My article in KaleejTimes-2005 on Indian development prospect

Realities surrounded by India,becoming a superpower.
Indians are not bad in prioritize basic human requirements in theory, at least. If not, their good old mantra of Roti-Kapada-Makan (Food-Clothing-Housing) would not be a masterpiece ideological weapon and strategical tool for politicians in open platform speeches. Since 1947 of independence, we habited keep on chanting this slogan as a sign of identity. And our ‘great’ demagogue politicians owed it as a special gift in their hunger for power and struggle for existence.

Various governments since that age took charge of affairs at centre and states pronounced different ideologies and ideals as a mean to achieve our self-proclaimed goal of self-reliance in reality and totality on the said mantra. Most often, they (politicians / rulers) justified their failure as high population rate till China achieved tremendous growth in many spheres of social development, and shown before the world how to be a self-reliant economic power though greater achievement to virtual perfection is underway.

Since a couple of years, national and international media covered a good number of reports that India achieved a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth of 8% plus or so, and emerging as one of the super economic powers in Asia just beneath of Japan and China! Notably, they have been projected (exaggerated?) that by year 2010 India will adorn the second position after all push down Japan to the third place!! Oh! My God, never before I could think or imagine of these utopian ideas even in my ‘good’ day-dreams that our country would attain such a super position as an economic giant, even though it was an escalation of a good old dream to a theoretical reality.

Recently, I have been heard in the so-called media that the Indian opposition in parliament (Lok Sabha; the lower house) made ‘incredible successes’ in stalling almost all parliamentary committee’ functions, and keep on trying hard to paralyze the functions of all available democratic institutions in India, thereby acting as the role model of a ‘creative opposition’ else where not seen in world democracy!

In this context, it would be a matter of greater importance, if the law makers and the people of India should find a little time to think and aware about their role, duties, responsibilities, and the more a sincere commitment for a healthy democratic process, buoyant economy and robust social system to build up a strong India.

Firstly, when it comes to the role of lawmakers, they should be given utmost consideration towards their social commitment to the people of India, to whom they represent in parliament, where a lot of issues be resolved through meaningful discussions and creative debates within the limited time frame allotted (let say, a period of five years) for prime business.

Each and every hour, even the diminutive minute, passing in the parliament needs to spend exorbitant money from the tax-payer’s pocket to the national exchequer. The hard earned money of the big majority proletariat and poor people should have to utilize meticulously. Instead, when you go for spending it profusely in vain, means you are severely punishing the people for their tolerance to your irresponsible attitudes and practices. Yes, obviously, it should an excruciating act of extreme atrocity and breach of trust to the Indian polity.

Let us assume, if the people of India have the privilege to punish you back promptly, other than their used-to-use method of correctional wisdom of franchise in future elections, but by implicate you before the Indian criminal courts provided our constitutional powers letting them to do so, then I think, the die-hard, lackadaisical politicians / rulers should think twice before involve in such anti-social, anti-national activities.

Secondly, the people of India should be well serious about their role in franchise recording, and to the humbug attitudes of the law-makers they sending to the state legislature councils / assemblies or national parliament supposed for to represent their problems beyond of party politics, religious considerations, personal favors, etc. Categorically, there would not be any kind of compromise to any candidate contesting for elections, who having corrupt or criminal track record either in politics or in any levels of social or public life. The money you earned out of your sweat must go for its right means and purposes. So, the candidate you elect for state legislature or national parliament should have ample time to present your problems.

On the other hand, if the law-maker engages in a destructive agenda at law making bodies by interrupting or stalling the smooth functioning of any democratic institution for personal gains or political vendetta or vested interests on partisan basis for ‘specific agenda’ (privy / hidden) means they find certain amusement in sadistic tunes after all spoil the peace and harmony of the institution, our valuable money, and precious time. We have to realize them as they are the real social criminals. No doubt on that. We are not supposed to spare them for free and fair living. Cause they made responsible for looting our national revenues and reserves for personal gains and goals. They do not deserve any sort of pardon.

The people of India be serious in this direction to organize well and move swiftly, both unilaterally and univocally, against these evil forces of national disintegration, and make sure that such practices of democratic destructive activities will not repeat in the future. Necessary public litigation petitions be moved to the respective Indian court pleading to make required constitutional provision barring all kinds of damages to the sanctity of parliamentary democratic institutions and the security of public properties. Our active participation in such creative and constructive activities meant for nation build-up should definitely realize and treat as genuine identity to patriotism. Here, Indian press, media and judiciary have a vital role in carry out this mission most effectively. That is what the need of the hour asking us to take a pragmatic approach to resolve the currently culminated impasse.

Kindly take note that in most of the so-called civilized, democratic, developed countries, such practices of chaos are not tolerated, and prohibited either by constitution or their culture and social awareness not letting them to do so. Their socio-democratic system offers required protection to safeguard their rights as bona fide citizens. The fundamental rights of the citizen envisage them to question their rulers for any of their wrong-doing. Hence, it would not be a wonder, if we come to know that the common man in Western democracies is capable enough by their constitutional facility to impeach their President or Prime Minister or any other dignitaries, if they acted upon anything wrong against the prevailing social order and democratic system. The citizens there enjoy an extremely free-fair liberal society, which help them out to keep an impartial role to ensure social justice for common man.

