Since ancient times, India has been well known for its spiritualism and many religious beliefs and social mores. Though its leaders claim that the nation maintains a lovely blend of unity in diversity, it has been proven beyond a doubt that the country has slowly been sliding towards dangerous religious trends, which could even destroy the social fabric of the nation in the long run.
The first few years after India gained independence in 1947 were bright for the growth of this democratic institution. But then came the decline and fall of its communal harmony, which was mainly due to the damaging handiwork of the greedy politicians who wanted to create ‘vote banks’ on a community basis.
The nation under successive governments was immersed in corruption, which goes on unhindered even now. There is an old political art well practised in New Delhi, India, wherein people create artificial problems and then solve it to earn gratitude for a life time. This dangerous nexus between politicians and high ranking officers and other influential leaders took away the ethos of the Indian spirit of independence.
This politician-corporate nexus is still very strong in the country at present, eating away at the true growth of people’s rule and authority. The horrifying reality is that the largest democracy houses the globe’s largest population of malnourished children, illiterates and people defecating in the open. Worse yet, the Indian judiciary is facing grave problems. It is not yet fully localised and access to it is expensive.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but the nation has many promises to keep and a long way to go. The leaders have to wake up from the slumber of the century. Wake up, India!
- The reader is a freelance writer, based in Kerala, India.
