The Independence of India - A Legacy being Lost?

One more time, the Prime Minister of India will address the People on 15th August at the Red Fort, painting a rosy picture of the state of affairs of the country under 'their' Government and what the said Government would be doing to bring up the lot of the underprivileged, in time to come.

Ever since it became the practice to address the People on the Independence Day, successive Prime Ministers have given similar-sounding, cliché-ridden and ritualistic speeches, announcing this Scheme or that, all always supposedly for the ultimate good of the downtrodden and the poorest of the poor. Prime Minister after Prime Minister, year after year, there is nothing new. Only the names of the Schemes become more imaginative which also helps to hide the fact that many such Schemes are but re-packaged from old ones which did not achieve what they were supposed to achieve. With every new Scheme, the amounts to be expended keep on increasing by leaps and bounds- all the money obviously coming from the People, to be given to the People after the political and administrative components of the System get their 'just spoils'. 'Linkages' and 'Leakages' have become two of the more appropriate and oft used words to describe what is supposed to happen and what eventually happens with such Schemes.

The serious concern which the Politicians feel for the poor, the underprivileged and for the country in general, is equally reflected in the Election Manifestos of the Political Parties, and now, in the age of Coalition Politics, in the minimum agreed programs of the partners in Government.

People, right down to the poorest of the poor, have become used to taking these promises with cynicism and are happy if even some benefits do come their way.

It is fair to say that the country has made significant progress in virtually every sphere since Independence. But 58 long years have passed. The progress has been slow, even tardy, and nowhere in relation to the thousands and thousands of crores which have been put in.

The country is continuing to make material progress but along with that progress, the process of degeneration of moral values too is taking place in tandem. The System is getting infested with sycophants, hypocrites, opportunists and freeloaders without scruples. Politicians, public servants and business class all taken together are out to get the most out of the situation that is all pervading.

The saddest part of all this is that even the Society seems to be meekly accepting what is happening. Indeed, learning from those who are supposed to set an example for others, people in general are also becoming more and more inclined to find the easy way to material gains. Morals are no longer compromised because the benchmark of what is moral is reaching new lows.

Losing the Legacy left by the Great Leaders?

Those with a sense of history and those who have been fortunate to observe the spirit of sacrifice of the national leaders of the Freedom Struggle have long been wondering whether their Leaders' Legacy of lofty ideals and supreme sacrifice for the good of the nation and its people will be lost for ever.

The Independence of this Country has been achieved after a long, truly long struggle and intense suffering of the people. Those who fought for the Freedom must have had a Vision of what the country would become after Independence. That Vision has certainly not been fulfilled. It is unlikely to be realized with the present generation of the leaders whether Political, Social or Religious as the System has deteriorated greatly.

It is now left to the New Generation, the Gen-Next, to make this Great Nation truly Great. On this Independence Day, one year before the 60th Independence Day, let the country repose its faith in the Young Generation and hope that while achieving their own material progress, they remember to rekindle the high ideals and moral values of those who gave the People their Freedom. And let those of the previous generation who still believe in moral values and high ideals, strengthen their resolve to keep those beliefs and also encourage the young generation to chose the right path.

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