Here is the importance of education, culture and good governance. As far as India concerned, ours is considered as one of the ancient civilizations and richest cultures ever so available in the world. But on the other hand, by unfortunately, we have had a bad reputation too as one of the worst poverty-ridden, socially-corrupted, educationally-backward (in a sense, majority lacks proper or basic education) states. And by now, India is treated as the Asian sub-continent just after to the African continent having a large number of AIDS victims. Moreover, the notoriety in child-labor tarnished the image of the country among international community. Added up to the burden, our country’s bad name fast growing as it become a safe haven for communal extremists and religious radicals, a quite reverse turn from our revered cultural vision to unity in diversity and tolerance to all religions (the secular nature of Indian society). Every Indian should admit that our society is so venal just cause of the negative influence of depraved politics.

Contemporary India still have two types of citizens- one, the rich and the gentlefolk, and another, the poor and the despicable (untouchables and under privileged- ‘Harijans’). Considering the reality, majority are the latter, it is quite natural the politicians keep continue offering hollow promises to them while targeting the vote bank for easy access to power. They even not forget to exploit the religious and communal minorities on a ‘Divide & Rule’ policy plank in order to make rigid their vote base, which reminisces our colonial godfathers, the British.

It does not have to be that way. We must build one India. We have to make sure all Indians have exactly the same kind of opportunities; doesn’t matter what caste or community or religion or political entity you have, or what the color of your skin is.

The well-known ‘Divide & Rule’ policy of the British and its deliberate implementation in the secular fabric of India has had serious negative impact in the Indo-Pak division aftermath of independence. The determining factor of division primely based on the ideological and fundamental difference between the majority Hindu and minority Muslim religions. Also, it has been heard that just after independence, political interests for power of a wealthy Hindu family in India and the commitment of certain national leaders then time to put them in power places played a lead role in the said division, according to Hindu nationalists and fundamentalists. Whatever it were the facts, the past is always a past; we cannot take it back any. So, if we cannot find anything good in retrospection, better we may forget it for the sake of a better future.

In spite of all the difficulties, once we went through as a family bonded society and as much in love. Despite all odds, once we lived in a society that firmly believed in social advancement. Nothing was ever the same again. We missed something precious and worth somewhere in our fast race of greed to embrace the benefits of modernization and its related luxuries. What was it? Our spiritual soul, the soul of India! Missing are great miseries, sometimes.

One goes for discover the heart of India should get know that the emotional nature and sensitive mentality of her people are the salient features those make a separate identity for India away from other countries. The unity in diversity is the core and its vital identity.

But, quite unfortunately, the modern India we experience is totally different from what we used to be. Greed becomes a fashion in these days, may be as part of a robust survival instinct. Money plays a key role in day-to-day Indian life rather than ever before. Over the past two decades, our society lost the great human qualities of honesty, sincerity, trust and compassion, when we let our lives dominated by politics and religion. Consequent with this opportunistic pleasing policies of the people to the politicians for vested interests and undeserved personal favors, the notoriety of tainted politicians and their bad influence often appears in all available means of social life and so in media too. Communal riots, extremism, separatism, casteism, insurgency, corruption, under-world black forces, etc. are all the contributions of politicians and religious radicals to the Indian polity in their greed for power and money, which stand as a great menace to national integrity, unity and social security. The distance between riches and poor become widened more and more. Social inequality and injustice grown up than ever before.

In India, one of the main reasons behind the communal riots and its recurring is the failure of the law enforcement authorities and subsequent with the indifferent attitude of the judiciary to punish those responsible in the heinous act. Whatever done or how many innocents got killed would not become a major issue or going to happen anything for anyone involved in the crime. This belief gives extra courage and protection to the communal extremists and anti-social elements involved in those massacres. Instances so many; Babri Masjid, Godhra, Hubli, etc. are a few among them.

Indian population’s mere identity is basically they are peasants. The real pulse of Indian social life and the back bone of our economic development primely lie with them. Hence, any progress without their involvement is incomplete. However, by unfortunately, majority of them do not possess any land. Own land is still a dream for many of them. Necessary agricultural reforms, whatever they might be, which could alleviate their plights, have to be implemented speedily to provide them adequate assistance and protection in order to generate better yields, if India really wants a right place in world economy, rather than all these media boastings. At least, this action would help to maintain a better reserve in domestic food needs.

Conclusively, without coordinating the better benefits of culture and education supported with good governance, India cannot be a role model in any human sphere of development would have to be admitted as a genuine fact; as is the living truth.

Foot Note:

By this time, I would like to recall the superb plateaus of humor of Bertolt Brecht, the illustrious visionary poet and pre-eminent German playwright. Unluckily, for the moment, I haven’t the verbatim of his sarcastic lines quoted on democracy. However,

I do an attempt to express the contents of his idea. Virtually, it would be like this:

In the seventeenth day of…
The secretary of the writers’ union
Distributed leaflets in the Stalinelle says,
The people have forfeited belief in the government…
And if the government could not regain
Their belief either by redouble its efforts
To make a better performance, or
To dissolve the government and elect another,
Then they may dissolve the people
And elect another.