In 1885, with the intent to provide a public platform and facilitate the process of nation-building, the Indian national congress was established. The party continued to receive overwhelming support from the people after independence and assumed the figure of an “umbrella party”, however especially in the past decade the party‘s image has plummeted and has invited a lot of criticism due to the prolonged leadership of Gandhi’s. The once-called umbrella party is now struggling hard to avert tiny rain showers also.
Undoubtedly, the party‘s leadership for the past 24 years has remained in the hands of Gandhi‘s. After Sitaram Kesri‘s tenure, the party has been headed by Sonia Gandhi and for a momentary period of two years by Rahul Gandhi. As a part of the reform, the party has decided to change the president but I argue that this might generate aversive consequences and a “win-win” situation for other political groups.
Consequences for this move:
The first implication of changing the party President can be the “generation of factions” in the party. By shifting the leadership, I believe that there will be two sets of loyalists, out of which one would be loyal to the party President and another one to the Gandhi‘s. This will generate a rift in power-sharing. Also, whether the new President will be independent or not is a big question. The independent sphere of the party head is necessary otherwise changing the party supremo won’t make any sense.
Whether the decisions taken by the Party Supremo will be implemented by the office bearers or not is another challenge. The party has substantial leaders and Gandhi’s aren’t considered one of them but above them. And when they will step-aside than these substantial leaders will act according to the party President or not is a crucial issue because the new head of the Indian National Congress will be among the substantial leaders and these senior leaders will continue to see him either as their colleague or as head of INC will decide the course of the party.
Also, on one hand, Bharat Jodo Yatra is receiving support from people at large under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, simultaneously the party is awaiting the arrival of a new leader. When the Yatra is receiving a formidable response then it is the right time when Rahul Gandhi should be portrayed as a leader and savior ( Massiha) who will end the trouble of people. This Yatra has offered an opportunity not a certainty to the party. But at the same time, elections within the party will put the people in a “state of confusion” that, about whom they should look at as their Prime Ministerial candidate. For instance, Bharatiya Janata Party portrayed PM Modi as the face upon which the party contested elections in 2014 and 2019. Such a clear image also has to be bestowed by Indian National Congress. Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment that “ If you survive in BakraEid, you will dance in Muharram” also points to the uncertainty on the party’s Prime Ministerial face.
Also, both the claimants in the race of Party Supremo come from South India. Mallikarjun Kharge from Karnataka and Shashi Tharoor from Kerala. While looking at the current scenario, the party needs to be strengthened in the north Indian states because here, the party has a lesser appeal in comparison to the South. Next month Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and next year Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh as well as Rajasthan are about to witness elections and in such circumstances the Party Supremo if replaced, then should have been from the north, but no leader from the North is in the race for the same. So, possibly there won’t be any great enhancement in the party‘s image in the north Indian States.
What the party today needs is a charismatic leader who can appeal to the people at large and who can connect with the people easily. But on one hand, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is an aged politician and is not in a position of speaking Hindi and English properly, and on another hand, Shashi Tharoor, who is an elite English-speaking leader is contesting the elections. The party is also doing a differential treatment towards one of the candidates in the race due to “unknown reasons “ which raises the question are these elections democratic. Kharge has been declared the official candidate of the party and is being warmly welcomed by the representatives of INC in different states. Moreover, Ashok Gehlot‘s U-turn from the race and KN Tripathi‘s nomination rejection represents a lack of fairness and will invite consequences within the party.
Lastly, in the process of election, only party delegates are casting their votes with minimal options. Elections could have involved party members at block, Zila and state levels also but, such arrangements have been absent.
Mending the party‘s position through reforms is important. But, when Gandhi's are serving as the head, then they are criticised for leadership and for generating anti-incumbency and when someone else is about to become the head of the party, then also it may result in severe consequences which I mentioned in the article. Due to this, it seems like BJP is in a win-win situation. However, the party needs to remember that trends and voting pattern changes with time and it can get back on track again by working on grass root level and by making a leader who is respected by all as the face of the next elections.
A national conference highlighting the contribution of saints in the preservation of nature and culture was organized at Raj Bhawan, Uttarakhand. Governor of Uttarakhand Lt. General (Retd.) Gurmeet Singh hosted the “National Conference on Contribution of Saints in the Preservation of Nature and Culture”.
Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev, Swami Advaitananda Giri, Chairman of International Meditation Foundation,Swami Chidanand Saraswati President of Parmarth Niketan, Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni President World Peace Centre, and Chairman of Dream & Beauty Charitable Trust Anil Monga were among those who attended the national conference.
Speaking at the event, Governor of Uttarakhand Lt. General (Retd.) Gurmeet Singh said: “All the great beings like Lord Mahavir, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, etc. gave the message of preservation of Nature and Environment. I am glad that today a ceremony has been organized at Raj Bhavan on the Renunciation Day of a saint who has dedicated his whole life to the protection and promotion of nature and culture.”
Chairman of International Meditation Foundation Swami Advaitananda Giri highlighted the contribution and role of saints in preservation of nature and the promotion of real education. He appreciated the tireless work of Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni to bring peace, trust & communal harmony to the world by walking twenty thousand kilometers bare feet.
Swami Advaitananda Giri said: “Education is, that which Liberates. Education is that which leads us to the flowering of our utmost potential as human beings. If what we study in our schools and colleges is Education, then education must lead us to a loving, truthful, compassionate life. Education should not be limited to means of livelihood only, it should teach us how to live life to its fullest potential.” Swami Advaitananda Giri stated that “the aim of education should not be to impart literacy and skills to enable them to earn a livelihood only but the overall objective of education should be to develop children as good human beings with life skills.”
Swami Advaitananda Giri further added that “Every child should plant a tree, and to grow the tree he should get marks in the education system. Govt. of India started doing it in central schools, it should be done in all the state govt. owned schools and private schools as well. The budget given to the forest department should be given for growing a tree, not just for planting a tree.
Speaking at the event Swami Ramdev said, “one can have one acre of land in some areas where it’s not so expensive, have a small house in it, you can grow what you need in one acre sufficiently, you can have a few cows for milk and life is well settled. Rest one can go on behind desires and there is no end to it.”
