In the ancient
Greek civilization, during the time of great thinkers such as Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle, there existed agoras, public spaces for people to meet and
discuss philosophy, politics, public, and everyday affairs with each other.
The Athenian
Agora was a large, open space in the heart of ancient Athens, at the foot of
the Acropolis. The word agora literally means to gather or to assemble. The
Athenian Agora was a lively space where politics, public affairs, trade, and
social gatherings all converged. A snapshot of a regular day at the agora would
include:
·
Merchants and traders selling their wares.
· Politicians and officials making speeches and
announcements.
·
Teachers and students debating philosophical
topics.
·
Religious processions and ceremonies.
·
Citizens gathered to discuss everyday affairs.
·
Foreigners and travellers passing through,
admiring this model of democracy.
It must be noted
that the ancient Greek civilization was not a perfect democracy; women and
slaves were not considered citizens, and political participation was largely
restricted to the adult male population. However, this image of the Athenian
Agora, a space to discuss and debate, to talk and listen, is my idea of what
freedom looks like.
For my blog post
today, I would like to build on this idea of the agora, a modern space for open
debate and discussion. The modern-day agora is the sum of three important
institutions:
1.
Public Libraries
My vision of the
modern-day agora begins with a library. I believe that public libraries that
have a wide collection of books, including different topics, themes, and
genres, are essential for the development of society. We should have many
public libraries, not just a few per city, and these should be easily
accessible to everyone.
Picture it.
Huge, sun lit rooms with long wooden tables and chairs, surrounded by rows and
rows of books – both old and new. People of all ages, genders, communities,
social and economic backgrounds, taking their time to peruse the books, and
choose one that piques their interest. The place is quiet, but charged with a
positive energy.
However, it is
not enough to construct public libraries and fill them up with books. In my
opinion, the freedom to think for oneself is meaningless without guidance and
support on how to think (not what to think). In today’s age of hyperawareness
but also hypersensitivity, people are scared to admit that they do not know
something, and are petrified of asking the “wrong” questions.
Which brings me
to my second point, the role of newspapers, magazines, and mass media.
2.
Mass Media
In this current
era of 24/7 news, it is extremely intimidating and exhausting to keep up with
the latest news. Especially if you are not someone who is actively involved in
politics or have a particular inclination to keep up with politics, news, and
current affairs – reading the news is such a tiresome task!
In my opinion,
the reason for this, at least in part, is due to the aggressive nature of 24/7
news agencies. They are constantly competing with one another to be the first
ones to report a scandal, and allow their personal left or right-leaning
philosophies to influence their reporting.
Now more than
ever, we need new newspapers, blogs, and magazines to take up honest and
straightforward journalism. What I mean by this is, we need somebody to tell us
what is happening, report the facts of the matter – the good, bad, and ugly,
give us a little background and context, explain the possible consequences and
ramifications, and finally leave the judgement to us.
Perhaps a weekly
news bulletin run by an autonomous agency would be a good starting point. The
bulletin would provide summaries of the most important national and
international news of the week, all angles and arguments of a particular
matter, and explain how these events that take place in government offices and
international forums affect the common man. It must be written in simple
language, be available in all regional languages, and most importantly, be
affordable and accessible to all members of society. It is a colossal
undertaking for sure, but the need of the hour.
Once we have a
basic grasp on the news and current affairs, comes the third aspect of the
modern-day agora, which is public debate and discussion.
3.
Discussion Forums
I think one of
the main things lacking in modern Indian society is the common people being
included in discussions on public affairs. Think about it, we mainly receive
our news from WhatsApp and other social media networks. This news is highly
biased, and like a game of Chinese Whispers, goes through many modifications
before it reaches us. We try to watch the news on TV, but what we mostly see is
a panel of angry men and women yelling at each other, any news or information
completely drowned out in the noise.
The only
discussion or public discourse that takes place are the social media posts we
“like”, most of which reinforce the half-baked views we’ve already seen on
WhatsApp or YouTube.
So, in my vision
of the modern-day agora, every month or so, there is a town meeting for the
common people and citizens of the country to discuss public affairs. These
meetings can be attended in-person or virtually, and the topic of discussion is
announced before-hand, so that people can come prepared. Two things are
essential for the smooth running of these town meetings: One, the population,
especially in big cities, must be broken down into smaller
groups/constituencies (that’s why I’m calling them “town” meetings), so that
the crowd and the discussion can be easily managed. And two, there needs to be
a competent moderator who makes sure that the discussion stays on track.
I would suggest
participants mailing their answers and opinions before-hand, so that the
organizers and moderator can categorize the various takes into majority view,
minority view, new ideas, proposals, and possible solutions. These are then
read out during the town meeting by the moderator, and the attendees show their
support or dissent via an electronic show of hands.
Through these
town meetings, the government can understand what the prevailing public issues
and sentiments are. They will also expose people to different ideas and points
of view, opinions other than the echo chambers of their social media
algorithms. Most importantly, they are a great way for people to feel involved
in public affairs and take their roles as citizens more seriously.
So, there you
have it, my three-pronged approach to a modern-day agora. I admit that this is
an extremely idealistic and perhaps naïve take on governance and democracy. But
it is a vision that is very dear to me, and one that I will continue to root
for. I can see it all so clearly in my mind….
I wake up in the morning, and quickly shower and get dressed. It is the first Sunday of the month, and I don’t want to be late for the town meeting. I grab my notes and latest copy of the news bulletin, and also the book I need to return to the library. The town meetings are held in an amphitheatre just a few buildings away from the public library. Today, my friend is joining me, and we plan to grab a cup of coffee afterwards. The Freedom Bazaar, the colloquial name for the town square where the meetings are held, is usually crowded with locals and tourists alike. But it is not bothersome, the mood is charged and upbeat. The locals are there to participate in the public affairs and running of the country. We take pride in our responsibility as citizens of a free, democratic country. Foreigners and travellers from all around the world are gathered to witness this model of a democracy in action. They compare it to agoras in ancient Greece.
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