Finding Commitment! Are we a State.....

50 years ago at this time the Indian Constitution was being worked out by our thinkers. The intention of these thinkers was pure or was it framed with resentments. But still our thinkers wanted to develop India into a country with past culture and present circumstances. Looking back today I think of the famous lines of Rabindranath Tagore "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high". I think of the past and go into the history of the post independence era and try to feel how far we have been able to make India into a state.

What people think about this vast document know as Constitution. to find. A few years ago I went to People with this question, and found that even today our cultural elite are not educated. I went to find that in these fifty years how far our constitution has been upheld. I went to them to find out if they really know what constitution is.

It was as early as 1997, a day came in my life when I found out that me too was a cultural elite. I thought that the quality of education and national patriotism is the same among the people of this land. I knew they were ignorant but did not know they were that ignorant. The educated people of my land did not know what the Indian Constitution is all about, though they knew about their rights and they never knew about their obligations. Rights without obligation is this what our education system teaches the students of this land?

I asked them across the land about the meaning of the word Constitution and discovered they never knew the meaning . Some said it was a book read by politicians, some said its a book read in the parliament, some were shy to answer this. Some said it was a religion and some said it is not their subject to know. These are the leaders of the next millennium. This is our society. I wonder about we the people ........



Well looking at this I felt that of course the Indian constitution was a complex and cumbersome document which no one could understand. Therefor even the educators of this land and the makers of text book and educationalist thought why burden the people with this documents. Why should they know about this land?

I see a version of Katulia Arath Shasta and then I see a book with the feeling of the Great Mahatma , he was right when he said that this democracy is going to become a mobocracy. To add further he did not think that this democracy is going to become corruptcracy too.

I wonder did the State exist in these last fifty years for the prime responsibility of the state is to see that the citizens are leading the highest life which he is capable of and he knows about his duties and responsibility towards the Country. He has to have a feeling about being an Indian. But in this last fifty years we have made this Nation into land of sick's, sick people, sick educational system, sick bureaucracy and sick politicians. All the Bureaucrats have made their children dependent on other Nations, which are Nations. In India we are left with people who only care about them selves. The virus of corruption has killed us all. We don't stand for our past culture and we don't stand for our past values. We live on borrowed International concepts.

So here are some concepts given by International Thinkers to make us think. These are the basic principles on which a State is based.

Lets start with the Greek. For Greek the State was a supreme fact of life and the effort and actions of the Individuals which had to flow into it just like the river flows into the sea. When in our Land we fight over water how can the river flow into the sea I ask.

The Athenians though that the civilization was the highest glory, it meant the theory of the city was at once ethics, sociology, and economic, as well as politics. They thought of harmony of life. In our land we failed the heavy book called Constitution. We only have politics, we have lost all ethics, we follow the sociology of being corrupt, our economic condition is in doldrums. We don't care for the people and Politics the less said the better.

Plato regarded the state as a universe in which the individual could finds its proper place and perform the duties for which he is befitted. I can see jobs being given to incompetent people. To get a Job with the state is to get a blessing. One does not have to work for the people but one has to work for himself. His family. Give money and get the Job done, the is the motto of Bureaucracy. Jobs are given not to the competent but to the people who bribe, or come under oppressed class or have a recommendation. I see unemployment everywhere.

Aristotle believed that the purpose of State was mainly ethical, it was a community of equals aiming at best life possible. Equals ? Party Politics! Power Politics ! Communism ! Dalits ! Brahmins ! Baniyas ! we are but Indian's aha the Constitution does not provide for. Do we have Proud Indians left ? or are we divided for the Constitution wants to know my religion. I have a spot of Religion in every institute but if I write I am an Indian they don't admit me. Did constitution divide the people so that the State may not function I wonder or was it the Bureaucrats and Politicians divided us.

In the middle age the priestly writers regarded the State as an instrument in the hands of God. I don't see a god as everyone is fighting over him. The State is today an instrument in the name of Politics.

