Freedom and the Role of Libertarian Think-tanks in India
By Rahul V Kumar*
Everybody has a vision of freedom. This vision is created from the circumstances that prevail in the society of which they are a part. Oppressive regimes of North Korea to democracies like India exhibit the spectrum of social systems from which the concept of freedom gets its definition. Hence it becomes quiet subjective. However, the idea gets clearer when we club it with individual rights. Classical liberal thought considers the right to life, liberty and property as the natural rights of individuals. So freedom implies freedom to conduct oneself within the framework of these rights respecting the fact that the same rights exist for others. This entire idea gains recognition within the context of the rule of law and written constitution in the society.
The
big problem which faces democracies like ours is defining the extent to which
we enjoy absolute freedom in the above sense. Irrespective of the political
parties which constitute our federal government, ever since independence we
have seen that it has been impossible for all individuals to enjoy freedom. Life,
liberty and property have always been at stake in front of power. If this has
happened irrespective of the fact that there exists a rule of law, then we have
to look for the failure in implementing the law.
The state as a custodian of law thus should remain under constant scrutiny. The
challenge has always been to bring the power
of the state under the rule of law.
When
freedom is compromised, the natural
response has been to demand freedom. While class struggle has been endorsed by certain theories, the violence
associated with it rarely fit the conditions of a democratic environment and
contradict the rights based system. Without infringing on the rights of others
it becomes impossible to use conflict as a tool. Conflicts curtail freedom.
Classical liberals rather envisaged a system where consent rather than coercion
played a major role. But how do we obtain consent when there is a concentration
of power?
It
has been time and again proven in history that dictatorships and socialist
regimes find it hard to survive. The more economically dependent we have become
the more difficult it is for such system to succeed. The reason simply is that
such systems weaken or distort signals which are necessary for to make successful economic decisions. These systems,
in the course of time, become economically unsustainable forcing themselves
into dependence with the rest of the world. In democracies we have more space
for experimenting compared to other systems. This
however does not imply that democracies are perfect systems. It will be
a fallacy to project India as a country where power has been completely
decentralized. Even after decades of independence we have an absolute concentration of power in the hands of
a few. Given the character of our democracy it is but possible that we can
obtain consent through voluntary exchanges between individuals and groups.
Libertarian Think-Tanks
The
role of libertarian think-tanks gains traction in our system given the space
provided by our democracy. These organizations primarily work elsewhere in the
world based on classical liberal ideas and could provide a thorough evaluation
of state activities. A major part of their functioning is to restrict the state from excesses.
The
excesses of the state create markets
where understanding these excesses carry value.
Predicting the course of state action becomes important to contain and curtail
these excesses. While instances of state excesses loom large in India, in the
operational sphere, a corresponding increase in the number of libertarian
think-tanks as a check and balance to power is still in its nascent stages.[1]
Conceptually these think-tanks become relevant to objectively verify and
challenge policies of the state. Primarily this is done through constant
research of the facts and figures (data) generated by state agencies. These
think-tanks are also necessary to create alternative thoughts/ideas and spread
awareness on these thoughts/ideas. This task could stand in strict
contradiction to the political conditions prevailing in the society and pose
challenges to the existence of the think-tank.
It
is unfortunate that universities and educational institutions have become the
only spaces in India where state power is
challenged. I say unfortunately as
most of these challenges are met with strong state repression and fade within a
matter of months. Only if these challenges are
systematically streamlined beyond the walls of universities can they
create changes. Such a conversation could find a strong platform in the rise of
libertarian think-tanks. Mostly symbolic struggles could thus be shaped into
practical policies through these organizations.
The
big question then is why are students not becoming part of such organizations?
Of course the primary reason is that
there is a dearth of libertarian think-tanks in India. But above all I believe
that it is the method of operation which mostly dissuades people from becoming
part of think-tank activities. Class struggle and coercion are accepted methods
for the majority while voluntary exchange, cooperation or tolerance is
rejected. Classical liberal ideas are rarely studied in depth in our
educational institutions while socialist literature abounds. Such strongholds
in the educational system mould conditions dissuading alternative thought.
Libertarian
think-tanks are not merely restricted by
our educational system it also faces serious challenges in finding apt
investors to sponsor its activities. This is
again inherent in a system where business and enterprise is seen with contempt. While it is difficult to
change attitudes in a society in the short run the best option existing is to
encourage alternative thinking. Removing state restrictions, if any on this
front, would be a wonderful platform to attract further initiatives. A
competitive environment for challenging and shaping policies will only benefit
the society than bringing harm to it.
[1]
India is a country with reportedly one of the largest number of think-tanks.
(Refer: http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/ZWWNGHbZJl2eczrNWAF2sN/The-growing-tribe-of-think-tanks-in-India.html)
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