Development and anti-Development people

The background story

Needless to say, most of the people who had participated in the freedom struggle were rural poor. They had expected that when the British would leave all the evils would go with them Then the British transferred power to feudalistic Nehru and his colleagues. Under the newly formed government, the new elites like native industrialists and middle class bureaucracy started to grow. Corruption and other form of social evils started to grow along with. Initially, Nehru convinced people that in order to develop the country, some people have to sacrifice. The poor who were already waiting, tried to convince themselves.

After a few decades, people realized that there is no hope in expecting something from government. The social divide (rich and poor) became distinct.

After liberalization

The sick economic model of Nehru reached its stagnant stage, when the system became totally corrupted. Our leaders then submitted national independence to international mafias like IMF and world bank. Many foreign corporates came to save Indian economy. The banner under which this process was carried out (still going on) was "development". Vajpayee added a more fashionable slogan to it; "India shinning!".

India started to shine indeed, but for some. To some, India even looked darker. Their land is forcefully grabbed and they are forcefully thrown into destitute (ref.). What they will do then? If they tried to resist, they become "anti-development" people!

The battle between "development" people and "anti-development" people

Now it is quite distinct that the urban middle class, mainly educated mass are supporter of development, as they are directly or indirectly benefiting from it. How is the scope for those "anti-development" people to survive? Their live hood is forcefully grabbed (a nice example being the recent event in Nandigram, West Bengal). How they will resist? Can they compete with the "development" people formally(note: I am talking about electoral politics)? surely they are the loosers. But they have to resist. How they will do? Now come to see the Gandhian way of struggle (nonviolent).

Arundhati Roy gives a very nice sataric comment: They have watched the great Gandhian people's movements being reduced and humiliated, floundering in the quagmire of court cases, hunger strikes and counter-hunger strikes. Perhaps these many million Constraining Ghosts of the Past wonder what advice Gandhi would have given the Indians of the Americas, the slaves of Africa, the Tasmanians, the Herero, the Hottentots, the Armenians, the Jews of Germany, the Muslims of Gujarat. Perhaps they wonder how they can go on hunger strike when they're already starving. How they can boycott foreign goods when they have no money to buy any goods. How they can refuse to pay taxes when they have no earnings. (click)

So there is an obvious answer left to those people: Take arm and resist.