According to Hobbes the purpose of the state was to maintain and protect the right to property. I look at the India's Judiciary to find that Justice is being denied to people. Infact Justice is on Holiday. The bureaucracy still feel that Judicial Activism is fake. I see the Politicians moving with Black Cats and the Prime Minister addressing the people of is State from a Cage. The property is being protected by Goondas. Ranbir Sena , MNC is our protectors. The Police depends on underworld.

What was the end of good governance. According to Locke the end of Government was the preservation of lives, liberty and estate. Well the end of politics today to protect Jaylalitha, Laloo and Sonia. Again how can my estate be protected when I am ruled by Corrupt Political Leaders who are shameless.

Rousseau regarded the State as a Social Contract to fulfill the general will. Voters don't have a will... Citizens have only Bills and Politicians have the General will. Social Contract is only before elections so that the Politicians may get Rs 2.00 crores a year to look after the people of their constituency out of which atleast 80% is eaten away.

Hegel said that the State was a great reality. Today the State is the biggest liability in the hand of the citizens in India. Its no more a gods world but a corrupt world.

Herbert Spencer thought it was a Joint Stock protection company. Today the Indian State is the biggest Joint Stock Liability, with all the Public Companies becoming a liability.

Indian thoughts are contained in Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Manusmriti, Kautilya's Artha-Shastra and Shukracharya's Nitisara.

The Ramayana describes the kingdom of Ram in which people were happy and prosperous. Here the people are sad and unhappy. Everyone is crying, no one is happy. Frustration has taken over people and still they smile and do the work. The level of tolerance is great among the people of this land I must admit.

In Mahabharata Bhishma tells us about the duties of a kingdom, and rightly so the end being that the State being a protector of the citizens so that they may lead a happy, righteous and harmonious life, following their respective Dharma or duties. In this last fifty years we have failed to establish the basic Dharma and that is we are Indians. We have a policy of blaming each other, we have not kept our house in order, we the cultural elite's are no good citizens.

Kautilya emphasizes the same, He says in the happiness of the people lie the happiness of the state. How can we all be happy when there is corruption all around. How can we be happy when the bureaucracy has led us down, and how can we be happy when the political system does not exist. The King maybe good but his hands are all tied down by the dirty politics.

In Shukraniti, the King is the Prime protector of the subject, he has to discipline the lives of the citizens so that each follow his Dharma. Every Bureaucrat is a small king, every citizen is a contributor, every politician is a king, but then they are the uneducated Kings who think of their welfare.

As per the constitution we all have moral obligations as citizens which we have ignored. We know our rights but not our obligations. We know ourselves and not our duties.

In Sparta Man lived for the sake of State, in Athens State lived for the sake of Man but in India the Man lives for his own and the State does not exist all. This is what the great makers of constitution had though off one feels.

We the people of India .................

Yes these are the very first line of the Constitution Preamble. I keep in one hand our humble constitution the original law of this land on the other hand I keep the thoughts of Gandhiji for free India. In my mind I think of my Country.

India's roots lie in the Villages. The village Rural communities are the must important think in life of any country. This is what Panchayat Raj all about. This is an old system which is followed worldwide. Pick up Artha Shastra, Manu-smriti, Shanti-Parva, pick up Ramayana l have references to this. Visitors like Hieu Tsang and Fa Hein, tell us how this system was prosperous in India and how happy were the people of this land. Gandhiji was in favor of the Panchayat Raj, infact he unlike Nehru knew that the life of India lies in the villages and if cottage industry is not developed, India could not develop. The System of Panchayat Raj was killed during the times of British's and when freedom came this system died a hole death. Wise Politicians thought that the villages should also be divided , they wanted villages of dalits, villages of Muslim, villages of Parse's, villages of tribes etc. The system which flourished under the numerous people who ruled in this land was killed by its own people. Why because the East India company and the British Empire were not found of it and so were out thinkers. They Promised Gandhi, and Gandhi also knew that they will not bring this system. A Dishonest Political System was at work.

The village communities which were the little republics, were self sufficient. This system were elected by the households of the village and were responsible to the people of the village. Unlike the officers who were appointed by the State to replace the village republics, who are only responsible to the State and the Government and of-course to the political parties for promotions and favors. The officers are not to satisfy the elector's. Bara Sahib after all...

