Is our authorities taking the individuals without any consideration?
JOHN ERIC GOMES
Our democracy requires constitutional legislation and order, by no means forgetting individuals primarily elected authorities to make sure their safety, security, welfare and equitable justice for all! Figuring out human nature we require a powerful Opposition and free Press to successfully query wrongly used unfettered energy and never solely at election time. India’s USP is democracy with unity in all its huge variety. While showmanship and occasion administration are spectacular in right this moment’s digital world, the BJP majority authorities in energy is extra intent below the principle plank of improvement, nationwide safety and Ram Mandir, polarising the nation to win elections and “hindutvazing” each facet of the nation’s lives. We’ve got a bit of the society with the BJP/RSS together with Bajrang Dal, VHP, Hindu Mahasabha, and so forth that impose their will in opposition to the judgments of the courts or State authorities orders, if some sentiments are damage or criticism that’s unpalatable to them! Hate speeches and violence with authorities patronage render the police ineffective. These mobs get inspired to behave as ethical police intimidating different sections of society, forwarding the governments narrative severely straining the Structure and eager to overpower the judiciary. Robust judicial intervention is individuals’s nice want. Each the Parliament and Judiciary being equally vital, Structure is supreme!
Solely armed forces, paramilitary and police are the authorised forces to implement legislation and order. All different mobs, scholar unions or any citizen taking the legislation into their very own fingers for no matter purpose together with lynching, beating individuals to demise, and so forth is totally taboo bringing extreme retribution by the federal government. This Parliament and political events ought to particularly guarantee! The federal government appears to be taking the individuals without any consideration, as might be seen from the no accountability improvement frenzy, focused freebies, spiritual and caste appeasement, rising digital surveillance and utilizing courts/ police/enforcement companies to nip any dissent threatening their dominance within the bud! The Congress is sought to be destroyed by each means doable. The company and IT industries possibly doing effectively, however the broad disparities in incomes of the residents are widening and inhabitants overtaking China!
NGOs have requested public to assist donate blankets for 1000’s of individuals residing on the streets in Delhi to assist them survive the chilly wave! The Uttarakhand Excessive Court docket gave per week’s discover to demolish residents concrete homes, allegedly encroached on railway land with households residing there for over 50 years. The Supreme Court docket has rightly stayed the order as 1000’s of individuals can’t be displaced summarily with out ample discover and a rehabilitation package deal! No questions requested as to why within the first place such encroachments have been allowed and permitted to exist and who’s to be held accountable, with resultant investigation and deterrent motion in opposition to the authorities! The Joshimath sinking of land and constructed up areas, the Mhadei river subject affecting Goa are a stark testomony of taking individuals without any consideration and folks’s helplessness in opposition to authorities hasty choices! Has justice and humanity vanished?
Folks have died and households suffered immensely on account of demonetisation, economic system of nation broken, unorganised sector put into smash, lack of jobs, to not point out Covid lock down and its aftermath, the potholed roads claiming so many lives, excessive costs of important commodities prevailing and entire lengthy listing of injustices the place there isn’t any transparency and accountability and harmless individuals have paid/nonetheless paying the worth! One very important reform which all good residents agree authorities should convey if we wish the fundamentals of democracy to be strengthened is police reforms! Parliament won’t legislate this however use the police to guard themselves in comparison with safety of individuals to whom right this moment they will do something they like with impunity as a result of we blindly elect them into energy regardless?
To make sure justice it is important that we now have a SMART (delicate, cellular, accountable, accountable, techno savvy) police, one in every of Modi’s many slogans elucidated someplace in 2018. In 2006 the Supreme Court docket issued seven directives for the States and the Centre for pressing police reforms. Sadly it was left to authorities to legislate reforms accordingly! This most States did cleverly legitimising their outdated legal guidelines and guidelines. No authorities needs to launch the “caged parrots” in opposition to public curiosity. No civilised nation ought to have legal guidelines like Sedition, UAPA, PMLA, that are in opposition to the ideas of pure justice! A brand new public oriented humane skilled police away from political manipulation, to behave with out worry or favour is the necessity of the hour! To cease our elected authorities from manipulating residents and taking them without any consideration, we have to put strain on our elected representatives and if want be organise prodding the Supreme Court docket to observe up and monitor main police reforms which is able to go a protracted method to strengthen our democracy and never solely guarantee equitable justice but it surely be seen and felt by all individuals!
The 12 months 2023 is a important 12 months the place the world is dealing with recession, a lethal Ukrainian battle and the virulent Covid pandemic mutating persistently in its many avatars! India is rising and is evaluated because the quickest rising economic system with a constructive democratic dividend and a PM who has established his popularity in world affairs and aspires to be a Vishwaguru. It will be important that we work in direction of being really democratic, law-abiding residents fortunately strongly united, a morally upright affluent exemplary ruled nation that may credibly undertaking a wholesome world order.
(The writer is a retired naval officer, freelance author residing in Porvorim)
