Lessons from Gujarat agitation
The message from Gujarat is clear that democracy has empowered each and every adult with the right to vote and hence the voter is the kingmaker. Multiple general elections held since 1952 for parliament, state legislatures, local self-bodies and even panchayats have by now made the common people conscious of their rights.
A strong feeling is emerging throughout the nation that the people will not tolerate misgovernance and injustice anymore.
The people’s anger is getting increasingly manifest in many parts of the country as well in different forms.
The culmination of people’s anger firstly by Anna Hazare, successfully exploited by Arvind Kejriwal and, in smaller measure by others, and now in a massive manner by Hardik Patel in Gujarat poses a great problem for the working of parliamentary democracy in India because such situations may become anarchist in the long term.
Stalwarts of various established political parties have already been consigned to the dustbin and those remaining now face the wrath of Gujarattype agitations.
The continuing insensitive political system, which is not responsive to the needs and misery being faced by the common man, cannot escape rout from the rebellious masses which may occur at any time or any place in India as is apparent from several events which have happened in the past.
Thus the present political system, for its own interest, has to immediately change its methodology. The main issue before the masses is fruitful employment. The other issues are simple reasonable amenities or infrastructure required for living.
The present political system and the bureaucracy under its control are almost totally indifferent to these matters. Something which should be studied and remedied at the grass-roots gets sermons from the top which often proves totally wasteful.
Industry and jobs in government services can hardly provide a fraction of employment. The entire youth, however, runs frustratingly after that.
The need is for providing supplemental income to the youth in their own hearth and homes in rural areas.
At present, there is callous indifference towards availability of good quality manual and farm tools required by farmers and rural workers.
If we increase the productivity of rural workers even by 10% by providing them much more improved and efficient tools, then all over India some 20 crore such workers shall add their income by ` 500 crore a day thus adding to their prosperity day by day.
Productivity can also be g reatly improved if welldesigned single-wheel trolleys, which can carry up to 100kg
STALWARTS OF VARIOUS ESTABLISHED POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONSIGNED TO THE DUSTBIN AND THOSE REMAINING NOW FACE THE WRATH OF GUJARAT-TYPE STIR
load even in fields be provided in very large number.
Massive plantation of trees under financial sup port of international treaties for carbon trading can also provide a great deal of rural employment and supplemental income.
Jawaharlal Nehru, while framing the First Five Year Plan in 1952 went into all such details, including those of farming, be it seeds, irrigation, land laws, tools, research on crops and quality of land and all its aspects.
But now, who is interested in that, and because of this indifference by the politicians and the bureaucrats, people feel neglected and helpless.
Another lesson we have to take from the Gujarat agitation is the psychological factor that ‘Nothing rankles in the human heart more than the feeling of injustice’.
The reservations in services have by now outlived their utility. It is good to note that by now the scourge of untouch ability has been totally abol ished.
The shackles, which were holding up the progress of those people coming under the category of scheduled castes, have also been removed.
I know a number of highly placed persons belong to the scheduled castes, including some senior IAS officers, who are happy with the develop ment and want to be part of the country as a whole and not to be labelled anymore as scheduled caste.
Hence the nation, if it wants to progress has to take a very bold decision that reserva tions in all its aspects should be abolished immediately. Even the chief architect of our Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar, wanted these reservations to continue only for 15 years after the promulgation of the Constitution in 1950.
The lesson has to be taken from Gujarat, where five lakh ‘Patels’, even those of reason able affluence, agitated for res ervations in services.
It does not depict reality or economic necessity, but it does depict psychological irri tation which has grown in 65 years after promulgation of Constitution.
It is time for all the people of India to reflect upon and analyze.
It is, however, a critical peri od for the political system and it is necessary to take up the challenge properly.