There is increasing evil in this world. Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated all over the world. Quoting the United Nations Chief Guterres “Gandhi’s life and example reveal a timeless pathway to a more peaceful and tolerant world. Sadly our world is not living up to those values. We see growing conflicts and climate chaos, poverty, hunger and deepening inequalities. Prejudices, racism and rising hate speech and morally bankrupt global financial system that entrenches poverty and stymies recovery for developing countries.” Hypocrisy as I see it in India: Gandhi was truth and non violence! We celebrated triumph of good over evil at Dussehra. Many dignitaries right from the President and PM paid homage at Raj Ghat and all over the country but are they leading the nation to peace, tolerance and non-violence? Instead of Vasudiava Kutumbakum we see our own country with shattered unity in diversity, disturbances over religious worship, hate, violence and intolerance to another’s point of view, languages, castes, dress, food and drink, suspicion and mistrust. At some Navratri Garba functions Hindus only permitted, but our EAM with ambassadors from foreign countries all being non-Hindus, merrily permitted to take part? State machinery permits militant Hindu outfits like Bajrang Dal and VHP to enforce moral policing with impunity! What use of religious celebrations if the same people perpetrate lawlessness by their silence or illegal actions?
Goa is a better off State for communal harmony. We do have bar-free villages but CM speaks, “Nobody has dared to start a bar in my village. The absence of alcohol makes everyone feel good. In many places, many people do not drink either due to fear of God or social reasons.” People have to take their guests outside the village to entertain them. So long as people are not free to choose and some community opinions, coercion, fear of God or State imposed, where is freedom and independence?
The narrative in India has been firmly dictated by the ruling party which applies all levers of power, muscle and finance persistently, promptly, electorally and meticulously. The oratory of the Prime Minister whose personality has gone to cult status with planned propaganda from all sources on every possible occasion, with freedom of dissent firmly under control and Hindutva with hyper nationalism woven in, stringent laws enacted turning justice as democracy knows it on its head is telling. Draconian laws ostensibly to have zero tolerance for terrorism and anti-national activities like UAPA, PMLA the favourites misused to arrest citizens without due process of innocent unless proven guilty.
New laws are constantly being made to deny some citizens their rights as enshrined in the Constitution, control social media and increase surveillance. The average citizen is left helpless and does not have the wherewithal to challenge the wrong doing and might of the State which has been unilaterally bulldozing whatever it wants without accountability. No one can deny the horrific trauma caused; deaths and consequences due to sudden demonetisation and lockdown fiats. The Supreme Court is mercifully now examining the validity of note ban in 2016, whether ultra vires the RBI Act 1934 and fundamental constitutional provisions, also the matter of opaque electoral bonds. The elected government in Delhi, like all non-BJP governments, is constantly under threat from the Central government especially since challenging the BJP, has successfully implemented free mohalla clinics and hospitals, government schools and giving free essential services like electricity, water, transport, rations for poor and so on together with a reportedly comparatively healthy balance sheet. It is unjust of the BJP whilst doing the same like distribution of free gas cylinders, free rations and many freebies before elections, term them as welfare whilst opposition’s are revdi.
The Niti Aayog wants to bring in corporate for private public partnership for privatising rural hospitals, etc. These one-sided debatable policies, often brought by ordinances, for a nation like India with many States living under many different conditions remain out of Parliamentary debate. Most Parliamentary Committees are headed by BJP or their allies. More than 85% of the rural population requires anganwadi workers and public hospitals at affordable prices for conception, child births, supervised healthcare and vaccinations. Factually the MPs and MLAs enjoy maximum of freebies, so government should take pride in giving all its citizens free healthcare services and primary education at the very least?
The PM is right when he says public participation and responsibility must supplement government’s good schemes. Persisting with entrenched unhygienic habits, superstitions and some religious customs that have come down the ages in today’s world of advanced knowledge, climate change and pollution dangerously threatening humankind and the world itself is irresponsible. The habits of littering, creating pollution, carelessly disposing of garbage and habits which the pandemic has exposed need change. In a nation like India, all priests and education institutions are charged with great responsibilities to change own and rigid mindsets and ably convincing people that practices that once may have been important are no more relevant in either Gods or mans interest! The demons and the gods are always within and so is the battle. Narkusaras we burn and diyas/candles we light. The choice of who will win is within.
(The author is a retired naval officer and freelance writer)
