No State can grow by dwarfing its own citizens

UPSC IAS Exam Essay: No State can grow by dwarfing its own citizens

Introduction:

Give the history of USSR, how curtailing liberties, press freedom and top down economic policies have led to its own destruction.

Background:

State is an association of its citizens formed through social contract. It prospers on the basis of economic activities of its citizens, taxes paid by them, in fact, the reason for its creation is the well being of its citizens.

Such a state cannot survive if it works against its own citizens. It will decay with economic inefficiency, social disorder, lawlessness, etc.

The given statement is by J S Mill who meant it in the context of liberty. According to him liberty should not constrained by the state unnecessarily because liberty of citizens is needed for growth of State e.g. freedom of expression for growth of its literature and arts.

But the dictum has relevance in multifarious ways, in non-way a state should dwarf its citizens, that will lead to self-destruction.

Ways of dwarfing citizens

• Huge taxes on incomes leads to reduced purchasing power
• Excess control on freedom e.g. freedom of press
• Untamed inequalities and state being a supporter of rich
• State not acting upon social evils that are dwarfing many sections like patriarchy casteism etc.

Why state should not curtail citizens powers?

• Destruction happens to state e.g. high tax on petrol lead to low consumption and triggers economic slowdown, poor control of inflation in Zimbabwe led to shift of its currency to US dollar.
• The citizens will even change their allegiance-Maharshi were denied opportunity by Marathas in war owing to casteism, later they joined British leading to loss of Marathas and colonisation of the Kingdom.
• Citizens even go for revolution when they are dwarfed e.g. failure of land reforms and rise of naxalism.

Why it can be curtailed?

• Freedom cannot be unrestrained e.g. need for control on alcohol consumption, smoking, obscenity in movies, etc.
• Duties should be enforced for common good – CSR, IPR rights dwarfing etc.
• State is formed mainly to guarantee right to life, acts like terrorism, cybercrimes needs state surveillance, so privacy cannot be absolute.
• State also cannot spoon-feed citizens with freebies always it will lead to fiscal crisis e.g. pre-LPG years of India.

Modern day dwarfing attempts

• Data privacy issue
• Control of NGOs, especially environment groups
• Diluting instruments like RTI
• Surveillance state like China in which CCTV usage to monitor citizens saw 600% rise in decade
• Lack of security for journalists and activists – assassinations and arrests, etc.

States in dilemma – states are actually in a dilemma, to ensure growth forest has to be cleared, to ensure counter-terrorism privacy has to be compromised.

What can be done?

• Ombudsman system wherever required
• Consultative policies to ensure trust and compliance
• Doctrine of proportionality – the extent of intervention should be proportionate to what is sought to be achieved
• No populism in policy making
• Review and feedback system and periodical changes to ensure too much intervention is not there
• Decentralise power and ensure citizen participation in many areas like sanitation management

Conclusion:

Gandhiji ideas of Swaraj. Each individual needs freedom from his own vices, that ensures good heart and just actions flow from such heart. In such a State, Swaraj will be default rule not an option. When there is righteousness in the heart, there is ultimately beauty in thee nation. But it is duty of state to build righteousness rather than dwarfing us in name of controlling vices in us, indeed, Statecraft is soul craft.