Page 82 - March EW PDF 24

Postscript

Self-destruct government fundamental rights — the ‘seven freedoms’ — conferred
upon citizens by Part III of the Constitution. Moreover in
HE CONGRESS GOVERNMENT OF Karnataka the landmark Keshavnanda’s Case (1973) he persuaded
which was unexpectedly elected to power in the the Supreme Court to rule that Parliament — no matter
Tstate legislative assembly election of 2023, is how great the majority of the ruling party — cannot alter
destroying the future of this high-potential state (pop. the basic structure of the Constitution.
67 million) by populist pandering. As soon as it was Palkhivala was born into modest circumstances and
sworn into power last summer, it set about fulfilling five worked his way up in the legal profession and industry the
promises it had somewhat recklessly announced in its hard way. He also served as a director of the Tata Group
election manifesto, viz, Rs.2,000 monthly assistance to for several decades.
women heads of all families, 200 units of free electric- This perhaps proved his Achilles heel. In 1977 when the
ity to all households, Rs.3,000 every month for unem- post-Emergency Janata Party government was formed in
ployed graduates and Rs.1,500 for diploma holders, 10 Delhi, the party’s nomination as MP from the prestigious
kg rice per person per month and free travel for women Bombay South constituency — and post of Union finance
in state public transport buses. The total outlay for these minister — was his for taking.
freebies is likely to exceed Rs.50,000 crore per year, a But perhaps because he had too much to risk — he de-
substantial sum for the government whose annual budget clined. Ditto in 1981. Had he entered politics, the economy
expenditure in 2023-24 aggregated Rs.3 lakh crore. This liberalisation and deregulation reforms of 1991 would have
explains reduced capital expenditure in the state’s Budget been enacted a decade earlier. After a prolonged illness,
presented to the legislative assembly and the public on Nani Palkhivala passed away in 2002. Nariman’s demise
February 16. is a good occasion to remember Palkhivala whose brilliant
The state government’s latest manifestation of run- advocacy secured the fundamental rights and basic struc-
away populism was its indulgent tolerance of several ture of the Constitution for the citizenry in perpetuity.
mobs that rampaged through Bangalore on December
27, breaking doors, windows, and damaging shops, pubs
and restaurants. Business establishments were targeted Resurgent ethnicity confidence
for failure to inscribe their institutional names in Kan-
nada — the dominant language of the state — on their REEN SHOOTS INDICATE THAT INDIANS, WHO
display signboards. Instead of prosecuting the vandals had to endure the rule of pale-skinned foreigners
for damaging private property, the state government has Gfor 500 years, are recovering their self-confidence
caved in to the demand of the state’s language chauvin- and ethnic pride. According to a Nielsen IQ 2023 market
ists. On February 20, a Bill to this effect was passed in the research study, volume sales of ‘fairness’ creams have
legislative assembly. declined for the first year ever.
Evidently, populist chief minister Siddaramaiah is Brainwashed for centuries by light-complexioned
unaware that such vandalism and interference with invaders including unprepossessing Brits that their skin
private property is likely to scare away domestic and tones were ideals of pulchritude, most Indians ignored
foreign investors in a state which is the most favoured the reality that in the harsh sunlight of the subcontinent,
destination for foreign investment. The hapless people of Brits resembled scary ‘Red Devils’. Most susceptible to this
Karnataka have voted in a populist government expert at historical brainwash are north Indians who dominate the
harakiri. films and cinema industry. Punjabi badshahs of Bollywood
decreed that pale imitations of Hollywood movie stars
were a precondition of beautiful actresses. Ethnic beauties
Remembering Palkhivala seldom made it to the top.
Unquestioningly ready to cash in on colour prejudice,
HE PASSING OF SENIOR SUPREME COURT cosmetics and beauty care product manufacturers flooded
lawyer Fali Nariman on February 21 provoked the Indian market with skin-tone lightening products,
Tfulsome tributes paid to him by the Chief Justice many of which are dangerous to health and in most cases,
of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several didn’t deliver their promise. In the vanguard of these com-
eminent commentators in the media and society. This panies was Hindustan Lever (since christened Hindustan
also brings to mind another extraordinary now forgotten Unilever) which widely promoted its skin-lightening brand
counsel of the Bombay Bar — Nani Palkhivala — who left Fair & Lovely. For over half a century, Unilever UK/Hol-
perhaps a greater stamp and impress upon Indian polity land hyper-marketed this slyly christened cosmetic cream
and society. which not only inflicted dermatological damage on millions
Prior to the mid-1960s, it was received wisdom that of women nationwide, but also damaged their self-esteem
under Article 368, Parliament with a two-thirds majority and ethnic pride.
could enact legislation to alter or amend any provision of When EducationWorld protested this cynical exploita-
the Constitution. Accordingly in the 1950s, the Congress tion of the insecurities of Indian women (and men) and
party enacted several laws, especially legislation impos- criticised market leader Fair & Lovely, HLL’s reaction was
ing land-holding ceilings and transference of ownership to cut off all advertising. But later when it became politi-
rights to tenants. cally incorrect to promote colour prejudice, in 2020 HLL
However in Golak Nath’s Case (1967), Palkhivala rebranded F&L as Glow & Lovely. This product which has
persuaded the Supreme Court to rule that it was beyond penetrated hinterland India — and millions of minds — is
the power of ephemeral Parliaments to alter or abridge too profitable to discontinue.

82 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2024