Diwali and Hindu politics

The festival of Divali will be observed tomorrow when Hindus will celebrate several events to symbolise light overcoming darkness. These range from the physical light of diyas being lit on the darkest night of the year; welcoming Mother Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth who appeared out of the churning of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras and most popularly, the return of Sri Ram to institute “Ramrajya” or ideal governance after his victory over the ravenous Ravan. In our country where we recently went to the polls to elect a government to govern our state, and an opposition to present alternative views, it is most apposite for Hindus to discuss the foundational elements of Ramrajya rather than the vague, overused trope of “victory of good over evil” as if this is an inevitable process that does not need citizen intervention.
Hindus do not have an absolutist position on rules and regulations (whether on governance or otherwise). Rather we believe that there are the eternal principles of Dharma that that have to be applied to the institution under consideration; taking into cognisance the context of place, time and circumstances. Hindus must therefore understand what is ‘dharma’ and then its application to governance or politics.
In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata (109: 10-12) there is a very succinct summation of the attributes of Dharma: “Firstly, everything related to nurturing, cherishing, providing more amply, endowing more richly, prospering, increasing, enhancing, all living beings; secondly everything that are supporting, sustaining, bringing together, upholding all living beings and thirdly, everything securing for all living beings freedom from violence, is dharma.
It is these three characteristics of dharma – that which sustains, upholds and are non-violent – that circumscribe what is called “Raj Neeti”. “Raj” is the state but rather than ‘politics’ neeti is more properly translated political ethics. ‘Neeti” connotes: conduct; propriety; policy; a plan; politics; righteousness; morality. The ethical element of Dharma is always present. If the politics practised is bereft of these three attributes then adharma or tyranny, injustice or anarchy is being practised.
How does those who govern the State achieve all these noble ends? Our texts advise that the ruler/executive must possess the authoritative “power,” or “force to ensure the law of the jungle does not prevail. These governors however must understand that their power over the state must be used to protect the people. As stated in MhBrt Shanti Parva 68:8: “There is no other justification for the king to exist than to protect in every way, the people. For protection if the first foundation of all social order. It is from the fear of punishment that people do not consume each other and all order is based.”
The task of the citizen, therefore, is to insist that our political leaders create the conditions to secure our ‘well-being”, the most basic of which is to maximise the happiness of the citizens. In his Arthashastra, Kautilya describes the supreme rule to which the ruler must bow: “In the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness; in their welfare, his welfare; whatever pleases himself, he shall not consider as good, but whatever pleases his subjects he shall consider as good.”(Bk 1, Ch XIX, 39)
The leaders must also be free from arrogance due to their power and authority: “By abusing his great power, where the king begin to oppress the weak, and takes to adharma, there his officials make that kind of behaviour their means of livelihood as well…Full of such arrogant people that kingdom is soon destroyed. (MhBht Shanti Parva 931-2). This is apropos to the extant charges of corruption.
However, there are occasions when the exigencies of circumstances alters the application of Dharmic principles to Raj Niti and is most graphically illustrated during “aapad kaal” or ‘emergencies’. When political, social and economic conditions become such that life or the state itself is threatened with destruction, then all must be done for self-preservation. “It is better to be alive than dead: alive a person can order his life again.” Shanti Parva 141:65. During Aapad Kaal, therefore, the state must take whatever steps that are necessary for the survival of the society. After the emergency is over however, the principles of Dharma must be reasserted.
In a democratic society, the citizens also have a duty at the polls to vote out rulers who do not govern by the principles of dharma and do not work for the upliftment of all.