ENEMIES OF INDIA- WHO

ENEMIES OF INDIA—- WHO?

If a question is put to average but knowledgable Indians as to who were the “real enemies” of India. Almost 99% hands will go up in response to say , “Pakistan and China”. I would retort “ No. The real enemy is within” . Pakistan and China are exploiters of our internal conditions.

Some smart Alec would construe them as insurgents, militants, terrorists or even religious fundamentalists . I would again rise in protest to say , “NO”. Insurgents and terrorists are the product of internal conditions created by our “ Real Enemies” .

Have I confused you? I do not think I have done that. I have only tried to make you scratch your cerebral tissues. I bet you know them but fail to see them. They are with you and around you. They are the agent provocateurs of disharmony in the life of every law abiding citizen of India.

Is it still a riddle for you ? OK— let me list them out for you. They are, in the order of priority of descending order, as listed below :-

a) Indian legal and Judicial system

b) Indian Constitution

c) Indian political system.

d) Elements of committed but irresponsible media

You will wonder as to why do I say so? Take Indian judicial and legal system. National security is NOT their concern but the fundamental rights of the individuals who work against the very foundation of the nation. It allows corrupt and dishonest to go scot free. A former home minister and his son were involved in massive financial scam but judiciary is letting them go on bail. Not only this, the son has been allowed to travel abroad. Who knows , he might be destroying all the evidence against him.,Take the National herald case, it has been languishing in the courts for God knows how many years.. All those who were involved in 2 G or CWG scams roam freely. Courts show no urgency . But it sits at night to consider the plea of a proven terrorist .

Then again, while Maharashtra police swings into action to arrest five overground activists of Maoists organisation, who have undoubtedly taken up arms against the state, but the courts put the spoke in the wheel. The judicial system fails to recognise that breather given to such people leads to destruction of evidence and thus allow these guys to go scot free.

Further, courts treat security forces at par with the terrorists. Recent orders that FIRs be registered against soldiers in the case of encounter deaths. Courts do not realise that soldiers are not acting against terrorists on their free will. They are there because the state has asked them to deal with terrorists/ insurgents as they deem fit. This is why ARMED FORCES SPECIAL POWERS ACT - 1958 ( AFSPA-1958) is there. This is an act passed by parliament and courts can not interfere with it. But Indian courts consider themselves above parliament too.

A High Court has passed a very interesting order recently, where by, it has asked NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY OF INDIA (NHIA) to create a separate lane at Toll Plazas for Judges and VIPs. Are they above law of the land? If they feel Toll Plazas are a hindrance, pass order to remove them—- why create a special class of privileges? It is such privileges which are creating not only social tension but also lead to frustration of the “underprivileged”. It is such “reservation” which accounts for class and caste cleavages in the society. It would be interesting to carry out a study of the family relationships of High Court and Supreme Court judges.

I now turn to Indian Constitution. There is a solid confusion. On one side we say that there should be no discrimination based on caste, creed, religion and region . In the eyes of the Indian Constitution every one is equal. On the other hand provisions of Article 35 A and 370 bestow special privileges upon Hill states and J& K. Why is this duplicity ? Take the open ended case of Reservations for SC/ ST and OBC. It has been 71 years but still it goes on unabated. One time reservation in educational institutes and Government jobs are understandable but why do be apply it in promotions. What business do the sons, daughters and wards of creamy layer amongst these castes have to seek promotions in the quota system? But it has become a norm of vote bank politics. Even the present central Government has fallen prey to this. Reservations have a cascading effect on governance . Inefficient, inept and incompetent persons fill the slot and thus corruption becomes rampant. This leads to frustration and violence as is evident from Maoists/ Naxalite movement. Bulk of the People, whom provision of reservation was supposed to help, have not been benefitted. It has not altered not their fate . It has only helped some power brokers . The majority of the unaffected people are, thus, up in arms. What was needed was to make the socially under privileged capable of standing on their own feet and not dependent upon the state. Unfortunately, they have been made appendage of the state. Like Reservation , same is true of Article 35 A and Article 370. They are no more treated as measures to uplift the under privileged but as FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS. Thus it is the constitution which has created her own enemies.,

What about Indian political system? Less said is better. In pursuit of their short term Political goals the politicians harm the national interests. Constructive criticism has given way to political cynicism . Allegations and counter allegations harm national interests. Politicians talk ill of each other in foreign land. One politician, who regularly visits Pakistan went to the extent of saying that Indo-Pak relations can not be normal, as long as Present regime in India continues.. This leads to political bitterness and thus causing disharmony and restlessness in the country. It allows Pakistan and China to exploit this situation. Now think who is the real enemy of India.

Finally , I am afraid media in India is not only irresponsible but an agent of disharmony but the cause of widening the social gulf. Committed and irresponsible journalists, instead of dousing the social fires, add fuel to it by taking up issues which leads to religious and social divisions. Overly repeating certain issues make people the card of Victim of media activism. It happened during Gujarat riots in 2001 and it left its tell tale marks in recent issues of “Beef Row” or “Intolerance Debate”. Controversial Issues like Babri - Ram-Janam-bhoomi case are overly repeated on the electronic media with opposing parties hitting hard at each other. It creates a wide chasm amongst two religious communities. How can a feeling of “India First” be imbibed when religious and caste affinities reign supreme?

India needs to first fight these evils before it can tackle foreign dangers. It is the internal enemy which breaks up a nation. The balkanisation of erstwhile Soviet Union is an example in front of us. Same could be said of Yugoslavia and Chezckosalvakia. India is full of its diversities and vulnerabilities. The internal enemies are not only perpetuating but widening these cleavages. It is the anti-thesis for the existence of India.