Of Happiness and Polls

In conjunction with the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness on Wednesday, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which is a UN initiative, produced the World Happiness Report (WHR) 2019 ranking 156 countries on the basis of the happiness of their people while at the same time, quite interestingly, correlating the happiness quotient with electoral trends. India is going to polls next month to choose a new dispensation at the Centre, and WHR, therefore, generates interest. “There is a clear and significant positive relationship between national life satisfaction in the run-up to general elections and the subsequent electoral success of governing parties,” says the report. The research shows that national average life satisfaction is significantly related to the vote share subsequently received by parties that to polls as part of the governing coalition. There are special chapters focusing on generosity and pro-social behaviour, the effects of happiness on voting behaviour, big data, and the happiness effects of internet use and addiction.

Unfortunately, India has slipped to the 140th position, seven spots down from last year. In other words, the national life satisfaction of the world’s largest democracy has decreased significantly. In still other words, people here in general have become increasingly unhappy, despite the tall and pompous talks of development, and despite the fact that the country is one of the fastest growing economies. Finland takes the top spot, followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, and Austria. The United States, the most powerful military force, is ranked 19th, dropped by one spot from last year. That countries that do not go to wars of any kind, and that do not have the requirement to bring about any kind of hike in their defence spending, such as Finland, Denmark, Norway etc, are able to cater to the happiness of their people is something worth reckoning. In a conflict zone, or in any nation where violence of myriad hues has become a norm of sorts, the biggest casualty is happiness. How can you be happy when there is unhappiness all around in the sense that both state and non-state actors are busy fighting each other and causing mayhem?

The continents of Asia and Africa are a case in point, with violence in one form or the other riddling them. The report in question points to the widespread upward trend in negative effects (psychologically) comprising worries, sadness, and anger. What is salient is anger. Anger is widespread because of the general dissatisfaction of people with what they have received as compared to what they expected. India, then, is a classic case again. Down by seven spots as compared to what it was last year in terms of happiness index globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a very successful leader so far, would do well to ponder as to whether mere muscle flexing after the Pulwama horror would cater to his nationalistic ambitions or whether the ground reality of farmers committing suicide in the aftermath of their increasing debts should be one of the topmost priorities too, among the many other issues. It is for him to decide. But India deserves to be far happier, given its pristine history and heritage, and given its huge human resource potential too.