bhakts”. They think that the bhakts are all too powerful and that they are afraid to support this brand of divisive politics. Is standing up and fighting against those who inflict terror on us in the name of religion, divisive? Well I thought vote bank politics based on the rhetoric of social and religious identities has been way more successful in dividing us than this. Another accusation is that the Bhakts are invoking hatred? Well is speaking an uncomfortable truth spreading hatred? The fact is,  that the so called liberal elite English media, finds it “virtuous” to cover up the hard realities of terrorism and appeasement politics but derides the “virtue” of the so called “Bhakts” in standing up against what’s wrong.

So let us pull away this shroud of Slave Morality and rise up to be Masters of our own fate.Be proud of our strengths and call a spade a spade. Though this does come with a warning to all of us, standing up and acting against Pakistan or Terrorists or Terror sympathizers doesn’t mean creating a brigade of Neo Nazis who are ready to take out swords on the drop of a hat; whether on Twittter or on the streets. Integral Humanism has been at the core of the Indian way of living. Though this Humanistic outlook should not be used as a proxy to shy away from strict action against the separatist elements.

Finally, if after all that I speak, write and do makes you still believe that I am a Jingoistic Bhakt. Then Yes, I don’t mind being branded as one!!