Editorial: Report card of a Republic

For a vast majority of Indians, there is still no freedom from discrimination, inequality and atrocities

As India celebrates the completion of 76 years of independence with pomp and fervour, a hard look at the social realities on the ground reveals a gloomy picture; a scenario that leaves a sense of despondency. Manipur is still burning. Communal fault lines are widening as merchants of hatred, emboldened by the ecosystem of majoritarianism, are having a field day in some States. The autonomy of constitutional bodies is being tampered with. The federal spirit is sought to be undermined with the rights of the States being diluted, making a mockery of the oft-repeated “Team India” mantra . The border dispute with China continues to rage while relations with other neighbours are going from bad to worse. For a vast majority of Indians, there is still no freedom from discrimination, inequality, exploitation and atrocities. The soaring inflation is burning a hole in the pockets of the common man while growing unemployment is leading to frustration among the youth. The disturbing images of two women being paraded naked in Manipur, at the height of the ethnic conflict, pricked the nation’s conscience. Instability in Manipur can lead to unrest engulfing the entire Northeast, which has been a hotbed of insurgency for decades. The NDA government has repeatedly claimed that extremist incidents have come down drastically in the region over the past nine years. However, all the good work will come to naught if the raging conflagration is not doused at the earliest. The government owes an answer as to why it has been unable to restore normalcy in the border State.

In an indication of the vitiated political atmosphere in the country, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge broke the convention and took swipe at their rivals during their Independence Day speeches. So far, the convention has been to keep politics out of this solemn event. While addressing the nation after unfurling the tricolour at the historic Red Fort, Modi went a step further and claimed that he would “return next year” if people”s blessings were with him. The Independence Day festivities, often mixed with jingoistic overtones and boastful claims, sound hollow in the face of widening social gulf and growing atrocities against Dalits and other underprivileged sections of society. They come as a grim reminder of the deep-rooted social scourge that refuses to go away. The haunting images of a nine-year-old Dalit boy being beaten to death by his teacher for drinking water from a pot in a private school in Rajasthan must make us bow our heads in shame. The incidents such as these make one wonder whether true freedom still eludes most of the citizens. Though economic liberalisation has thrown up new possibilities for economic empowerment of Dalits, it does not automatically translate into social acceptance as rigid social structures continue to stifle their growth.

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