RIGHT TO EQUALITY

Author(s): Janki Kutti Amma

Source: The Indian Journal of Political Science , July-September & October-
December,1952, Vol. 13, No. 3/4 (July-September & October-December,1952), pp. 57-61
Published by: Indian Political Science Association

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42743401

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 RIGHT TO EQUALITY

By Miss Janki Kutti Amrna , Lecturer College for Women , Trivendrum.

"All truths begin as blasphemies". The faintest presumption

of the mediaeval villein to equality with the martial, landholding
nobility in feudalistic European countries or that of the Sudras with
Brahmins in our own land, would have been punished as arrant
blasphemy. But Feudalism and caste are now a thing of the past,
and we pride ourselves in the obliteration of invidious distinctions
as between man and man.

We are usually prone to assert that the progress of society has

been, at least for the past several centuries from inequality to equality.
This is not entirely correct and is the result of a false or incomplete
interpretation of the meaning of equality as consisting wholly in the
combination of equal civil and political rights with a fine dose of
economic laissez faire. Economic individualism is uncompromisingly
opposed to equalitarian principles. Equality is indivisible. Absence
of it in anyone field of human activity defeats its purpose in all
other fields.

In respect of the application of the principle of equality to human

relations, the ancient and modern ages of world history present two
dynamic phases. Society as it was organized in the ancient past was
the picture of social, civic and political disparity, amongst all of which
thrived a certain degree of economic similarity- I will not call it
equality, but similarity is a definite step forward towards equality.

Man has acted conttary to his profession more often than not.
Thoughtful men, sages, and seekers after truth and reality-whom we
in our rank materialism and indifference to anything that is not
patently manifest, dub as idealists, visionaries, Utopians or what not
have, perplexed by the incomprehensible magnitude of the cosmic
arrangement, regarded existing differences between man and man as so
insignificant in comparison, as to be of no account or value, and as
such deserving to be scrapped. The religions and philosophical
systems of the early masters were all the manifestation of their

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58 RIGHT TO EQUALITY

indignation and protest against the prevailin

resulting evils. The Buddha heroically procla
to perfection open to men of all description, in
Brahminical exclusiveness and preponderanc
the brotherhood of all true believers. Jesus
gospel of the brotherhood of man and the Fa
their very creeds were turned as weapons agains
of their founders, in the hands of their adhere
who had become the sole custodians of those
started by defying the masters, the first st
ultimate glorification» The pity of it is that ma
and assist in such prostitution of the noble idea
base intention, but in ignorance born of illim
priestcraft, and its close association with the cr
the sword produced the contempt of the spad
and religious disabilities did not push the ti
utmost depth of desperation as we find him in
The master left him enough and more to live on
no use for excessive surplus of grain as w
comparatively simple. In food, clothing or re
such enormity of difference between the unfre
master as now prevails between the proletarian
listic emloyer.

When in course of time, feudalism gave p

industrialists, individualistic civilization the
thraldom of land lifted off him only to receive
capital on his back. In an individualistic societ
unlimited freedom to choose his work or refuse
tive terms. But this freedom is most unreal
his bargaining power are strictly limited by
Economic changes inevitably bring on pol
Decline and collapse of the feudal system re
upheaval of a sincere but emotional and flig
Their more sensible neighbours in England in the meantime,
organized a movement for parliamentary reform as an antidote to
the hateful corruption of the new plutocracy. The nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries form a classic age of electoral and parlia-
mentary reform. Universal adult franchise that all cure potion was

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 MISS JANKI KUTTI AMMA, 59

discovered by democratic quackery, suitable for all

political anatomy is aware of. Thus each simpleton got h
right to choose who all were to ride his back till the nex
The blast was sounded in hollow triumph of the trumpet of
equality.

