65th Birthday

So India became independent 64 years ago. India has withstood many threats in the past years, especially external ones. Wars, aggression, terrorist attacks, and so on.

In 2011,  there is a threat to India :internally generated. No, this danger isn’t the presence of corruption in public life. Yet dishonesty is a component or a factor in the menace.

The threat comes from forces operating within the country, that are actually attempting to subvert the democratic process laid down in the Constitution in the disguise  of restoring integrity and transparency in public affairs. This threat is difficult to combat since it appears in public in the guise of honesty and its aims are seemingly genuine.

It is unfortunate is that many sensible and educated people are being led astray by the appeal of these so-called civil society movements.

The elected representatives of the Indian people: members of parliament, have the responsibility of making laws. This responsibility cannot be santched by individuals and groups who are not elected by the people of India but only claim to speak for the people of India.

 Be aware, any force working against the democratic process in India, even if it is non-violent, cannot be ignored since it attacks what is at the core of the Constitution and, therefore, of the Republic.

No doubt,  the absence of integrity in public life cannot be ignored. It is abundantly clear that many members of the political class, the bureaucracy, the business community and even the judiciary have violated the highest codes of conduct expected of them. Successive governments have been unwilling and slow in moving against the corrupt.

An important  point lost in the noise ---- that the present government  has kept a cabinet minister in jail for a number of months. The arrest of A. Raja only raised expectations that were not fulfilled. The government works in fits and starts, and this has resulted in a confidence deficit.

Most people are starting to believe that this government cannot govern because it has no wish or will to govern. This falling confidence helps and empowers so-called civil society movements to thrive.

On India's 65th Independence Day, the government should free itself from its own contradictions and win back the trust of the people.