Anil Monga, Chairman of Dream & Beauty Charitable Trust, said “the way Swami Ramdev contributed and brought Yoga back into everyday life to millions worldwide, and the way Adi-guru Shankaracharya re-established the Sanatana dharma, we need to have a vision of that type to address current days challenges to uplifting humanity. Hunger alleviation, care for Orphan children especially after covid, care for senior citizens, Livelihood for vulnerable youth in rural areas, and Healthcare for most marginal people like in the slums inspire me and I will continue to work on it as DBC Trust has been working on these agendas from the last 27 years.”
In 1885, with the intent to provide a public platform and facilitate the process of nation-building, the Indian national congress was established. The party continued to receive overwhelming support from the people after independence and assumed the figure of an “umbrella party”, however specially in the past decade the party‘s image has plummeted and has invited a lot of criticism due to the prolonged leadership of Gandhi. The once-called umbrella party is now struggling hard to avert tiny rain showers also.
Undoubtedly, the party‘s leadership for the past 24 years has remained in the hands of Gandhi. After Sitaram Kesri‘s tenure, the party has been headed by Sonia Gandhi and for a momentary period of two years by Rahul Gandhi. As a part of the reform, the party has decided to change the president but I argue that this might generate aversive consequences and a “win-win” situation for other political groups.
Consequences for this move:
The first implication of changing the party President can be the “ generation of factions” in the party. By shifting the leadership, I believe that there will be two sets of loyalists, out of which one would be loyal to the party President and another one to the Gandhi‘s. This will generate a rift in power-sharing. Also, whether the new President will be independent or not is a big question. The independent sphere of the party head is necessary otherwise changing the party supremo won’t make any sense. Whether the decisions taken by the Party Supremo will be implemented by the office bearers or not is another challenge. The party has substantial leaders and Gandhi’s aren’t considered one of them but above them. And when they will step-aside than these substantial leaders will act according to the party President or not is a crucial issue because the new head of the Indian National Congress will be among the substantial leaders and these senior leaders will continue to see him either as their colleague or as head of INC will decide the course of the party.
Also, on one hand, Bharat Jodo Yatra is receiving support from people at large under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, simultaneously the party is awaiting the arrival of a new leader. When the Yatra is receiving a formidable response then it is the right time when Rahul Gandhi image should be portrayed as a leader and saviour( Massiha) who will end the trouble of people. This Yatra has offered an opportunity not a certainty to the party. But at the same time, elections within the party will put the people in a “state of confusion” that, about whom they should look at as their Prime Ministerial candidate. For instance, Bharatiya Janata Party portrayed PM Modi as the face upon which the party contested elections in 2014 and 2019. Such a clear image also has to be bestowed by Indian National Congress. Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment that “ If you survive in BakraEid, you will dance in Muharram” also points to the uncertainty on the party’s Prime Ministerial face.
Also, both the claimants in the race of Party Supremo come from South India. Mallikarjun Kharge from Karnataka and Shashi Tharoor from Kerala. While looking at the current scenario, the party needs to be strengthened in the north Indian states because here, the party has a lesser appeal in comparison to the South. Next month Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and next year Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, as well as Rajasthan, are about to witness elections and in such circumstances the Party Supremo if replaced, then should have been from the north, but no leader from the North is in the race for the same. So, possibly there won’t be any great enhancement in the party‘s image in the north Indian States.
What the party today needs is a charismatic leader who can appeal to the people at large and who can connect with the people easily. But on one hand, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is an aged politician and is not in a position of speaking Hindi and English properly, and on another hand, Shashi Tharoor, who is an elite English-speaking leader is contesting the elections. The party is also doing a differential treatment towards one of the candidates in the race due to “unknown reasons “ which raises the question are these elections democratic. Kharge has been declared the official candidate of the party and is being warmly welcomed by the representatives of INC in different states. Moreover, Ashok Gehlot‘s U-turn from the race and KN Tripathi‘s nomination rejection represents a lack of fairness and will invite consequences within the party.
Lastly, in the process of election, only party delegates are casting their votes with minimal options. Elections could have involved party members at block, zila and state level also but, such arrangements have been absent.
Mending the party‘s position through reforms is important. But, when Gandhi’s are serving as the head, then they are criticised for leadership and for generating anti-incumbency and when someone else is about to become the head of the party, then also it may result in severe consequences which I mentioned in the article. Due to this, it seems like BJP is in a win-win situation. However, the party needs to remember that trends and voting pattern changes with time and it can get back on track again by working on grass root level and by making a leader who is respected by all as the face of next elections.
Toronto (Canada): 6 October 2022: The largest Bhagwad Gita Park outside India has been set up at Brampton City in Canada. Navratri & Dusshera were celebrated at various temples and community centers in Toronto and other cities of Canada.
Addressing the participants at Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Toronto, Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown said “We have created the largest Bhagwad Gita Park outside India in our Brampton City. We hope that the Bhagwad Gita Park will help in transmitting the values of Gita among people. Bhagwad Gita teaches us selfless service & egoless-ness, Bhagwad Gita park is a symbol of that.” Mayor Patrick Brown further added “The Garba has started to celebrate in the streets now. People are wearing colorful and decorated clothes and dancing in the love of goddesses. Tonight nearly 8,000 people are celebrating Dusshera in Brampton.”
Speaking at the event Swami Advaitananda Giri, Chairman of the International Meditation Foundation said: “The Dusshera & Navratri festivities symbolize the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. From removing the toxins of the body to reducing lethargy and dullness of the mind, and deepening meditation, the auspicious festivities benefit us in many ways.” Swami Advaitananda Giri further stated: “These nine days are days of the feminine. From the data, it's evident that despite tremendous scientific advancement and prosperity created during the last century, western models of modern society are not bringing happiness, peace, and harmony to the people or the human societies of the world. Instead, it has caused stress, sleep disorder, anxiety and depression, violence, drug addiction, fears, and worries.
Swami Advaitananda Giri appealed to Mayor Patrick Brown “that the aim of education should not be limited to imparting literacy and skills to enable our children to earn a livelihood only but the overall objective of education should be to develop children as good and skill-full human beings. Children should learn art to lead their lives. They should be continuously trained to be loving, honest, generous, and accountable human beings.”
