Our country has throughout the ages provided refuge to people of different religions and races fleeing persecution in other countries. An early example is the hospitable haven provided to Iranian Zoroastrians who fled from their native Iran to escape Moslem religious persecution. A recent instance is the refuge given to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution in Tibet. The Dalai Lama is a revered spiritual leader and ‘God-King’ of Tibetan Buddhists. Our government has permitted a Tibetan government in exile in India, which is peacefully functioning since 1959 in Dharmashala. The Dalai Lama has publicly declared that he is not demanding an independent Tibet but is pleading for full and genuine autonomy. That is also the ardent desire of Tibetans who have settled in Delhi and in other parts of India. Their peaceful protests and posters demanding autonomy for Tibet when Chinese dignitaries visit India are quite understandable. The demand in some quarters for disbanding the Tibetan government in exile is as outrageous as the claim that Arunachal is part of China. The nation as a whole must unequivocally repudiate this unfounded territorial claim.

Indian Democracy

According to some agency’s rating India is a flawed democracy. Pray, what were the criteria employed and what scoring methodology was adopted? No one can claim that India is a perfect democracy. Indeed, considering certain ground realities like conspicuous absence of social justice, the collapse of the criminal justice system, the mounting corruption and the menacing rise of intolerance, one may at first blush superficially conclude that democracy in India is a myth. This conclusion however overlooks one of the essential features of a genuine democracy: free and fair periodic elections under the superintendence of an independent constitutional authority, the Election Commission. A heartening feature of our democracy is the willingness to abide by the electoral verdict. No government in India has hung on to power after the electorate has rejected it. There has been an orderly succession after every electoral verdict. Despite all the deficiencies and drawbacks what makes our democracy a reality is adherence to the Rule of Law and the enforcement of accountability of the wielders of power by the judiciary. On several occasions our judiciary has acted on the principle that “however high you may be, the law is above you” and has done so irrespective of the status of any person or authority. Recently, a minister in the Maharashtra Cabinet was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for contempt for breaching a Supreme Court order passed for protection of the environment. Again, a free and independent press in our country has also enforced accountability. The rating that India is a flawed democracy has overlooked these basic elements of our functioning democracy.

Welcome Diversions

When the headlines are full of suicide attacks and widespread global violence a touch of humour is a relief. For example, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s attempt to explain away his remark about the disastrous consequences of the Iraq policy by attributing it to a “straightforward slip of the tongue”. One is left guessing about other varieties of slips, including the Freudian ones. Discussion of terrorism inevitably leads to the question of its root causes, which need to be tackled, such as injustice, persistent violation of basic human rights and so forth. A lavishly illustrated Atlas of Creation, which is currently making the rounds in schools and libraries in Turkey proclaims that Darwin’s theory of evolution is the real root cause of terrorism. Possibly the next step would be to proclaim Darwin an arch-terrorist. Darwin and Osama would make strange bed-fellows.

There may be a new spate of legislation by the Bush administration to crush Darwinism, which was always an anathema to the Church and the traditional Christians. We inhabit a crazy world and but for some laughter and humour, living would be intolerable.

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