India is celebrating its 60th Independence Day. It is necessary for all of us to assess people's and country's situation. Are we going from bad to worse? There are billion people in the country and the figure is growing further in geometric proportion. In almost all the cities in the country a situation has arisen that people have to just walk on the roads. The traffic congestions are so many that a day may also come when walkers become crawlers. This situation is also spreading to towns. Naturally and unnaturally too, the realtors are fully exploiting the situation. Is this progress?
With the globalization and IT boom, the divide between poor and rich is growing. If our country is looked at by US and other foreign countries as an economic power in a few years from now, it is because of the involvement of big industrial houses, IT houses and the booming Pharma industry that are making inroads into international markets. But there ends our economic boom. But the poor are living a wretched life. Health care is totally ignored. Education is in a poor condition. Social security is nearer to zero.
Politically speaking, the presidential elections gave the sense of to what low it touched. This was for the first time that the presidential candidates canvassed for themselves meeting chief ministers and party presidents. But the real truth is people really don't matter. Their relationship with politics is only until they vote to one or the other person. The elections have become a farce. Even in 30 percent turn out of voters, we accept their verdict. We have to elect one or the other crook from one or the other party. Independents don't matter. We have to go for less corrupt less cruel persons in the contestants list. We have no choice. Parties pick and choose persons who wield influence on people adopting their own methods, including rowdism. What the party wants is that they should win the elections and add to the number of its members in the house.
The rulers are becoming more and more thick skinned white elephants (for economy). You may be the most corrupt politician in the country, yet you can win an election even while cozily sitting in jail. Once you are elected you don the role of 'messiah' of poor. Any project conceived for them turns into a cow to milk money.
When one party comes to power bureaucracy and the police change their colors too. The CBI generally toes the line of the ruling party. It became vigorous and dynamic in Mayawathi's Taj Corridor case, when she was out of power. Now they are almost silent. Look at the way the A.P.Government and its police reacted to the murder attempt on Taslima. MIM Leaders vouched they would kill her, as an international Fatwa to kill her, was already issued. This means they have got their own law. And the arrested person can get immediate bail, if he is important to the government and their party, as their target is their 'votes'. To catch the votes, Human resource minister Arjun Singh can rake up the issue of reservations in educational institutions. He is perhaps the oldest and most indigent politician in the cabinet. All the governments play up their cards of cast and religion politics to catch votes.
The two basic factors that stall our growth are lack of fear of punishment and lack of accountability. There is third devilish element – 'corruption'. The law, on the other hand, is taking its own course of help rich and politically powerful. It punishes the ordinary people. Democracy has lost its meaning long ago. It is called 'Demonocracy' now. "Do as you like" is its definition. Parliament or Assemblies never function as they should. They often get lost in the din of noise. Could you listen to the speech made by the Prime Minister in parliament, on nuclear deal with US ? No. It was drowned in the slogan shouting of a minority group in the parliament. A restless speaker had to ask a cantankerous member to walk out, lest he would suspend him. The scene was really nauseating.
What the people have to do is a big question. They have to work to make a living and be careful that no policeman or a rowdy sheet would touch them. These days journalists, who go to cover the atrocities, are also not spared. Corruption has spread like virus in all walks of life irrespective of the fact whether he or she was educated or not. Everybody is an exploiter. This malady of corruption is also creeping into corporate governance.
They start their business only after they first corrupt the politicians. It is a chain reaction. These corrupt people are shameless even after knowing that they are the cause for the country's dismal position in the world, as 'the most corrupt country'. Democracy is in trouble. Voice of the people is being silenced in many ways. Health and education get least preference. No population control plan is envisaged. Judiciary gave a hope for some time. But 'justice delayed is justice denied'. Today you look into the eyes of any political leader of this nation; you will have to look up into skies to request the almighty to send a messiah to save this country from these white collared thieves and bandits. There may be a very few exceptions.
Written By Gudipoodi Srihari
The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of greatandhra.com.
