As artists committed to improving the quality of life for all, our critical role as citizens has motivated this attempt to reach out to the public through our elected representatives. There was a time when artists participated in the making of our Constitution: Nandalal Bose illustrated the manuscript and Prem Behari Narain Raizada calligraphed it, all keeping in mind our rich cultural legacies.
India’s electoral system is one of the largest and most complex in the world and our elected vidhayaks constitute the tana bana, the warp and weft, of our federal democratic ethos.
The National Legislators Conference (NLC), due to start next week, is a pioneering initiative bringing together 4,000 MLAs and MLCs from all political parties under one roof. The three-day boot camp is an opportunity to exchange notes across ideological lines, presenting case studies of best practices and governance.
With increasing ideological divisions among political parties and their supporters, grandstanding often hampers constructive debates and leads to policy gridlocks. The spirit of consensus building is undermined even as the few paths for possible convergences get sidelined.
This appeal is to you, the chosen ones from across India. The most pressing issues from your perspective may remain your re-election but our mutual concerns will continue to find ways to make a young democracy thrive.
Some creative thinkers, designers and artists attended preparatory meetings as a run-up to the NLC. Issues that required review included the role of money power, the influence of identity politics, provisions for equitable opportunities and other vital issues determining our right to ethical representation. Here are a few interventions that can become a part of the public discourse.
People’s participation and plural growth: Corruption in governance and personal values remains a persistent challenge that erodes individual trust in institutions. How does one collectively evolve a more responsible system of elections that does not owe its existence to the support of tainted money? How does the public empower itself to become vigilant, making representatives more answerable? How do we ensure the performance of our vidhayaks before, during and after their tenure? What systems of checks and balances are needed to secure consistent deliverables?
The more critical issue at hand, therefore, is how a representative democracy, with its defunct norms, can be transformed into a more modern participative democracy. Not voting can be a serious form of protest but even as a far more rigorous and regular grievance redressal mechanism is put in place, we would need to take up the challenges implicit in direct interventions through referendums. Conducting workshops that explore the possibility of the right to recall inefficient and corrupt politicians and strengthening RTI and protecting whistleblowers, becomes essential.
With technological advances in the past two decades, civil society interventions and local referendums are being defined as options for action. Several types of direct voter interface have increased in use throughout the world. India has lessons to learn about better governance from other parts of the world.
Switzerland has been using referendums for decades as an integral part of policymaking, whether for constitutional amendments or legislative enactment. Australia and Ireland use them to effect basic changes. In Canada, there is an increasing discussion at all levels of government about the use of referendums to foster greater “democratisation” of political life. What is crucial is creating an inclusive society where every citizen has empowered access to an agile tool, giving them a chance to thrive and be counted as the real decision-maker.
Strengthening federal democracy: Considering how centralised our democratic system is becoming, MLAs are now more of a representative number to demonstrate the party’s political prowess. Rather than safeguard their regional aspirations and local decision-making imperatives, they have to bow to the high command.
The most urgent issues faced by the people are addressed at the constituency or state-level, and the MLA has to find ways to give a voice to the electorate. Voters hold allegiances that are not just “national”, but personal and community-based. We see this reflected in the difference in issues that determine election outcomes at the state and Centre. Decentralising power and empowering local governments can enhance accountability and promote citizen participation in matters of national importance.
Cultural regeneration to build economic capital, up-skilling and livelihood options: Capacity building amidst an increasingly deskilled population requires an innovative design-led reappraisal of local competencies. For example, fish trap makers in Jharkhand are now making furniture and lighting fixtures.
During my term as vice-chairperson on the Task Force on Creative and Cultural Industries set up by the Planning Commission in 2005, I steered a three-volume document with recommendations for a National Policy on the Creative and Cultural Industry. Even the executive summary was not read or deliberated upon. Nearly 20 years down the line, we are yet to create a comprehensive strategy that could formalise our inherent assets. Most developed nations have already lost their traditional skills and are now attempting to nurture what is left as heritage while simultaneously capitalising on the creative design-led industries where they have an edge.
We have more than 50 million artisans who still work in time-honoured, legacy enterprises producing skill-based unique artistic products and services. India’s cultural dividend is under-utilised and can generate livelihoods in ways that are empowering while being entrenched in our ways of life.
In our efforts to introduce design-led innovations to transform the traditional sensibilities of rural artists, we confront the serious threat of a shrinking skilled craft force and the lack of any pehchan (recognition) amidst elected representatives. Despite new prototypes of products and services, a crucial aspect of ensuring financial sustenance — marketing — can only be realised through local support. This includes facilitating district-level private/public sector cooperation, village access to credit and loans, and regional and global market research with the deployment of bottom-up information and communication technology. Do our vidhayaks know the predicament of the kasturi mrig — the musk deer — which frantically seeks the source of the fragrance that actually lies within itself?
Harnessing technology and making AI transparent: In recent months, we have all experienced disruptive but incomprehensible technologies, especially artificial intelligence. We should not, however, shy away from using technology. From democratising access to services and empowering citizens, leveraging technology can improve governance and provide access to quality education, healthcare, and financial services. In the field of culture too, it can equip India’s creatives to manage change and derive inspiration from all over the world.
With nearly 60 per cent internet penetration in India and 600 million smartphone users, you, the legislators, have an unprecedented opportunity to reach out to “we the people”. Of course, concerns related to the digital divide, data privacy, cyber security, and the ethical use of digitisation must be addressed to ensure that benefits are accessible to all.
To feel, see and hear what may otherwise seem like a lonely path to tread, the NLC must also become a pedagogic tool driving a recurring public platform to discuss and debate “glocal” issues, promote a unique model of peer-to-peer learning and making the young more responsive to governance. For elected representatives, this may not always be possible within the confines of state legislatures and with the constraints on their time, but three days in the Maximum City could be a beginning.
The writer is the founder-trustee and chairman of Asian Heritage Foundation
With nearly 60 per cent internet penetration in India and 600 million smartphone users, you, the legislators, have an unprecedented opportunity to reach out to “we the people”. Of course, concerns related to the digital divide, data privacy, cyber security, and the ethical use of digitisation must be addressed to ensure that benefits are accessible to all. (illustration by CR Sasikumar) 
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