Democracy

Does our country deserves democracy? The question, on the surface, may appear perturbing and shocking to most of us, but think deep, very deep, visualize a future scenario not too far a distance from now, and answer honestly in view of following pre-conditions necessary for enjoying a healthy democratic set up:

• Educated and disciplined populace

• Awareness of Rights and Responsibilities

• Citizens’ involvement

• Sense of belonging as one nation one citizen

• Freedom to agencies implementing law & order

• Safety and security to law abiding citizen

• Equal justice based on Law of the Land

• Accountability/Answerability/Transparency of public/development agencies, bureaucrats, and politicians

• National Security / Demonstration of will to act in crisis and demanding circumstances.

Now, assess and analyze - which of the above most basic requirements is applying in our democratic set up? To your life’s most shocking realization, almost none!

Even a most conservative analytical study of the situation would (and should) ring alarms for total chaos and anarchy prevailing at any given moment in the entire nation, we have so proudly started calling a “super-power-in-the-making”. I would like to debate at any length with any single person telling me one single factor that is taking us towards making of a super power, when our bare basics are not correctly placed. Education – is it not an ordeal that parents have to pass through right from the time an admission is planned at nursery level? Being under no regulatory authority and check on business-like ventures, it is becoming prohibitively costly. Health – condition in government controlled facilities are pathetic and private hospitals are so insensitive towards this noble profession that the only thing they practice is networking, exploitation and generating revenues for them. Law & Order / Security – no one ever felt so threatened, be it women, elderly, or road-raging youth, that people prefer to stay indoors unless it is absolutely necessary to venture out. Even on the issues of national security/terrorism, leaders exploit, manipulate, politicize, compromise and speak different languages to suit their interests and not what is in the national interest! Infrastructure - Scarcity of power & water, road-conditions, lack of infrastructure at business/trading vicinities tell crisis stories almost always in metros, what to say of small towns, semi-urban and rural areas. Justice – the last thing any law-abiding citizen can, in most cases, even dream of. And, it is free for all other nexus and anti-social elements to create panic at will. When High Court and Supreme Court’s orders are not cared for and at times openly flaunted, what can one expect from lower judiciary?

There cannot be a more glaring example of indiscipline, insensitivity, rowdiness, than what we everyday experience in the capital city of Delhi. The irony is that this total lack of discipline, could-not-care-less attitude, and rowdy behaviour is from more educated, more affluent, more influential, and those who pretend to be more civilized. They are not familiar as to how to use the world-class infrastructure (whatever is available) being provided to them, be it Metro or a net-work of wide, high-speed expressways. Look at the way people board and exit from Metros! There are more fatal accidents on expressways. No matter what measures are applied, blue-line buses crush innocent lives under their wheels on daily basis. Police protects criminals and thrashes innocents. The cold-blooded murder of a young innocent protester carried out so swiftly (in less than half an hour) by Maharashtra Police is yet another example of how government machinery works to subdue any voice against any wrongs done by tall figures, at any time and at any place. Would Maharashtra Police have the courage to do a similar act against the actual culprit? Talking of municipalities, no one seems to be accountable and answerable from development agencies for unhygienic, non-livable conditions of civic services in metro-cities. And a force-to-reckon-with, i.e. the public (Common stupid man, if I may refer to the term used by Naseerudin Shah in the movie “A Wednesday”) is totally indifferent about what is happening around them!! Also, the politician, who we call leaders of our nation, uses all this to his advantage for it suits him most!!!

If we visualize a picture from the time British left India, dividing us in two communities Hindus and Muslims, look at what our leaders have done in the last 60 years – created SC, ST, OBC, Yadavs, Gujjars, Dalits, endless list of minorities, and all that which could divide our nation more and more among communities, rather than uniting them as one Indian citizen. In this modern era when we are talking of globalization, our so-called leaders have literally gone out of their senses to develop more rifts now based on language and State boundaries.

Utility of writing even volumes about how systematically we were made to misplace our ethics, turn blind eyes towards high moral & cultural values, indiscipline our children from the very young age, adapting to corrupt means, etc. etc. is highly futile. Is there a single school which is imbibing nation-building-character in children against the astronomical fees they charge right from pre-nursery standard?

It is never too late. We haven’t lost everything as yet for nature always keeps balance, no matter what. Media galore is making us believe that “bad” is the only thing that is prevailing. Fact of the matter is that good and the ugly are also co-existing. Glorifying dead events of the past reflect on the character of our media. They serve no purpose except reminding communities to continue to suspect intentions of each other.

Something needs to be done (kuch to karna padega). Actions are required with zeal of a “Mission”. The exercise may demand sacrifices of highest level. Some drastic measures need to be adopted to convey a message that enough is enough and “we mean business”.

If you feel that I want people to say “NO” to my question whether we deserve democracy, he is wrong. The answer must and has to be ‘yes’, we certainly deserve democracy but with a well-respected, well-motivated, well-paid, well-equipped, well-trained modern force which creates such a terror for terrorist that they think twice before planning and embarking on their nefarious and destructive plans against India. The question arises here where from one would bring a thinking and committed politician who is ever ready to act in the interest of nation?

This is possible only thru long term task to make our children awake and aware so that he turns out to be an adult with conviction, character and courage to take on any responsibility with built-in discipline. Once again I would reiterate that this task requires action with ‘missionary zeal’ and wide-spread base. And our time to such plans & actions starts now.

This is the point where I would like to stop and see how many of us agree and come forward to contribute (in whatever way possible) in a drive of “Nation-building-Character”. Spread the message of feeling of compassion, love, teach lessons of discipline, ethics, culture and values to children.

Remember; when we behave others have no option but to follow! Hence, the birth of Vichardharah ….with a sense of taking urgent responsibility!!