Power to the

BY TIM BLIGHT

India’s lively political scene has always appealed to my inner journalist. Say what you want about Indian politics – the Indian people do not take their democratic privileges for granted. In fact, I often wonder if India’s bureaucracy, regardless of its (many) faults, constitutes a more democratic system than that of many western nations. Let’s not forget that democracy might be undermined, but is not abrogated by corruption; democracy is fundamentally ‘the rule of the people’ in all its manifestations, beautiful and ugly. The Indian people do, to a large degree, dictate the direction of their nation.

This makes for a clear contrast with Australia, where political apathy has become a national epidemic. The huge crowds drawn in by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare’s campaign are testament to the Indian populace’s political engagement. Even the media gets on board – all of this is a far cry from many Western democracies where a moral obligation would fail to garner such widespread support. Take the American invasion of Iraq; while many took to the streets, it wasn’t enough to sway governments who had the mainstream media wrapped around their fingers. In many countries celebrities and activists, all potential spokespeople, were nowhere to be seen.

It’s yet to be seen if people power can (or will ever) cure India of its corruption problem, but it certainly feels like a fight which the people want. After all, modern India was founded on a public movement of civil disobedience and protest. The very face of social activism is to be seen on every ten rupees I handle, regardless of how grubby the note is. Perhaps we will have to wait until the newer, more globally aware and more financially mobile generation comes of age until we see a significant change in India’s politics; it has always baffled me that India’s very young population (according to some estimates, up to 50% are under 25 years of age), are ruled by an ancient group of elite survivors.

One place where the power definitely isn’t, however, is in Chennai’s electricity grid. As the subcontinent heats up, the