Apoorva Srivastava, Consulate General of India, Toronto, Canada stated that Swami Advaitananda Giri’s vision to imbibe Sanskar in our children is the need of this time. The development of human values among children is a prerequisite for building a harmonized and peaceful society which is also a pre-condition for the overall development of the nation and harmony in the whole world.
Freebie culture is blamed on political elites only however, bureaucrats drafting policy are left scot-free. The Judicial system conveniently ignores its responsibility to correct the course since it will displease the political class and off course, the media will never discuss the issue since the government advertisement inflow will be hurt. The poor taxpayers of the country enjoy the visual site by watching their own elected government ripping hard-earned money to be distributed to large sections of the population seeking the comfort of sitting at home since the government has no vision to generate employment for a dignified living. It is all about failed governance and bribing voters to overcome this monumental failure.
In 2009, the Congress government led by Manmohan Singh waived off Rs 70000 crore of farmer’s loans to win the general elections, and in 2019 - the Modi government announced a Rs 6,000 gift to all farmers in India, both were hailed as political masterstrokes. When opposition parties announce similar schemes ahead of any assembly elections, our mainstream media write editorials against ‘freebies’ and ask questions about their financial feasibility. Pundits fulminate on Twitter about how we are sliding into ‘socialism’ and why such sops kill productivity and innovation.
The bigger question is why do political parties need to promise sops to the poor before every election? The answer lies in the utter failure of our economic policies to create a decent livelihood for a vast majority of Indians. If anything, both the RBI-KLEMS estimates for employment since 1981, and the employment surveys done by the Centre for Monitoring India’s Economy (CMIE) since 2016, have shown that employment growth initially slowed down from the 1990s, and then has turned negative over the past few years. It is obvious that if people don’t earn enough to get two square meals a day, they will be unlikely to vote governments back into power.
Real income growth of the bottom 30% of Indians slowed down from 1992 when India first began ‘opening up’ and ‘liberalising’ its economy by encouraging the private sector. At the same time, this income had to be reoriented towards spending a disproportionately higher amount on education and health, from which, the state increasingly withdrew. The poor today also spend on things that appear to be luxuries; cellphones and data-packs are two such examples that are shown as signs of India’s increased affluence. In reality, these have become essentials in the gig economy, where mobile numbers act as permanent addresses for itinerant workers, where they can be contacted by potential employers. For migrant workers, the mobile phone helps them keep in touch with their families back home, or do a quick video-call to see how their infant is learning to sit up or crawl.
If we take CMIE’s latest employment data, we find that less than 38% of Indians above the age of 15 had paid work in December 2021. The situation wasn’t significantly better before Covid hit us. In February 2020, less than 39% had some sort of employment. ILO data suggests that the global average at that time was about 57%. A large number of Indians have got so used to not getting paid work that they have stopped looking for it altogether.
Sadly, however, they have a vote. That means politicians cannot ignore them. This is why they must promise income support or subsidies on essentials, whether in cash or kind. These sops ensure that a majority of Indians can stay afloat in a fiercely difficult economic environment. Without this, they might throw governments out of power, or even begin to question what media and public culture feed them. A democracy that is controlled by a corporate-dominated ruling class requires popular support for its rule to continue. The sops and freebies to the poor buy it the requisite votes. It is a small price that India’s affluent have to pay to ensure the economy continues to disproportionately reward them.
The political parties in India try to outdo each other in luring the Indian voters with assorted goodies called freebies. This trend has gained more momentum in recent times with the political parties being innovative in their offerings as the ‘traditional free water and electricity is no longer sufficient as election goodies. The political dialogue built around freebies is fraught with danger as it shakes the root of free and fair elections to a large degree. The unviable pre-election promises adversely affect the informed decision-making by voters. This calls for fixing the gaps in the design, execution and accountability of freebie culture.
Focus on Skill Development Rather than Freebies: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. It is always better to provide useful skills to people than to give them freebies. The subsidies for basic necessities such as giving free education to younger children and offering free meals at schools are rather positive approaches. If the political parties go for effective economic policies where the welfare schemes have a good reach to the targeted population, then infrastructure and development will take care of themselves and the people will not require such kinds of freebies.
In fact, the country has already suffered a great deal of damage because of freebies. Unfortunately, all parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), indulge in irresponsible populism and mad welfarism. While there can be justification for free education and healthcare, there can be no justification for the distribution of grinders, washing machines, television sets, laptops, subsidised pilgrimages, free electricity, farm loan waivers, and so on. It is not that nobody earlier warned against the consequences of populism. In May 2019, a few days before the results of the general elections were declared, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das underlined the problems with state finances. A November 2021 RBI report also flagged farm loan waivers as a major concern. A few months ago, 15th Finance Commission chairman NK Singh strongly berated the economics and politics of freebies and populism. It is a “race to the bottom” and “a quick passport to fiscal disaster.”
How does freebie culture threaten to hurt India's story?
The results are for all to see. A recent RBI study said, “We can identify a core subset of highly stressed states from among the 10 states identified by the necessary condition i.e., the debt/GSDP ratio. The highly stressed states are Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal.” GSDP is the state GDP. The states with the highest debt-to-GSDP ratio in 2021-22 include Punjab at 53.3%, Rajasthan at 39.8%, West Bengal at 38.8%, Kerala at 38.3% and Andhra Pradesh at 32.4% whereas the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act recommended a debt-to-GDP ratio of 20% for state governments (40% for the Centre) by the financial year 2022-23. This level of debt is extremely concerning and is largely the result of committed expenditure and subsidies under populist schemes coupled with slow growth in revenues.
Most of the states, however, post a healthy picture of their finances which is aided by the fact that much of the borrowing that funds these freebies happens off-budget, beyond the pale of FRBM tracking. The States borrow on the books of their public enterprises, by pledging future revenues to the State as a guarantee. Effectively, the burden of debt is on the State exchequer, albeit well concealed. This fact has been highlighted by the Comptroller & Auditor General and ex RBI governors from time to time.
The debt-GSDP ratio of Punjab is the worst — and worsening. Instead of being concerned that the state debt to GSDP ratio has not gone below 40% for the past 6 years, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government instead announces that around 51 lakh households won’t pay any electricity bills from September. This is in accordance with the AAP’s election promise of 600 units of free power per billing cycle starting from 1 July 2022.