Such developments were held in check in India by the fact of

foreign domination. The Indian masses were swayed by two
conflicting forces. On the one hand there was the spirit of national-
ism working towards union and the constant exhortation of popular
leaders to eschew all petty class feeling in a supreme effort to liberate
the land. On the other, the impact of western ideas of equality
and individual freedom evoked in the socially backward and
umprivileged classes a strong distrust of others and an intense
antipathy to the caste-ridden practices. It lies to the eternal credit
of Mahatma Gandhi whose powerful social conscience and tremen-
dous moral stature succeeded in pooling the apparently antithetical
forces into a common channel towards social, political and economic
reform.

Part III of the Constitution of India guarantees equality of all

persons before the law, prohibits discrimination on grounds of
religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth as between citizens, grants
them equality of opportunity in the matter of public employment
and abolishes untouchability on the one side and titles on the other.
Admirable provisions, if provisions on paper by themselves could
produce any results. In one field our Government has been at
least partially successful i.e. in levelling down social differences.
Government withdrawal of recognition of all such disparities will
inevitably lead to their disappearance in due time. Civic and
social equality has thus been partially realized.

It is in the fields of political and economic equality that India

is still groping in uncertainty. What is political equality? Is it
nothing more than the right of a person to send l/700000th "part
of his tongue to the national debating club?" The modern view of
political equality based on universal adult suffrage permits the pre-
dominance of certain individuals over others in the actual work of
governing. It is believed that the 'best mind' do exercise a greater

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60 RIGHT TO EQUALITY
influence than the apathetic and politically inert ones. U
experience has shown that it is usually the more am
assertive, and unscrupulous members of society wh
seldom the best minds who run the whole show» The rest are left
to clamour and decry or in the other alternative to acquiesce
reluctantly in a spirit of utter frustration for want of better choice.

Our newly won equality and political freedom has thus come to
be merely a right to call ministers and other officials names or revile
them to their face with utmost impunity. A better set up is even
unthinkable on the prevailing economic educational and psychological
basis. Where is the equality before the law between a rich litigant
engaging the leading lawyer in the city to plead for him, and his
adversary who must go undefended unless the court engages a counsel
for him? One man sends the duffer of a son for specialised training
abroad. Another cannot afford to educate his child upto the third
standard. Where is the political equality between the two? The
unavoidable result is the development of a feeling of abject inferiority
in the large majority of the less favoured ones, a thing conducive
to the stabilization of the tyranny of the dominant few. Another factor
which contributes towards perpetuating inequalities is the tacit acknow*
ledgment of certain professions and certain kinds of work as dignified
and noble and others as degrading. All these have to be removed
from the heart of man and the institutions of his making before
genuine equality can be attained.

Economic equality in a certain degree is desirable. Absolute

equality of incomes is as good as impossible for many years to
come although it can be kept in view as the ultimate goal to secure
which can be one of the directive principles of state policy# Any
attempt to equalise incomes before "the national income is raised
to the professional level", will seriously impair professional efficiency
and hinder the progress of the community. If there are strong
objections that a dead level of equality will discourage such desirable
qualities like enterprise, initiative and thrift, government may allow
individuals to get richer than the general level provided it sees to it
that he or she does not get tyrannical economic power over others,
that no one gets poorer on that account. When a minimum standard
of comfortable living is assured to all and economic barriers to free

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 MISS JANKI KUTTI AMMA, 61

inter-marriageability between classes secured, and "prod

in its natural order from necessities to luxuries" true e
be achieved.

If such conditions exist, then even universal franchise will not

be so indispensable as it now seems. Even if politically incompetent
persons "political five-year olds" are disfranchised, it will not
adversely affect their right to equality. But the universal spread
of civic education under democratic socialism will render it quite
unnecessary.

It is to ignore human nature to believe that equality under

socialism will lead to perfect harmony. Man is a quarrelsome
creature. Parties, unions, associations, creeds, sects and what
not, will continue their bickerings and provide ample opportunities
for the lawyer. The significant difference will be that their fights
will be fights between equals, no class, creed or party tyrannising
over the rest.

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