Editorial
We are entering the year 2014 with lots of apprehensions and uncertainties but there is also a strong hope for the betterment. Whether high inflation and steep rise in prices of commodities and cost of living will come under control and common people fulfill their basic needs – it will be a big question in the New Year. But the bigger question is: Will the country be able to control corruption and communalism?
Under the pressure of international funding agencies the government is acting swiftly on the policy of cutting down subsidies and opening gates widely for FDIs resulting into unaffordable pricing of cooking gas, electricity, petrol and diesel – which is finally making the cost of living unaffordable for common people. The speculative trading and fearless hoarding resulted into steep and unnatural rise of prices of onions and vegetables before the recent assembly elections in five states.
Though the central government of Congress and the main opposition party BJP, under heavy pressure following Delhi assembly results, joined hands to pass a long awaited controversial Lokpal bill but whether this bill would be able to check corruption is also a big question.
It was a good sign that the election commission tried to control expenses on record in the assembly elections but the role of money was making mockery of democratic process in these assembly elections as earlier. Would we be able to get our democracy free from the shackles of money power?
In a few months, we are going to elect our new national government. It seems the coming general elections would be dominated by media and false propaganda war, image building and spoiling. Projection of personalities through money would overshadow the real issues of common Indian citizens. The corporate and capitalist imperialist forces will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the new union government serves them more loyally and humbly.
The forces within the country with communal and prejudiced policies against certain sections of the Indian society particularly the backwards and the minorities are trying to hide their real face by beating the drum of development (of their view). They are projecting a personality with fascist and dictatorial mindset and action with a false cover of dynamic, decisive and patriotic Sardar Patel style of leadership. On the other hand, the political forces which claim to be secular are weak, non-assertive, hypocrite, and autocrat and have almost surrendered to the communal forces.
But what is a silver lining in the dark cloud and what gives us strength and hope is the presence of a large number of people in our country particularly intellectuals, social & human rights activists, and true religious leaders who are committed to the principles of equality, mutual trust and harmony. They feel concerned about the way the Indian society is being dragged away by communal forces. Hopefully they would become more organized and assertive and would not allow the country to fall prey to the communal forces.
When established political parties fail to fulfill the aspirations of citizens they try to find out an alternative. I think that period has begun for our country. People are becoming aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Our democracy is getting matured; particularly the youth of our country are becoming more assertive, decisive, and demanding positive results rather than emotional and poetic slogans. This indicates that the India which has the basis of equality, freedom and justice in its constitution would never allow itself to be taken over by communal and fascist forces.
Let us take a fresh pledge at the beginning of year 2014 that:
We all would strive together for establishing true justice and strengthening the atmosphere of peace, harmony and mutual trust in the society.
We would try to make the Society, Polity and Economy, Judiciary and Governance of our country on strong Moral Foundation so that it can lead us to real Peace and Prosperity.
We would make efforts to ensure in practice the due Rights, Equality and Dignity to all citizens of India who have been deprived of them. We would try to ensure that the Justice is delivered to every victim without discrimination and without any cost.
We should try to make sure that every citizen of India feels secure; no person or community is victimized and demonized; innocents live fearlessly and criminals and offenders get punished without delay; and the rule of law is established.
