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Democracy @ 140 characters

It all began with a tweet. Well, a few of them actually. But all from the flamboyant chairman of the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi himself.

Next thing you knew, a Union Minister had lost his job, the dealings of IPL franchises were being questioned, and Lalit Modi and the BCCI were in a game of chicken.

Almost surreal – how things changed in a fortnight. Almost unbelievable that in such a short span of time, India’s most successful and toasted sporting event, has almost come undone, cowering under a seemingly unrelenting  investigation by the government, and the unforgiving spotlight of the media.

Is this one of India’s most embarrassing moments? Certainly.

The current controversy surrounding the IPL has reduced our international standing, as a country capable of hosting a successful, yet ‘clean’ sporting extravaganza. And we’re not even going anywhere near the Commonwealth Games! It has focussed, yet again, on the need for the BCCI to be held accountable to the cricket-crazy Indian public. It is forcing the beginnings of transparency in the murky world of Indian cricket; and has drawn the nation’s attention to the express need to unravel the complex web of politics, cricket and money.

Whether we will succeed, as a nation, to rid ourselves of that lazy eye that would rather stay shut than look inwards at our own faults and shortcomings. Whether this will spur us on as a polity to demand more from our leadership, and our idols – be they from the world of sports or business. Whether it will help us emerge stronger and wiser to the need for transparency and accountability in public office, boardrooms and stadia. We do not know. Yet.

What we should know, and appreciate, is that today, decades after having won our independence, we are an even more vibrant and opinionated democracy.

Truly, there are few examples of a democracy marching in step with the world of technology. Too few, perhaps!

The IPL saga in India, is one of them.

In a country where big business comfortably merges with big media; where politics and ideologies weigh heavy on the objectivity of journalism; where the bitter but hard reality is often regarded as infra-dig; where uncomfortable issues are rather left aside because they don’t match the profile of your readership or viewership, technology has stepped in as the great equaliser.

When was the last time you remember hearing the voice of the common man echo in the corridors of power? When was the last time you saw the mighty being held accountable? When was the last time you saw your government swearing to do the unpleasant but necessary? For that matter, when was the last time you spoke up and found your words being echoed by hundreds, even thousands?

Today, you can log on to the World Wide Web and pledge your support for a politician. You can rant and rile at the state of affairs in your favourite sport. You can force the powerful to listen, because together with like-minded others, you can come to represent a vote bank, a market share, a section of a fan base.

Today you can tweet your thoughts and your opinions, your allegations and your defence, your satisfaction and your outrage. Today you can join hands to force a change. And you will not be ignored.

That’s the beauty of India’s democracy. Even if it is, as in this case, democracy @ 140 characters.