Yes, I am a left-leaning liberal!

The recent elections in India generated many emotions - ecstasy, joy, happiness, disbelief, fear, sorrow and a sense of relief that this quinquennial exercise in "the world's largest democrazy" is over. The result was along expected lines (for once exit polls didn't fall flat on their faces) and a white-bearded gentleman (I used the word advisedly) retained his seat.

The highlight of this show was the continued tilt towards what is called the "right / conservative" (first seen in full force in 2014), aided by a high-pitched campaign promoting nationalist and majoritarian ideas and beliefs. The elections also witnessed a louder rant against the “left / liberals” – a group of hitherto somewhat invisible but apparently powerful folks who seemingly represent everything that is wrong with India.

The schism between left and right has been widening since 2014. India was a somewhat confused but clearly left leaning entity for many years after independence. In a country like India, riven by years of people-classification into boxes, the primary need after independence was to provide everyone a chance to improve his or her economic and social life through better access to education and opportunities. There was no earthly reason – so the left-liberal thinking went - why a potter's child (for instance) could not become a doctor, lawyer, engineer or a better potter! I believed this too, so yes, I am a left-leaning liberal.

Naturally in a country as huge as India, the concept of equal access to limited resources was going to take time to percolate down, and hence it was made part of the constitution to ensure a government commitment to make it happen. Leftist liberalism was meant to foster this enabling environment, in which a person's social or religious persuasion (or culinary habits) was not a factor. In fact, the very notion of leftist liberalism ensured that a tea-seller's son could become the prime minister of the country. A rightist, nationalist platform would have never allowed this child to rise beyond tea-selling, for that is supposed to be his "karma"! So yes, i am a left-leaning liberal.

However, the statist push after independence created a structure and mindset that relied far too much on the state to achieve better economic and social status and looked down on market forces (and also hard work. Why work when there are handouts?). The state was considered to be the mother-goddess. The government also professed a love and liking for state intervention at macro and micro levels and did nothing to discourage this reliance. Services such as education, jobs and other life-shaping experiences were relatively affordable, albeit with the proviso of having the brains or brawn to take advantage of this largesse.

Many beneficiaries of this structure, however, went on to subvert the principles behind it. Most of them went overseas, turned conservative and are today leading the chorus belittling the left-liberal from the comfort of their arm-chairs in foreign lands. So yes, I am a left-leaning liberal.

The very hand that fed us has been bitten! Suddenly the left-liberals have been painted as evil, interested only in private gain (which was supposed to be a right-conservative domain). Social media were flooded during the elections with content that belittled the liberals and made them feel like a piece of cheese. Clearly, there was no patience with this alternate ideology, and little or no tolerance towards anyone who professed to follow it. So yes, I am a left-leaning liberal.

And therein lies the darkness. We are steadily sliding towards a notion of nationhood that is defined not by economic development but by religious identity. Right-wing conservatism, while demonizing the left-liberal, forgets that the same LLs have been instrumental in getting the country to where it is today. Without the left-liberals we would be like Nepal, only bigger! The liberals promoted a duality of thought and action which accepted the individual for what she is, and did not define her by thought, food habits, language or liking for white beards. It is this very left-liberalism that has allowed the right to claim space over the years, and power in two consecutive elections. So yes, i am a left-leaning liberal.

Liberalism may be looking frayed at the moment, but it cannot be flushed down the right-wing toilet. For with only a singularity in our country, we run the risk of being governed like mindless machines. Without identity, thought or any idea of self. Which will go against the very idea of India as a “melting pot of cultures, languages, habits and cuisines”. so do we really want this to happen? or do we need a duality?

Yes, I am a left-leaning liberal.