A case in point is Latin America which provides key learning lessons on populist politics. Populism was active during the 1920s through to the 1970s, when the working poor united behind icons like Brazil’s Getúlio Vargas and Argentina’s Juan Perón over their dissatisfaction with industrialisation. Populist governments resorted to inflationary financing to grant benefits to the poor.
By the 1980s, uncontrolled public spending resulted in excessive fiscal deficits, unsustainable public debt and intractable inflation. Latin America’s ‘Lost Decade’ followed. Growth, at 5.6% in the 1970s, shrunk to 1.3% and stagnated for another decade. By the 1990s, inflation had reached 1,000% in countries like Brazil, and the poor suffered exponentially. Large economies including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil languished, and up to half of Latin Americans slid into poverty. It will augur well for India and its political stakeholders to imbibe the lessons of Latin America and how the first generation of fiscal reforms introduced in Latin America introduced political stability in the early 2000s. Going down the same path as Latin America may result in a ‘lost decade’ for India also.
CORRECTIVE ACTION AND STEPS
The problem with freebies is a political one; the way out is simple: all parties (at the Centre and the State level) sit down together and draw a list of don’ts, a negative list of things that none of them would do. With states running astray, it is the responsibility of the Centre to work together with States to advocate fiscal conservatism while ensuring States still retain their freedom in the spirit of Federalism. This requires the Centre to walk a tightrope and requires strong visionary leadership at the helm. More emphasis and confidence should be placed in the legislation already in place to check fiscal spending which is the FRBM Act.
FRBM Amendment: The FRBM, being comprehensive legislation, which was passed to curb fiscal profligacy also needs to be amended to ensure that state governments disclose their complete liabilities including explicit guarantees and any other servicing obligation.
Judicial Intervention: Constructive debate and discussions in parliament are difficult since the freebie culture has an impact on every political party, whether directly or indirectly. Therefore, judicial involvement is required in order to propose measures. The Supreme Court has recently recommended creating an apex authority to provide recommendations on how to regulate gifts given out by political parties.
ECI Model Code of Conduct: The Election Commission of India can anticipate enforcing the Model Code of Conduct For Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates effectively to regulate election manifestos in order to prevent the manipulation of informed voter behavior.
Change the type of expenditure: The author does not believe that all expenditure that results in a deficit is bad, however, the increasing trend of borrowing to finance revenue expenditure which does not create asset creation is concerning.
ROADMAP
Since getting elected is not a license to kill, the elected representatives must not act arbitrarily. The system of monarchy and practicing democracy have a distinction wherein in the latter system, the leader is accountable for all the actions taken in the seat of power including the finances and its management. In India, many regional and even national leaders consider themselves the incarnation of god. The reckless way these leaders spend public money is just unacceptable in an orderly society and there have to be reasonable restrictions to be imposed on them while they systematically corrupt the society by offering freebies over quality governance to safeguard the macro interest of the society and the growth of the country.
Fans of psychological thrillers rate Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as one of the best novellas ever written. The story published in 1886 by RL Stevenson is about Dr Jekyll, a gentleman, and Mr Hyde a murderous criminal, and a series of murders that shook society. It turns out that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person with Jekyll transforming into Hyde with the help of a chemical concoction. A real-life drama of the Jekyll and Hyde genre is being staged in India with the Popular Front of India and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) as the main characters. The SDPI is the political face of PFI, a terrorist organisation that is responsible for murder and mayhem in the many States of India. Nobody was surprised when the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate swept down on the leaders of the PFI and SDPI across the country on Thursday and arrested nearly 100 prominent faces of these outfits. The PFI called for a hartal in Kerala last Friday to protest against the raids and arrests of its establishments and leaders respectively. Unlike the previous hartals, the one on Friday turned out to be the most violent.
Police looked the other way when the Popular Front of India workers damaged the Karnataka SRTC buses and made shopkeepers down the shutters. Shop owners who refused to heed the hartal call saw their shops and establishments getting destroyed. Policemen were attacked and there were a couple of attempts on the lives of policemen who were on patrol. It was the suomoto intervention of the Kerala High Court which made the police take action against the hartal mongers. Strangely, neither chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor the Opposition Congress were heard condemning the widespread rioting by the PFI activists. The recent rallies staged by the PFI and which were attended by lakhs of activists stand out for the kind of slogans raised by the participants. All one could say is that they were despicable of the highest order. The SDPI, the political arm of the PFI plays a double game by washing its hands off the words and deeds of the latter. This is a ploy to facilitate the growth of the PFI, an organisation known for its religious bigotry. There is no space in Indian society for organisations that promote religious hatred and communal divide. It is time we identified the real cancer that is eating up the age-old Indian psyche.
Courtesy - The Pioneer.
The State of Delhi stands out for all the ills plaguing the politics of freebies across the country, for many people have been deprived of basic amenities
To speak against the distribution of freebies, of course, will attract the wrath of those who benefit from them. That is if we say that electricity, water, and travel should not be made free or that television sets or other types of temptations by political parties are wrong and they should end, then it is possible that people are unaware of the possible consequences of announcements of such freebies may not like it.
After Independence, the emphasis has generally been on development, poverty alleviation, better social services, drinking water, road, rail, etc. But now some political parties have started making promises to provide electricity, water, transport, television sets and even mangalsutra, all for free, despite the poor economic conditions of the states.
The result of such freebies is that states are coming under huge debts and the quality of public services is the major victim. Significantly, Delhi is a prosperous region of the country. The per capita income here is the second highest in the country, after Goa. Due to this, the revenue of Delhi is also very high.
A large number of migrants also live in Delhi, who have migrated from other states in search of employment. Their economic conditions are not so good, which can be gauged from the fact that a large number of people had to leave for their villages, as soon as the lockdown was imposed due to the pandemic. The sight of a large number of migrants going on foot, on bicycles, or in buses, with just one bag, still haunts us. Most of the migrant labourers are daily wage earners or engaged in micro businesses. A large number of them live in horrible conditions, where even basic facilities are lacking.
In such a situation, there is usually no question of their families joining them. The number of such migrant labourers in Delhi is not less than 50 lakhs. The laborers who bring their families with them are living in very pathetic conditions in Delhi. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions are needed for them and their families.
