OUR REPUBLIC IN PERIL
now not significantly due to any external invasions or threats but mainly because of our own internal problems and squabbles. And these are largely due to lack of federal democratic governance, more notably local self-government, on the political level, and unabashed pursuit of the free market dreams in the economic sphere. It is the capitalist economy which now masquerades under the supposedly neutral ‘free market economy’ but the biggest myth is to claim that it is really free. Actually it is the other people’s moneys – more so the public properties and moneys – that greedy and rapacious corporate capitalists (mis)use in their enterprises and the tom-tom about ‘consumer sovereignty’ is also another discredited myth. Above all, boasting on the one hand that we are a sovereign, socialist, secular democratic republic to zealously support and promote corporate crooks in the name of ‘new economic policy’ is the biggest hypocricy damaging the basic fabric of the nation. Similarly, shouting secular has become just a fashion but the policies-n-programmes are all communal – of the very many ruling and would-be ruling parties of the country. So much so that they have even packed the modernist revolutionary Bhagat Singh in a hidebound costume which he rarely wore in his militant and mature years, and the lip service paid to him, without even showing his statue fully in the presidential website (extreme left above), just disgusts. When already the existing States have hardly any important powers, their say is being further diluted by raking up or supporting fissiparous tendencies. As for local self-government, well, the less said the better. The Panchayats hardly have any developmental powers or finances. Poverty, ill-health, corruption and unemployment are rampant and growing day by day. Even the Apex Court is frequently humming corporate tunes and the common man is left in the lurch. Not surprising if he falls victim to or is attracted by terrorism or other undesirable outbursts §§§
