India - A nation in Crises
--> Posted on 2009-08-19 08:12:42 By Monica AroraIndia and Nation in crisis
India is a land of diversities and these diversities has taken various shapes and forms. India being one of the largest democracies in the world where these diversities are recognized and reorganized by the Indian Constitution and appropriate provisions are included in the constitution from time to time.
India has always been a guiding force for other developing countries of the world especially in its continent. Today if one looks at the flashback India, it had been gone through various ups and downs and problems that are faced by nation are not limited to one aspect. It is surrounded wholly by societal, economical, and political functioning that has led the nation into the crisis. Lets take these aspects one by one.
Growing population has led to the scarcity of resources that can fulfill the minimal needs of these people. The problem of Illiteracy is unfortunate fact that even after long period of political independence 50% of Indian population is still illiterates. Such people are unable to contribute to the success of democratic institutions. India has a quarter of the worlds poorest people and the largest number of illiterate women (over 40%). It is ranked 115 among 135 developing countries in 2009 listed in the Gender Development Index (UNDP, 2009). In the recent past the Right to Education bill has been passed by the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha if it is notified by the government, will only be a boon for those who make money in the school business, while it will be a disaster for those who have no access to education today. Unfortunately, that is what the rich and the ruling classes want. For education is the most important weapon of empowerment and the best defence against exploitation. So one can see the future of this nation that how illiteracy and growing population can hamper its growth.
The other factor that has contributed in crisis is poverty. In India more than 32% of the population living below the poverty line and these people who are covered under these below poverty line scheme are not there due share from the government. Various policies and programmes have been inaugurated like NREGA to control poverty so that more and more people could engage in jobs but these schemes are truly not available to the people. Lalit Mehta has sacrificed his life for the proper implementation of these schemes so that the benefits of these should gone to the people who really requires them but things are not going right way.
The government contribution to health and education sector are only 2-4% of share on health sector has increased the crisis in the sense that people are dying from various incurable diseases health conditions are deteriorating recent example H1N1 influenza. Country like China has taken serious steps to control these diseases at the starting stage but India has seriously grappling with this problem.
Another important crisis is the stagnant economic growth of the country. Problems like inflation, recession have shattered its roots. Poorer states are not getting any kind of benefits resulting into widening gap between the rich and poor.
If one looks at the political aspects, there are numerous factors that has widened the crisis in different ways. Elections Rigging, booth capturing, violence in politics are the methods which are adopted by the different parties for the fulfillment of political motives. Processions, Dharnas, Gheraos and murderous assaults have become the part and parcel of political life and thus resulted into considerable loss of men and materials. Defective electoral systems are not fruitful to our democracy as modern democracy means the majority rule. Any political party which wins the majority of seats in elections enjoys the right to form the government and run the administration in the country and the elections 2004 are example of this. So the defective electoral system is responsible for such a state of affairs.
Most important factor that has posed a grave danger to democracy is corruption. At every level whether its administrative or political level number of high officals have been famed to be indulging in corrupt practices. Other factors are lust of power, expensive elections, unholy alliances, communalism, regionalism; naxalites are posing a grave threat to Indian democracy thus creating problems in proper functioning of the democratic institutions. The criminalization of politics has become a serious problem in India. Institutions like parliament and legislative assemblies are becoming asylums for criminal and law makers. Present elections have shown that many members of the Lok Sabha were having criminal record.
Another factor that has widened the crisis is delayed and costly justice thousands of cases are pending in various courts. Therefore gradually the people are losing their faith in democracy and position of ‘might is right’ is taking place in India.
Apart from these factors there are other problems which are not in the hands of men. These are natural calamities which are the cause for the loss of men and material in large number. The tsunami is one of the example of this. The worst affecting areas are southern India even now they have not been able to come out of that situation and thousands of people become homeless.
In order to brighten the democracy in India and to eliminate the various impediments in its way government should come forward to address these problems.
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