03/11/2018
CBI vs Modi Govt-
At the stroke of midnight hour....
…used to be a phrase that reminded one of the beginning of a speech by Jawarharlal Nehru announcing India’s Independence. But 71 years later, times have certainly changed and how! - “at the stroke of midnight” is now a phrase that marks the hour of hasty decisions by panicking government. Decisions that are currently being scrutinized by the Supreme Court to see if the democracy of an independent nation has been comprised. Oh the irony!
The sudden overnight removal of CBI Director, Mr Alok Verma, by the Indian government is a mystery that tops the list of the cases being dealt by the Supreme Court. Cases which should include, amongst other things, justice for r**e victims, justice for farmers with unheard pleas and suspicious deals of defence aircrafts. It may well be true that one should refrain from commenting on a pending judgement. In fact, even news channels have suffered the wrath of high-ranking industrialists who have sued the media thousands of crores for coverage of the Rafale deal. However, this does not mean that one stop observing and being aware of how one’s decisions and vote have influenced the events that are occurring in India today.
Thankfully, the Constitution of India has provided for an independent and impartial judiciary and citizens will be witnesses to the decision of the CBI investigation. But while we wait for justice to take its course, the coming year gives a platform for these citizens of a democratic nation, to be witnesses to change by voicing their collective statement as votes. Because democracy is everyone’s business.
While fingers are being pointed everywhere, we forget that we too are responsible for our country. Do we really want the nation to be in a position where the judicial system is investigating the compromise of democracy? Should we not worry that India’s inequality-adjusted HDI (Human development index) is currently less than average, placing the nation at par with third-world countries?
Development is measured by more than one index – but it seems that the current government is projecting this development through apparent GDP increases – in a country where there is a forced economic disparity, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that GDP is not a true reflection of the country’s development.
Choose today to at least be aware of the events in our country and the impact that these events are already having on the democracy. It should not take too long to realise that it is time for a change. It is time to redefine the imminent future of the country. Let the votes be cast such that India wakes up, at the stroke of the midnight hour in 2019, to be led by a party that prioritises the interests of the common man.
Written by Dr. Steffi Sesuraj
Member, Think Tank Group IOC UK
Secretary- Indian Overseas Youth Congress UK