There is also a need for a better sewerage system and good health facilities. Roads, flyovers, etc., are also needed for their movements. But all these works require huge expenditure. It is seen that due to a lack of funds, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi is not able to provide a budget for development and maintenance.
After assuming power in 2015, to date, the AAP-led Delhi government has not been able to build any new school, college, hospital, flyover, etc. In such a situation, the plight of the poor can be easily imagined. The roads, water and sewage system are also not being taken care of properly. Lack of finances is the main reason for this. It is not that the revenue of Delhi is deficient. The fact is that the per capita revenue in Delhi is much higher than in the rest of India and is increasing continuously.
The total revenue of Delhi for 2021-22 is estimated at `53,070 crore, which is 3 percent of the revenue of all the states. In 2019-20 it was `47,136 crore and in 2014-15, it was only `29,584 crore.
But along with this increased revenue, the expenditure on free electricity, water, and transport of the Delhi government is increasing. The expenditure on free electricity was `1639 crore in 2015-16, which increased to `2968 crore in 2021-22. The Power Department has demanded `3200 crore from the Delhi government for this power subsidy for 2022-23. That is, it can be understood that the burden on the budget is increasing in the name of making electricity free by the Delhi government and it has almost doubled between 2015-16 and 2022-23. With huge spending on free electricity, water and transport, there is always a shortage of funds for essential civic amenities.
As a result of the exercise of the Delhi Government towards reducing water bills to zero, both the deficit and debt of the Delhi Jal Board are mounting. In the first three years of the Kejriwal government, the loss of the Delhi Jal Board tripled from `220.19 crores in 2015-16 to `663 crores in 2018-19.
According to the CAG report, in 1998-99, `26,620 crore was lent to the Delhi Jal Board, out of which only `351 crore was returned and till March 31, 2018, `26,269 crore was outstanding. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has given `41,000 crore as loans to Delhi Jal Board in the last five years. The deteriorating conditions of Delhi Jal Board can be gauged from the slow pace of its development works and poor water system. It is believed that the financial conditions of the Delhi Jal Board have become very bad due to the Delhi government and the free water policy.
The slow pace in water connection in unregulated colonies by the Delhi Jal Board and poor conditions of the sewer system is primarily because of the poor financial health of Delhi Jal Board. The opposition parties have also been making allegations of alleged corruption in the Delhi Jal Board.
Apart from this, free travel for women in Delhi Transport Corporation buses is yet another freebies scheme run by the Delhi government. Thousands of crores of rupees are lost by the government through freebies. It is natural that due to the limited resources, this freebies policy puts pressure on the government finances and many essential expenditures are sacrificed.
At present, the AAP, which is in power, promised in its election manifesto in the year 2015, about opening 20 new colleges in Delhi, providing free Wi-Fi, building 20000 public toilets, constituting a women security force, installation of three lakh CCTV cameras, expansion of health facilities, among others.
There were 69 such promises, including the creation of eight lakh jobs, and skill training of one lakh youth every year by Delhi Skill Mission, which either remained mere promises or which progress was very slow. It may be noted that prior to AAP government, for 15 years between 1999-2000 and 2014-15, growth in capital expenditure was 19.6 percent per annum (an increase from ` 510.5 crores to `7430 crores), which declined to hardly 9.2 percent in the first five years of the AAP government (increase from `7430 crores to hardly `11549 crores). It can be easily understood that the main reason behind the stalling of Delhi’s development was a lack of resources, as more and more resources are being used for giving freebies.
If it is said that these freebies schemes are targeted at the poor, then it will not be right. In 2021-22, in Delhi, where per capita income at current prices was `401,982 per year, out of 54.5 lakh electricity consumers, 43.2 lakh people are being provided electricity either free of cost or at half price. A big chunk of those, who can easily pay for electricity, are also being given electricity free. The facilities are being badly affected and the debt on the government is increasing, so it cannot be justified.
Not only this, 20,000 liters of water per month is also being provided free of cost to 5.3 lakh households.
(The author Ashwani Mahajan is a Professor, at the Department of Economics, DAV College)
Liz Truss wants to create a different image of her country by keeping it away not only from Europe but also from the shadow of America
Liz Truss, 47, has finally been elected Prime Minister after lagging behind in the initial stages of the Conservative Party's internal elections for the position of the next Prime Minister of Great Britain, which is considered the foundation of the current democracy around the world. She is the 6th Prime Minister of Britain who has been elected in the last 4 years, the 56th Prime Minister of British democracy and the third female Prime Minister of Britain after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May, known as the "Iron Lady". Fighting and never giving up, Liz Truss' father was a math professor, and her mother was a nurse. After completing her studies, she also worked as an accountant for some time and then entered politics.
These elections were held due to the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the old Conservative Party government of Great Britain. Liz Truss, who was the foreign minister in the former government of Boris Johnson, defeated Rishi Sunak, who was the finance minister during the Johnson government, by a huge margin of about 21 thousand votes. However, Rishi Sunak was outpacing Liz Truss in the early stages.
The people of Britain also did not like Rishi Sunak's "cheating" with Boris Johnson, whom Rishi Sunak described as his "political guru," which Sunak's detractors called a betrayal of Boris because Sunak was the first to do so. By resigning, there was a blast in British politics. In the history of England, since the beginning of democracy in the 13th century, only people of British origin have become Prime Ministers. Although Sunak is a British citizen by nature, only people born in Britain have become Prime Ministers. Therefore, even this slight notion formed in the minds of the British people may have gone against them, and the customs are not completely British.
Rishi Sunak is a British national of Indian origin and a world-class economist. Born in 1980, Sunak studied at Oxford and Stanford universities. In 2009, he got married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of NR Narayan Murthy and Sudha Murthy, founders of Infosys. He was elected to the House of Commons in 2015 and became the finance minister of the country in 2020. Sunak's candidacy for the post of Prime Minister is significant as Indians are the largest minority supporters of the Conservative Party after Jews.
According to Neha Shah of Oxford University, Indians arrived in England in large numbers in two periods: first, during the 1940-1950s when England needed workers; and secondly, during the 1970s when they were expelled from the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Indians arriving in England in the first period (1940s–50s) participated in labor movements and opposed apartheid; he became more and more a supporter of the Labor Party. A large number of Indians who arrived in Britain during the 1970s became supporters of the Conservative Party.