Constitution took away the power of the people and gave the same in the hand of the cultural elite. It was no more the responsibility of these small republicans to look after them. They would be looked after by the State. After all it was the responsibility of the state to see that its people were happy. People believed in the state and its officers who were there to help them, but then little did the innocent people realize that these people could be bought by a handful for their own gain and this is what happened.


The State sent things for it's people but then the things did not reach the people. The Schools became institutions without teachers, the Gurukul died, the night schools for Adults did not function, the Akhada became non existence, the festival were no longer celebrated. All the money which was meant for the benefits of the citizens were spend in promoting lectures by Politicians or for their benefits.

The right training was not given to the people and they were made dependent on the State and its officers. Police was replaced to catch the thieves. Satyagrah became a word of the past. Even were the irrigation was concern the State sent its officers who did not help the villagers. The villagers became more in depth and started coming to the towns and cities in search of Jobs. The concept of Rural Industries were killed by the concept of large public companies which were near the towns and cities. Co-operative marketing was taken away by another State Machinery which again became a disaster. No Sanitation or Medical relief was taken care of. Water became the think of the past. Till date the state has not been able to provide safe drinking water to million of its people, left alone food and clothing. Politicians are responsible for this people say, but the truth is we all as citizens of India are responsible. Its better t kill a corrupt politician then to kill a cow or a female child.

Village India could no more take its decision and for Justice the people of the Land had to go to the towns and cities as the Justice System was established there. The only thing Village India did was pay taxes so that these officers could be paid. Taluka or District bodies what these were known as did not act as advisors but they acted as this body was meant to see that the foundation of the Village India becomes week. This is the first tragedy of Free India and the Constitution adopted by it or was it a comedy of error.


Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democracy !

I being a cultural elite has never understood the meaning of these words. In school I heard of this but then there was no explanation. In college I heard them but I was always confused. Even today to be honest I am confused. Can anyone tell me the meaning of these words. There would be different explanation, some will say something and some will say something. These words are for political gains.. this is what I have understood in these years. Is the meaning of these words as per dictionary. If I who is called literate cannot understand the meaning of these word how can a Common Man! A Villager, I ask myself. Every time I see our representatives in Lok Sabha uttering these words I am more confused. If I don't know the meaning of these words, should I be a voter, I ask myself.

Does the word Sovereign means that the people of India will be "ruler", "Potentate", "Emperor", "Lord", "Monarch", "King", "Majesty", "autocrat", or does it mean that they shall have a "government", "Law", "authority", or "statute". 50 years of misruling has not been able to find a solution to peoples problem, who is the authority them. We or the Rulers! How can we be a Sovereign Republic when we do not respect our National Flag, When we do not respect our National Anthem and when we do not respect out fellow citizen's. We the Indian's led beside Sovereign, we don't even deserve to be called an Indian. Scratch your heart and you will find no one knows the meaning of these tall words. If we are a Sovereign Republic we have failed the Constitution, and we should all be ashamed of it. Our Schoolbook though teach us these words but they don't give us the meaning of this word. How can we ask for our fundamental rights when we don't know about our duties. When we don't know what is our responsibilities. I Listen to the great Parliamentarians an how they argue on matter of National Security and Interest. This makes me feel that well no one cares for National Interest any longer. Why so ! Because our own interest come before the National Interest. The first duty of the people is to be faithful to the country in the times, but no one is faithful to the country. How can we be a Sovereign when public morality is at low, when people have lost freedom, when we are still not equal before law.

Sovereignty is at last is a term of art rather than a legal expression capable of a precise definition.

Socialist ! Another word ... What is a Socialist, who is a socialist ? This word has not again been described. The first fundamental bases of the word Socialist is that the income of man must be in a ration. In India where the poverty line is Rs. 2,400/- the maximum income of the richest should be Rs. 24,000/- per year. This means no one will pay taxes. Lets remove the poverty line and come to a real picture say 2,40,000/- a year. Which again sounds illogical. So in this 50 years are we a Secular State ... No. Who is responsible. Of-course the people. How could people become socialist when they are not taught the meaning of word Socialist. How can we be socialist when we are not promoting welfare of the people, when we are not resisting exploitation of man by man, when we have no protection, when we are made to work more than 8 hr. a day, when child abuse, rapes, child labor, still exists. Is that fair to us. How can we be a Socialist when till date we have not been able to provide basic education to our People.

