Confidence high, hopes positive!
But the atmosphere is vitiated by contradictory forces from within the ruling alliance
Lack of a coherent modern ideology leads to lawlessness, violence and criminality in public behaviour on the part of various levels of leaders?
The PM could do more, especially at the grass-roots and at the many institutional levels!
Unfortunately, many negative things happen and his image and intentions are misunderstood. Prime Minister Modi, let us admit honestly, is a refreshing contrast to his predecessor. Modi is an orator; he speaks almost incessantly and on all topics. That is after all is the duty of a Prime Minister in a parliamentary democracy like India with diverse people and diverse levels of developments and opportunities.
Take the grass-roots issues. Oh, they are so diverse and so overwhelming. Just now, in Karnataka we read about the latest report from the Abdul Nazar Sab Institute of Rural Development, Mysore, a unique institute established by the Ramakrishna Hegde government when for the first time, after Pandit Nehru the rural development paradigm changed toward a more decentralised panchayat raj system.
Only those who have long memories would care to remember and r call how the very economic development of India received a boost by the Community Development and one Mr.Dey, a Bengali administrator received the attention of Nehru and the very same gentle man was invited by Mr.Hegde then to inaugurate the panchayat raj decentralisation. Unusually Mr.P.V.Narasimha Rao was also invited to be present on that occasion.
Where are we now in the panchayat raj movement?
It is good to read a report by a body in Karnataka on the backwardness of about 50 percent of the panchayats in the 30 of the present Karnataka districts.
The point is that if only the national level leaders only talk about it, if the media reports such topics, the priority of development would shift from urban affairs o rural affairs. So too other initiatives like the Lokayukta. It is Karnataka state which showed a new trail of glory where the World Bank itself chose to highlight the Karnataka experiment.
We refer here the recent report on panchayat reform proposed by the Karnataka government. Even the present Central government can profit by studying the Karnataka state efforts to reform the panchayat bodies. A new law is to be passed with 88 amendments to empower the panchayat bodies.
It is another thing now that the institution had fallen on bad days.
What we want to highlight is that a journal like the Agriculture& Industry Survey, published independently of any corporate backing and only on the support of readers and a few segments of interested subscribers, government depts., public libraries and banks and others had an uphill task to devote more that brief space for a topic that has no sale value but a value that is immeasurably important for the development of the maximum number of people, the farmers and villagers. Village youth, young men and women and whose aspirations are intrinsically tied to what we are talking about here.
A Prime Minister by simply talking about and highlighting some priorities can inspire and motivate a larger segment of the population.
Here we don’t want politics, the many political aberrations that had now led cumulatively to a series of negative publicity for even some of the otherwise positive changes in the polity, economy and society.
PM’s clean India campaign is an excellent scheme and so too many of his new campaigns. Luckily, the PM is a tireless traveller and talker and this helps the government a great deal.
Why rush where angels far to tread? Why rush to areas where time and patience and persuasion are a better alternative.
We would urge the government to let the judicial reform lie where it has now come to lie so.
Let us also tell the elec3td representatives not to let their tongues loose and create communal tensions.
Communal harmony is the greatly valued Hindu dharma, right?
Even those who are not members of the Hindutva are good and great Hindus, right?
Why deny others who might be modern-minded, educated in the west and might seek for India a proud place in the scheme of things and so don’t ignore those who are better educated out of any inferiority complex.
However much you shout and obstruct the lives of those who don’t agree with you, how much physical violence you r e sort to, be it in the name of religion, or Pakistan or other things like quota battle in Gujarat and other such issues, you have to face the reality and have to learn to live under the rule of law.
Even when weighty issues came up and even when such legal luminaries had different viewpoints it is only wisdom to listen to them and not to rush to make hasty comments.
In one day we read two FIRS in the name of sedition! One against Mr.Jaitely himself! This is sheer desperation.
The Prime Minister must help to quieten the tempers.
Even in election time as in Bihar, the top brass of the BJP needn’t go for total victory. In all states one party needn’t rule. It is sometimes not even good for the democratic health of the polity!
Even election rhetoric has to remain within some decent limits.
The Prime Minister under our Constitution is a unique institution. The people, largely illiterate at the very boom of the society are easily excitable in the name of caste, religion and ethnicity.
Please, Mr. Prime Minister, you can play the role of good teacher in a great and rare historic opportunity.