Rishi Sunak, former Home Minister Priti Patel, and Attorney General Suella Braverman are the sons and daughters of Indians who came to England in the 1970s.
According to Neha Shah, the elders of these Indians got the patronage of the British government in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, due to which they made economic and political progress. For this reason, they are mostly supporters of the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party believes in stricter immigration laws. Despite all this, the election of Truss as Prime Minister is a testimony to the fact that internal democracy is maintained in the political parties of England and the work of electing leaders is done with transparency.
Because of this, a large liberal section of Britain, and especially the Conservative Party, were supporting him with their policies and plans regarding the nation's economy. However, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson emerged as his biggest opponent and blamed Rishi Sunak for the downfall of his government. Boris Johnson's government was also engulfed in serious scandals from many sides. But the Russia-Ukraine war is also thought to be the main cause of Britain's recession and financial crisis.
Britain is standing on the verge of a serious financial crisis these days, Boris Johnson had to resign. Liz Truss has not fully opened her doors to Rishi Sunak's plans, although she has claimed that she will start working with immediate effect to solve the country's financial crisis. Liz Truss has decades of political experience, but Britain's own experts have warned of the possibility of a severe recession and economic crisis in the country over the next two years. In Britain this year, the inflation rate is also expected to reach 13 percent.
While Rishi Sunak has declared the Conservative Party as a family and given full support to Liz Truss, it remains to be seen to what extent Liz Truss will be able to overcome the country's financial crisis on her own. Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the ruling Conservative Party in England for 12 years, is facing many economic challenges. Inflation in the country is at the highest level in 40 years It will also be a big test for her to meet the deficit of 80 billion pounds in government funds to cut the current taxes in the country and to allocate the balance of electricity bills. Even regarding the Ukraine war, she will continue the policy of helping Ukraine at every level. However, the next four months may prove to be very important in testing the performance of her government.
Another issue is that all the Conservatives want to keep Britain separate from the rest of Europe and Liz Truss keeps saying the same. Although Boris Johnson was a supporter of America, Liz Truss says, "We should create a different image of our country by keeping it away not only from Europe but also from the shadow of America." This was also liked by the communist party members.
(Surjit Singh Flora is a veteran journalist and freelance writer based in Brampton Canada)
The word secularism has been imported into India from the west. In Indian tradition and civilization, there is no parallel word for secularism. No word is found in our historical texts or literature or scriptures precisely equivalent in meaning to this word. The reasons for this are not far to seek. The Indian culture is intrinsically secular, in the working sense of the word. Our accounts of the long periods of ancient history gleaned from texts or folklore also suggest the absence of discrimination among peoples on the basis of religion in the functioning of the governments.
Present India is a secular nation; its constitution is clearly secular in character. As stated above, Indian society over the centuries of ancient history has been secular in its thought, outlook and in ways of interaction with its members. Since the word secular is connected with the term ‘religion’, we have to look at the attitude of the majority Hindu community in India towards religion in social and political intercourse. The Hindu society is innately secular because of its theological threads which define religion and religiosity in a broad-based manner. The average Hindu has a universalistic view of religion and generally sees religion as humanism. To him, the mode of worship of a divine entity God is a secondary matter. To him, the scripture that a person follows is also of secondary importance. For precisely this reason, the Indian society has been traditionally tolerant and accommodative over the course of long world history.
India is still home to almost all the major religions in the world. It is also a fact of recorded history that India has offered a safe haven to the victims of religious persecution in all places across the world. People belonging to various religions who were excommunicated or driven out of their countries found refuge in India and ultimately settled here becoming one with the Indian society. This process of amalgamation witnessed through history is an eloquent proof of the secular ways of Hindu society. The term secularism finds roots in medieval West European society and culture where the governments of the day sought to reduce the hold of the church on the ruling class. There is no parallel or equivalent word for secularism in Hindi or Sanskrit, the prime native languages of India. Hence to use the word secular and secularism in the Indian context, in Indian society and in Indian politics is not only irrelevant but outright improper.
In India, the word ‘secularism’ had been used and misused for many decades after independence. Till as late as the turn of the century, it was the prime determinant of the legacy and legitimacy of the political elites of the professedly centrist as well as leftist camps. With political turbulence increasing in the country, the issue of secularism and communalism in political functioning continued to simmer as it was a political hot potato for garnering votes and alienating minority communities from right-wing politicians. Politicians made hay while the sun of pseudo-secularism shone on the political horizon of the country. The Congress party and its coalition partners or allies, backed by the Communist Parties, trumpeted their secular credentials while castigating the BJP for being non-secular. The communist political outfits sought popular support in the name of secularism and by shouting hoarse about the professedly communal credentials of the BJP.
This happened for full two decades of hoodwinking the masses till the game-changer general elections of 2014, which brought an overwhelming mandate to the BJP on the development agenda of Narendra Modi.
Educated and intelligent voters of today in India have amply understood the hollowness of the term called secularism as testified by the election results. Secularism is now a total non-issue for most of the Indian electorate. Development has taken the front seat, and rightly so.
To be secular is to be rational, scientific, even-minded and impartial. Actually, our culture and tradition transcend religion and religious differences. Hinduism which is fundamentally rooted in Vedic ideology is universalistic and hence innately secular. It is high time all of us understood this great truth and started dealing with the social, economic and political challenges accordingly. This understanding and realization are critical to the Indian nation’s progress to a place in the comity of distinguished, developed nations.
Being secular means not being irreligious but being above religion. Actually, religion is the observance of right conduct and moral uprightness. Religion is righteousness. It is a code of humanistic living in which the action of a person is conducive to the welfare of other humans, living beings and the physical environment. The intelligentsia in India really needs to abandon the usage of the terms secular and secularism and instead focus on strict adherence to the laws of the land and a universal moral code of conduct that applies to the entire humanity.