If India is a socialist state the principle of eliminate inequality in income and status and standard of living has not been achieved, till date so how are we a socialist state. This word was added in the preamble in 1976 and its over 20 years and we are still far from achieving our goal.

Secular ....... This is the best word I even came in my life. Secular. This is an important word. The whole Indian Politics is based on this word. We follow secularism, but which part of secularism. Is it Gandhi's secularism, or Nehru's. For Nehru Secularism meant, first, separation of religion from political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of life, religion being treated as a purely personal matter, second, dissociation of the state from religion; third, full freedom to all religions and tolerance of all religion; and, four, equal opportunities for followers of all religions, and no discrimination and partiality on grounds of religion. And, of course, in the Indian context, secularism meant, above all, firm opposition to communalism. Interestingly, over time, Nehru began to see secularism not only as a gift of the freedom struggle but also as a heritage of India's ancient and medieval past. To some, "secularism" meant that each person was free to follow whatever religion he wanted. To others, secularism was itself a creed. It was a way in which modern Indians could be persuaded to give up some of their religious foibles and become "secular" modern citizens of a modern India. The "secular" modern Indian could choose his god and the manner in which he prayed to him, but must be willing to adapt his social system so as to permit some modernity to replace some of India's traditional social structure in order to achieve the aims of a modern socialist society. The "secular" aims were thus a social commitment of the socialist program. But these "secular" plans had a very deeply disturbing political aspect. Many of India's millions of Muslims saw this secular program as a planned attempt to make inroads into the Muslims social structure and persuade the Muslims to give up many of their customs. The focal point of the controversy was the demand for a uniform civil code an object enshrined as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy which would virtually abolish the personal law of the Muslims.

Is secularism linked with Hindu's or is it also linked with people of other faith. Is secularism meant to remove cast system or is it there to make cast system into vote banks. I feel that the politicians should be asked to talk about the Country and its people only and not about the various faith when they go to seek vote. They will not get votes at all. Religion should be kept away from politics. Every Politician when he goes to seek vote he should be baptized by priest of all the religion. Lets see what happens. Non secular people will leave politics and maybe then India will be a secular nation.

Speaking of Secularism ... no political party who say they are secular have been secular. Congress which is the largest Political party during it's rule has encouraged communalism, be it in 1971 when it gave instructions against the very fabric of Indian. Be it in 1975 at Turkaman Gate, be it Main 1984 after the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi, and very recently in the states ruled buy its Governments in Madhya Pardesh and in Orrisa were involved in unethical politics.

Dr. Ambedkar who invented this word said by secularism it means that the parliament shall not be competent to impose any particular religion upon the rest of the people, but what about the parliamentarians will they be allowed ?

Even after 45 years of Congress rule we have not given our people equal rights to use of wells, tanks, roads, schools and places of public resorts maintained by the State and local bodies. Instead of removing un-touchbility, instead of building houses for the people together, harrijans enclaves, street for harijjan's, hostel for harrijan's, temple for harrijan's these things are gaining momentum. Politicians talk of Bhaujan Samaj, they talk of Harrijans, they talk of Muslims rights, they talk of state's but then they don't talk of India.

This makes us come to the last word Democracy. We are a Democracy, a democracy which should be ashamed of it self a democracy which is there but is not there. Does democracy mean that the Judiciary has to interfere in every rightful decision or does democracy mean make people uneducated, draw money from the state but work for private organization, be unethical in your dealings, generate a parallel economy. Where is Democracy today and where is our National Pride?

Will India be able to Indianize Indian's, will be a democracy or a corruptocracy . Shall we be able to educate people, provide them with food, have Akhara's for them, celebrate the important festivals together, encourage folk art among them, protect them, develop khadi industry, give them sanitation and medical help and atlast give them healthy drinking water. I ask these questions to myself and have no answer to them.