Hypocrisy and opportunism – these two traits in human nature are as old as humanity itself, but are especially visible in politicians all around the world. Politics is known as the art of the possible – all and sundry rush to choose this field, as there are no specific qualifications to join the rank of a cadre.
A couple of weeks ago, India marked the first death anniversary of its beloved former President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The occasion was observed all over the country, especially in colleges and schools, for the progress of which, he spent an entire life. He was a statesman in the truest sense of the term and stood head and shoulders above petty religious parochialism. He taught the younger generation of India the importance of a sense of belonging and purpose. He once said: “If you are blessed with intelligence and empowered with education, it is your responsibility to change the world.”
In developing countries like India, one can detect an unwelcome nexus between politicians and the influential sections of society, which always have led to the government becoming a scapegoat of these two opportunistic and greedy forces. It has often caused people to behave without any sense of justice and equality.
This attitude has affected the all-powerful press too, to a great extent, and recently led to a fight between advocates and journalists in Kerala. Both were trading abuses in public, which created a bad precedent in an otherwise ideal social community in the most literate state of India.
There appears to be an eerie imbalance, even between the Indian government and the judiciary, which does not augur well for the smooth functioning of the country’s democratic institutions in the long run.
It is the duty of all those who wish for the all-around wellbeing and progress of India, to work together in unison, as the nation is passing through a critical age in its history.
The reader is a freelance writer, based in Kerala, India