Communalism and Secularism are terms laden with political mischief. These terms are irrelevant in a society of educated, rational-minded individuals with a scientific outlook on life. The modern world of the twenty-first century is growing more rational and scientific by the day, as witnessed by increasing indifference by the younger lot towards traditional religion with its rituals. The attendance in the church is thinning in the west. So is the case with other societies across the globe. Apathy and disinterest toward ritualistic religion are widely witnessed even among the Indian youth. This is not a worrying sign. It only shows that with increasing scientific temper, the youth is attaching more importance to humanism. The youth of India is increasingly jumping the barriers of caste and religion in marriage, which is a standing testimony to the above statement. In the present scenario, it would be in the fitness of things to just stop talking about secularism and communalism and concentrate on humanism, for, all humans are the subjects of the one almighty creator.
In Kupwara, Bashir Dar, a trader, and Pervaiz Butt, an ophthalmologist, confided that youngsters of Kupwara, Lolab Valley, Tithwal and Trehgam are not interested in seeing ‘Kashmir banega Pakistan’ anymore. Some teenagers still think Azadi is a viable option. But a majority of older youth have reconciled to being a part of the Indian union. I recalled that twenty-six years ago when I first visited Kupwara bazar, pro-Pakistani youth were in majority. During my second visit, ten years ago, young people favoured the independence option. So, what made youngsters shift their opinion?
There are a couple of hypotheses. I tried to test them one by one. The first hypothesis is the masculinity hypothesis. It states that the abrogation of Article 370 and termination of J&K statehood asserted the Indian Government’s will and no Kashmiri dares to mess with the BJP government in Delhi anymore. However, in the history of secessionist movements, clampdowns always created a temporary eerie calmness followed by renewed turbulence. In Kashmir though, even three years after the abrogation of Article 370, popular sentiment does not appear to support any more winters of discontent. People appear to be somewhat reconciled to the prevalent state of affairs. One cannot explain it all based on the masculinity hypothesis alone.
The second hypothesis, also known as KPS Gill hypothesis, claims that the security forces have broken the back of militancy in the same way they gained the upper hand against Khalistani extremists. In other words, continued application of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), extra-judicial terminations, and successful infiltration of militant outfits (HUMINT) coupled with modern electronic intelligence (ELINT) have reduced the average lifespan of a militant to less than six months. With fewer and fewer young men joining militancy, the supply pipeline of tanzeems is drying up and they cannot replenish the losses in its ranks. The problem with this hypothesis is that the annihilation of extremism always required an efficient security apparatus and an effective political process. In Punjab, it was Beant Singh’s Government in the early 1990s that addressed the political aspirations of Punjabi people at the same time when KPS Gill was neutralizing gun-totting terrorists. In Bengal, in 1970s, it was S.S Ray’s Congress Government that co-opted CPI(M) and marginalized Marxist-Leninist student factions before initiating operation Steeplechase to exterminate Naxals. But in Kashmir, the political processes are virtually suspended post-August 2019 revocation of special status. The apparent decline of militancy was not accompanied by any manifest accommodation of common Kashmiri’s political aspirations. Therefore, one cannot unequivocally declare the validity or triumph of KPS Gill hypothesis here.
We all know of Pakistan’s complicity in Kashmir. I also felt that the common Kashmiri feels an emotional connection with Pakistan because of shared religion, language, geographical proximity and culture. In today’s day and age, with social media, youtube, and whatsapp reigning supreme, Kashmiris are much better aware of what is happening in Pakistan, POK, and Gilgit-Baltistan. So, I asked Shadab and Bilal, both college-going teenagers, what is their impression of Pakistan. The response was instructive.
Shadab spoke at length about the human disaster that the monsoon flood has wreaked in Pakistan. He pointed out that both India and Pakistan got independence at the same time and that India was far more prone to natural calamities than Pakistan was. Annual floods and draughts, periodic crop failure, and low productivity per acre plagued India. But India mobilized resources to build dams and extensive irrigation networks, develop a high-yield variety of crops, and introduce drip irrigation in arid areas. Pakistan chose to whittle away its resources by buying weapons and distributing largesse to an entitled section of the populace which resulted in endemic corruption. Its debt to GDP ratio kept on climbing. Islamabad got some respite when Afghanistan became the strategic frontier between the free world and USSR between 1979-1991 as aid and weapons poured in from the West freely. In the aftermath of 9/11, Musharraf again identified an opportunity for Pakistan to capitalize on its strategic geographic location in the context of the war on terror and charged billions of dollars to US and coalition forces for the grant of rights to use bases and supply routes through Pakistan. In other words, the Pakistani political elite got used to leveraging a rent-seeking model for running its economy. However, all good things eventually come to an end. And Pakistan, as the US started to scale down its presence in Afghanistan, started to feel the heat. Unable to manage the spiralling fiscal deficit, the country soon faced a bleak prospect and started tottering on the verge of bankruptcy. Even Saudi Arabia, who always bailed out Islamabad on past occasions was cautious and minimalistic in its support. Pakistani profligacy seems to have run out of its course and options.
The two youngsters felt that the Pakistani state is unable to provide jobs, education and prosperity to its citizens and if Kashmir becomes a part of Pakistan, the poverty and chaos will simply suck Kashmir dry before you could say ‘Inqilab zindabad.’ In India, one can have hope and ambition. In Pakistan, it is only despair and apprehension, Bilal concluded. He has relatives in Muzaffarabad and heard the first-hand account, he affirmed.
Pakistan’s economic report card, combined with a surging India, facilitated by smooth dispersion of knowledge and information by social media might have built the case for India in minds of Kashmiri youth. But I recalled that pro-Pakistani Kashmiris, led by the enigmatic late Syed Ali Shah Gilani and his Jamaat-e-Islami, were never in a majority. On the other hand, pro-Independence youth appeared to be, at least when I had visited Kashmir several years ago, greater in number. Therefore, my next quest was to understand whether the disillusionment with the Pakistan option is also accompanied by disenchantment with ‘Azadi’ option and whether that handed over an advantage to the Indian state.
The ’Azadi’ that Kashmiris often appear to be asking for, needs to be understood in context. Just like everywhere else, Kashmiris also have grievances with respect to unemployment, civic issues, crime, inflation etc. Almost every demonstration, be it against disrupted electricity supply or for potable water, can include a slogan demanding ‘Azadi.’ Conspicuous presence of a largely non-local security force that is often on the edge because of the militancy, makes even routine demonstrations fraught with peril and potential violence. Therefore, often a demonstration, even on a routine issue, results in police action amidst loud demand of ‘Azadi.’ In fact, Madhu Kishwar said, “Mehbooba Mufti once told me that even when a group of Kashmiri women come to meet her, if they find she is not available, they will start shouting ‘We want Azadi,’ when in fact they came for jobs or better civic amenities.” In other words, ‘Azadi’ became a moniker of Kashmiri grievances and unfulfilled demands. Yes, Kashmiris meant Azadi for independence once upon a time, but today it is more of a reminder of their identity; It need not be associated with separatism or demand for independence.
