We were all fed up of dirty politics, corruption and pollution. We had great hopes when Anna Hazare started his anti-corruption movement. The whole of India was awakening and the youth were getting involved. Volunteers and self funding, “swaraj” with transparency and accountability were mandated. Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav, Kiran Bedi were articulate stars. Indians high and low from all walks of life, including NRIs, were flocking to contribute and become members.
Briefly, Anna Hazare wanted no truck with any political party, whilst Kejriwal felt that unless one gets into the gutter, it cannot be cleaned. The political parties had the power and wherewithal to impose their will on the people. The movement led to formation of the AAP, whose symbol was aptly the broom to sweep away all the dirt. Working hard for the New Delhi elections against the arrogance of the BJP sponsoring Kiran Bedi as chief ministerial candidate and using Shazia, both ex-Anna movement members exhibiting absolute lack of scruples, AAP won 67 out of 70 seats! (Three for the BJP and zero for others).
Just when we believed an alternative to the Congress and BJP was possible, Kejriwal could not see eye to eye with Bhushan and Yogendra. What is worse the way the mud slinging on television channels and the media was indulged in, with sting operations made public, were in bad taste. The shabby way Admiral Ramdas, head of their internal Lok Pal, was treated and expulsions were engineered shocked everybody. To the workers of the AAP all over India, this was unbelievable as they pondered what to do, whom to believe? It has become easy for the NDA with the AAP and Congress in shambles.
The BJP has reportedly become the largest party in the world overtaking the Communist Party of China, claiming 8.8 crore membership and increasing! Modi had reassured the nation in Parliament “subke saath, subka vikas”. However imposing love jihad, Ghar Wapsi and a demand for a national-wide ban on cow slaughter are in full swing. Violence and tirade against minorities continues by people who can no more be considered as fringe elements of the Sangh Parrivar. Mercifully, the Supreme Court in a PIL has declared the “on line agenda” of using Section 66A as unconstitutional! Pledging full support to minorities, Rajnath Singh calls for a debate on anti-conversion laws. He asks: “Why can’t we serve the people without doing conversion? Can’t we live without respecting each others faith? The basic character of the country should not be allowed to change.” I couldn’t agree more!
It should be obvious to him that we are generally born into a family that professes a certain caste and religion. The children have no choice until they grow up, are educated, and have freedom to remain in the same religion, change to another or come to the conclusion that religion divides and go the way of the movie ‘PK’ (question all religions) or choose to have no religion! When wiser statesmen and intellectuals have already debated every aspect before framing the Constitution which is quite clear on religions and conversions, why interference by the State in my freedom of thought and beliefs? I agree the basic character of the country which is ‘Unity in Diversity’ should not be changed. Why are they trying to straight jacket it? Aren’t there enough of laws to take care of criminal and anti-social activities?
A new central law is mooted to ban and penalise any cow and cattle slaughter to deny beef to those whose staple diet it includes and throw hundreds of minority community, who earn their livelihood working in this business, out of jobs. This ban also saddles owners with maintaining unproductive cattle! Subramanium Swamy has formed the Virat Hindustan Sangam to specifically promote Hindutva and construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. A saffronized culture is sought to be imposed. Government is trying to cow down activists by questioning their funding and blocking freedom of speech. The PM insinuates “5 Star activists” are influencing judicial decisions. Medha Patkar says politicians set up “seven star” activists! Highly respected people like ex-Naval chief Sushil Kumar and super cop Julio Rebeiro feeling alienated and cautioning against this dangerous polarizing trend being enforced, are not only simply brushed aside but accused of alarmist and subversive motives! In Goa we have the Dhavalikar brothers and right wing organizations making provocative and communally loaded statements.
In today’s globalized world, we must distinguish ‘modern’ from ‘western’ culture. Instead of upgrading Hindutva, they use the internet, welcome FDI and Malls, use English and send their children abroad, but fail to see and learn to use and update the old knowledge to let go of polluting and unhygienic/bad habits and customs. There is a universally accepted code and behavior for all civilized people. It was heartening to hear Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Power and Energy speak as chief guest at Don Bosco National Education Conference 2014, profusely thank this Institution for guiding him on the right path and state emphatically that he would not be the person he is today if not for his education and values learnt here! Land use and environmental laws are now being quickly changed by Ordinance if they cannot be passed in Parliament. With Prime Minister Modi brilliantly propounding what the audience wants to hear, Home Minister’s Hindutva pronouncements, Mohan Bhagwat’s dictates and continued rabid comments by some BJP ministers, MLAs and hardliners in the parivar, it is difficult to know where we are all heading or being driven to, whom to trust and what all is coming under the umbrella of development. So far it’s more government and less governance, more ruling than serving. People are not subjects of the government! To be worthy of democracy, after casting your vote, continue to be acutely aware that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
The author is a retired naval officer resident in Porvorim.
