Thecla Pereira
This time of year is often an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and map out what may lie ahead. Yet again, the past year has provided many twists and turns, some expected, many more less so, but what can we expect from 2019? Will it be a period of relative calm or will turbulence continue? This battle for the soul future of India is likely to get more violent in the lead-up to the national elections, scheduled for next year. It will be up to citizens of India to seek for a tolerant, pluralist country and stop the degeneration of its civic and political life.
To vastly improve our country and truly make it great again starts by choosing a better leader. Do not let the media or the establishment make you pick from the people they choose, but instead choose from those they do not pick. Pick a leader from among the people who is heart-driven, one who identifies with the common man on the street and understands what the country needs on every level. Do not pick a leader who is only money-driven and does not understand or identify with the common man. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the doctor, and the environmentalist and the farmers. Not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist.
Pick a peacemaker. One, who unites, not divides, a cultured leader who supports the arts of true freedom of speech, not censorship. Pick a leader who will not only bail out banks and airlines, but also families from losing their homes or jobs due to their companies moving to other countries. Pick a leader who will fund schools, not limit spending on education and allow libraries to close.
Choose a leader who will invest in building bridges, not walls, morality not corruption, intellectualism and wisdom, not ignorance, stability, not fear and terror. Peace, not chaos. Love not hate, tolerance not discrimination.
Most importantly, a great leader must serve the best interests of the people first, not those of multinational corporations. Human life should never be sacrificed for monetary profit. In addition, a leader should always be open to criticism, not silencing dissent. Only a leader, who is free from corruption and welcomes scrutiny.
And lastly, pick a leader who will make the citizens proud. One who will stir the hearts of the people, so that the sons and daughters of a given nation strive to emulate their leader’s greatness. Only then will a nation be truly great, when a leader inspires and produces citizens worthy of becoming future leaders, honourable decision makers and peacemakers.
The national election next year is crucial to sustain power and democratic values amid opposition and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi failing in his electoral promises of economic development and job creation
“Into that heaven of freedom let my country awake” Tagore. Where there will be no social evils like, fear, ignorance, laziness, intolerance, disharmony, prejudices and such. A nation’s greatness depends on its leader.
