• Dr. Udit Raj

The nation is celebrating the ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ at 75 years of India’s independence. Should we not introspect that who got what? It’s simple to say that now all are citizens and have equal voting rights. It would be great injustice to measure the progress merely on account of voting rights. Value of vote is just one aspect of life and there are many walks of lives apart from that, a citizen is nearly a slave. A labourer has equal vote value but has no means of livelihood, where is his position in ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ celebration? He has no roof, no regular wage and is at the bottom of caste hierarchy. Can he or she realise the importance of completion of 75 years of India’s independence?

Who are the real beneficiaries of ‘Amrut Mahotsav’? A few reaped the fruits handsomely and still a fewer have not only enjoyed the fruits rather they have usurped the shares of majority. Whatever gains weaker sections had, that too are being diluted. Had there not been Nehruvian pattern of economy after independence, Dalits and Adivasis would have been still as snake-charmers, bonded-labourers, untouchables and slaves. Land reforms, PSUs, nationalisation of private wealth, recruitment and all-important sectors were not only under the control of the government rather were promoted and built by public funds. This gave room to the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes to enter the govt’s jobs and education. Quota, permit, subsidies, Scheduled Caste Sab-Plan and Tribal Sub Plan all ensured participation of marginalized people. Participation in private sector was awaited but in between whatever gains were attained, privatisation and capitalism are swallowing them. Contractual system almost replaced regular jobs. Planning commission’s name was not only changed but it became pro-rich to our utter disappointment. In this background, can we say fruits of ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ reached to all or to majority of people like other backward castes? Certainly not! Rich are becoming richer and there is no resolve on the part of the Government at this juncture to checkmate it.

There is not enough space to fight such injustices due to heavy misuse of Constitutional Institutions. Farmers’ agitation succeeded mainly because of courageous Sikhs and their Langar. Those who are raising concerns for common people are being crushed by ED, Income Tax, CBI and other agencies. Karl Marx was apt to say - ‘Religion is opium for the people and in India another strong opium is caste. Caste and religion are massively used to divide the people and divert the attention from basic needs.’ Hoisting national flags at all homes is an emotive appeal and it is an attempt to engage the mind of people towards other side.

Minorities are in the worst state. They are openly discriminated and face communal venom in all walks of lives. Some parties have completely wiped out their representation and brazenly harass them. Muslims are routinely reminded that this nation is not theirs. RSS chief, M S Golwalkar said that if Muslims and Christians are to stay in India, they have to accept themselves as second grade citizens. Though the current senior RSS/BJP leaders do not say anything openly but lower cadre are on the job and if they remain in power further, it will be reality. Barely a few meters away from Parliament, Muslims are told loudly that they are traitors and when butchered, will chant ‘Ram -Ram’. Where do these people stand in ‘Amrut Mahotsav’? Is this Amrut for them too? No, it’s the other way round that it’s becoming a nightmare for them and is likely to be sharper in the days to come. Ask them what they feel? They are afraid and most will not even open their mouths. The role of media is the worst and have succeeded in making people believe that Muslims and Christians are the cause of miseries of Hinduism and threat to nation.

There is an open loot and about 11 lakh crores worth of bank loans have been defaulted and it’s mostly by corporate houses. In fact, Amrut is for these robbers. Our capitalists are giving fight to Gates, Buffets, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos etc. Comparing the per capita income of Indians vis-a-vis developed countries, it’s about 30 times more than us. So, in such a poor country, we have had richest corporate houses. Zuckerberg invented Facebook and became rich and Bill Gates by window software and most of wealthy people in developed countries do research and development and then earn wealth but on the contrary in India, our businessmen accumulate wealth mainly with the help of bank loans, tax evasion and IPO rigamarole and keep on passing generations-after-generations. It seems that the government is for them, by them and of them. Small and medium enterprises are finding it difficult to survive. Values have changed and lies and deceits are accepted. Even educated lots have become irrational. Masses in general are also indifferent to their basic needs rather are in support of wrongs.

Youths are the worst hit and Govts. have nearly halted the recruitment and lame excuses are given that coffer is empty but what about robbery of public money of the banks by big businesses? Be it continuing old pension, fresh recruitment or subsidised education, all are being done away with. Funds for such policies and programmes are not available but loot by corporate houses, expensive elections and all other spending for image building are continuously on the rise.

The future of the country seems bleak and common masses can be befooled easily. Here, even Abraham Lincoln’s belief gets refuted: “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” India is different from others and for centuries, caste system is perpetuated which is based on lies, frauds and deceits. Alas! majority of the people could have been included in ‘Amrut Mahotsav’.

(The Author is a Former Member of Parliament, National Chairman of Unorganised Workers & Employees Congress)