With ‘Azadi’ diluted and Pakistan discredited, the field for India backers starts to look a bit favourable. The revocation of Article 370, on one hand, established the central government’s no-nonsense credential, while on the other hand raised the spectre of an alien rule that believes in domination rather than conciliation.
The bell might have already rung for the final lap for integration of Kashmir valley with the rest of India. It requires a careful combination of sternness and generosity, federalism with unitary tilt, and a liberal approach with a modicum of authoritarianism from time to time. Such paradoxical concoction is best achieved with a functioning elected state government in Srinagar that can tailor and customize the tactical approach based on the ground situation. Grounds should be prepared for that.
What is the true meaning of ‘freedom’, only a person suffering the brunt of exile can know better. A soldier standing on the border can know or he/she who has lost thirty-six springs of his/her life imprisonment. The air we breathe in a free country, and our safe borders of ours are the only (true meaning) of this 'freedom'. But, if we turn into a relaxed zone and feel thinking that it is our innate right, then we are far from understanding the philosophy of 'freedom'. Every citizen of India must commit to keeping it intact. Thinking it then stops on some 'on', why the need for words like borders and security! Why we have not been able to implement the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' till now? In this journey, many words have lost their meaning and layers of dust have settled on many. We will have to remove them or at least have to start turning on that track of new India in this Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava. As we all are celebrating glorious 75 years of our Independence from Colonial rule and entering into 76th year of independence, we all have a common as well as an individual responsibility that on one hand, we are celebrating our Azadi (freedom) as Amrit (Nectar element), but on the other, we as a nation have to combat with Vish (poison) persistent in our country in various forms of irregularities, corruption and others maladies which combined pushing us away from our duties/fundamental duties which is not only an integral part of Azadi but also a true companion of fundamental rights.
I am not saying and quoting these things in sentiments, rather these national festivals especially create a thrill and sadness mixed with excitement. There is a lot that has to be done, so the journey after that one important and historic step has to be continued. We as Indians have to acquire our ability to recite “Jana-Gana-Mana”, and have to cross all limits by being constantly aware of our fundamental duties and rights. Only then, we will be able to understand the meaning of freedom. Each Indian, every class/religion/sect, etc. should be painted in the same colour, so that all boundaries of discrimination are removed. May the joy of this festival of freedom (Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava) overwhelm all the challenges, excesses, envy, limitations and misfortunes because we don't know how many people are in the world, who are searching for or looking to return to their motherland or sitting in vain in the world.
This glorious Azadi Mahotsava is an opportunity for all of us to understand the real meaning of freedom. Freedom is such a balanced choice of a life of a citizen, in which s(he) has the right to sovereignty, s(he) can freely express his/her views, experience respect, and s(he) has due participation in the system. And, who can better understand this than the citizen of the largest democracy, which has very recently elected it's maiden lady tribal (Santhal Tribe) President.
This means freedom applies to different aspects of life. Freedom is not something that comes for free. For this one has to fight. Enjoying our freedom does not mean that we ignore the rights of others. In fact, the way we feel right and it is also in larger public/community/societal interest, this kind of living is 'freedom'. A person, who is in captivity, cannot be free in mind. Therefore, s(he) cannot enjoy the pleasant music of a group of birds singing at sunset or the beauty of the beautiful moon rising in the sky, as an independent person can. For a prisoner, being out of jail means 'freedom'.
But, freedom is certainly a broader concept from the social perspective, in which a person is free to follow the social customs and laws of the land in a free environment. Any society can give absolute freedom to its entire people only in relative form. This is because if everyone in the society does whatever they want to do, even if it is wrong, it will be anarchy. That is, there are some rules and regulations in freedom as well.
Today's new civilization is bringing with it a new family relationship, a way of working, a new way of life, a new scientific system, a new political struggle, and above all a new changed consciousness, which allows people to share their thoughts and in the society providing power to bring positive change.
Thus, 'right to liberty' broadly means - to be where one wants to live; whoever wants to eat, eat; who wants to learn, learn; freedom and freedom in the religion he believes in is such that a person who believes in these beliefs can believe in his/her views without ignoring or harming the rights of others.
'Needless to say that after getting independence, India developed at a new rate and touched many heights. In the new era, many types of challenges are now emerging, which are constantly being tried by the government to deal with them. The spirit of “Indian pandemic federalism”, shown during combat with global pandemic Covid-19, Digital India giving our country a new technical edge on the domestic and international front, Smart Cities Mission turning our engines of growth i.e. cities into sustainable smart habitation hub, several flagship schemes brought by Union and States government contributing in the upliftment of their economic and social status or in other words making them free (aazad) with poverty, these all are a new dimension of freedom being in the shoes of a free Indian citizen. Also, a series of inclusive schemes targeting half population, of marginalized communities have inculcated a new meaning of Azadi (freedom) among them, which not only makes them dream bigger but also, turns those dreams into real actions.
Nevertheless, today's India needs to work fast to get rid of corruption, poverty, pollution, malnutrition etc. Dependent economic freedom is the only proven reason for long-term progress, paving the way for people to break free from poverty. Also, the extensive rise of the use of technology has also given rise to the virtual world or cyber world and apart from ‘citizen’ a new word has to get popularized i.e. ‘netizens’. This further gave rise to the concept or space of virtual freedom/social media freedom, which is undoubtedly like a do dhaari talwar (double edged sword).
However, on the completion of seventy-five years of independence, the Government of India announced the celebration of 'Amrit Festival'. On this occasion, it would be appropriate to examine the themes and personalities and ideas related to India's 'independence' from a different angle. Naturally, these are the 'meanings of freedom' - 'mutual unity', 'harmony' and 'fraternity'.
(Nayan is presently a Smart Cities Fellow-India Smart Cities Fellowship Program, NIUA-MOHUA, Government of India.)
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