India is celebrating its 72nd Independence Day but how much cause do we have for celebration? Or should this day mark a real bid for freedom, at a time when democracy in the country seems to be under threat? India has a surplus of political parties. Not one of these is bound by principles and policies.
All political parties, whether regional or national, are dominated by people with criminal records, known land-grabbers and others. They are driven by one ambition: to grab power. No thought is given to the future. Take, for instance, Karnataka’s state elections. Congress and JD(S) joined hands just to enjoy power. Neither party showed any commitment towards serving the best interests of the people.
At the national level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, brought the BJP to a thumping victory. What have they done? The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2019, which was passed recently, allows any person to be declared a ‘terrorist’. They can even label me one and arrest me immediately. These developments, in my view, create opportunities for ‘dictatorship’.
When Indira Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, there were other strong leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, who were known for projecting the voice of the people through mass movements. In the present scenario, however, there is a shortage of national-level leaders.
The scrapping of Article 370 saw leaders from Jammu and Kashmir being arrested and Section 144 imposed on the people. Voices of the peoples in the region were suppressed. They should have been given a chance to express their opinions, too.
The abrogation of Article 370 is an imposition on the people, without their consent. Mass leaders like Motilal Nehru and his son, Jawaharlal, were from Jammu and Kashmir. The people of J&K fought for freedom from the hands of the British and now, without their consent, the central government has scrapped the special provision. Now, businessmen like Adani and others will head to J&K for business.
My message to the people on our 72nd Independence Day is that we must all work together to reduce the disparity between the rich and the poor. Many things have changed in India, but the poor continue to struggle. We should work together to eradicate povery.
—The writer H.S. Doreswamy is a freedom fighter and Gandhian (As told to Aknisree Karthik)
