Second Poorna Swaraj

India has been independent for seventy years. Now, it is time to cease and pay heed to the fact that the whether we have been able to attain the aspirations that our forefathers cherished. How children born in post-independent India have encountered adversities? Since the freedom struggle to attain this independence started back in 1885 with the foundation of Indian National Congress, it the the forteenth decade of this remarkable battle.

Poorna Swaraj became the aim of lakhs of Indians in 1930. Independence for Indians was not a dominion of status on the lines of other British colonies. Our core demand was complete independencethat came to fruitation in 1947. Sadly, it was a disintegrated India, India fractioned into two parts, India and Pakistan belonging to Hindus and Muslims respectively. This unfortunate bifurcation of the country on the basis of races turned out to be miserable and the atrocities still continues.

This has given rise to socio-cultural, political and economical turmoil within these countries. The dreams of our ancestors have gone in vain. We have just managed to survive as a political entity. Our strength has been our Constitution that has given us the frame-work of democracy. In a right spirit we are struggling to sustain our democratic institutions. We have not to look far around us to conclude that we have shamed those who died so that the mases might breath freedom in an equitable system.

In fact power of the people has passed on to the rich and elite class, the sons and daughters of political leaders, and the scions of erstwhile rulers. The democratic dynasts are at the helm of national affairs behaving like crown princes. Yet we are a democracy. Elections are held regularly. We have fairly honest judiciary. Everything is fine on paper.

A simple fact about the last general elections in 2014 is quite revealing. What has a common man to go through in such a kind of democratic system? Our democracy 'by the people' elected 186 MPs with a criminal record. Criminal cases against 1/3rd of the MPs are already registered.

There are about 300 millionaire/billionaires MPs in the present Lok Sabha. Reservation for the Dalits was planned as a unique experiment to nourish a just and equitable system in the country. As a means of vote bank it has proved most potent tool for garnering votes. How the whole community or a caste or a class can be poor is not understandable. The benefit doesnot filter to the lowest rung of the society. A new class known as creamy layer is a common phenomenon.

There is a sharp communal and casteist divide in the country alongwith 20.6 percent number of poor persons. It is on the basis of Rs 32 a day expenditure by a poor person. If we take the international standard of measuring poverty a day, the number of the poor might go upto 74%. We need a second indepedence on the way to social, economic, and national Swaraj. Political Swaraj was won in 1947 but the fruits of independence have been cornered by a negligible minority. Until we get rid of the yoke of 'Desi' imperialism to bring about an equitable system, our cherished goal for 'Poorna Swaraj' will remain unrealised.