[Assam] Democracy in India - AT letter

[Ram Sarangapani]

I thought this letter speaks more or less how the ordinary, common man in
India might feel. There seem to be no heroes. Highlights mine.

--Ram


*Democracy in India
* Sir, – Another general elections are round the corner. We shall be witness
again to hectic round of politicking, feverish promises, earth shattering
assertions of living upto national interests and of course the usual
proclamations and mudslinging on the so called secular credentials. While
undoubtedly democracy is the best form of governance to live under, there
are moments which tend to ask questions and raise doubts.

Successive democratically elected governments both at the *Centre and the
State have turned a blind eye to the problem of illegal migration into India
*. The demographic patterns in Assam and West Bengal have changed so
dramatically over the years that today are not we in a minority? The
governments have become so overwhelmed with the problem and that they have
no solution, so they deny its very existence.

*We have been tolerating terrorist violence and attacks across the length
and breadth of this country for the last 30 years. Indian democracy has
failed to protect the lives of ordinary Indian citizens. Our virtues have
been patience and infinite forgiveness. We have well documented evidence of
who are the perpetrators of this repeated brutal assaults on Indian society.
But no Indian hand has been raised in anger so far*. *Are our democratically
elected governments so impotent?* Or more probably we have the misfortune of
being led by second rate leaders who lack the gumption to fight. I have no
qualms in admitting that our leader cutting across party lines are old
venerable grandparents more interested in getting a good deal for their own
"dynasties" than seeking security and a sense of achievement for the
country.

A great founding father of our nation who is also revered as a sterling
democrat handed over Tibet to the Chinese without even a word of protest.
The then Home Minister repeatedly warned the country against such bowing
before the Chinese. Today the Chinese build up in Tibet is of so much
concern to this country that our democratically elected Prime Minister
thinks twice before visiting Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh lest it annoys them
for they have laid claim to that part of our territory. For a moment let’s
forget Tibet. It was a democratically elected government of sovereign India
who handed over Indian territory in Akshai chin to the Chinese saying that
not a blade of grass grows there. Can we expect such largesse from the
Chinese in return?

*Corruption is endemic in democratic India. In fact it has got
institutionalised so badly that it has become a norm .We have become a
nation of hypocrites as far as corruption is concerned. We are corrupt in
public life, in our civic life, in our democratic institutions, yet we
expect our soldiers ,our airmen and our sailors to be above board and some
kind of detached 'faqirs' untouched by this phenomenon and continue to lay
their lives down for democratic India.* – Yours etc. Rajib Bhuyan, Guwahati.