EDITORIAL

Challenges to Freedom

Protecting freedom is as difficult as fighting for it. True freedom means democracy. True freedom not only just respects every citizen but also fully assures him or her unrestricted independence of expression, action and association. In doing so it creates an army of silent warriors who enjoy and cherish freedom and hence rise to safeguard it. Dangers to freedom are many. If belligerent neighbours pose external threat, jaundiced elements offer internal danger. If poverty poses social threat, lopsided development creates ideological threat. Governing a democratic nation is both easy and fascinating if policies are clear, if policies are people-oriented as against perk-oriented, and if policies reduce the gulf that divides people on caste, creed and religion and in economic status.

Then, freedom would mean something precious for everyone, something that needs to be promoted and preserved. Then, every citizen develops an abiding commitment to it, a voluntary submission to the system and an unstinted faith in freedom. Then, transcending barriers of caste, creed, religion and class, people will move by themselves in the right direction designed by freedom. The greatest achievement of Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom movement was to accomplish this unique, historic and unprecedented task. The seeds he and his associates had sown then sustained India, its pluralistic polity and its democratic values this far, half a century after independence.

If inspite of innumerable hurdles - both external and internal - India could carry along its impoverished millions and yet reached a stage to be counted as one of the ten industrialised nations today, the credit goes in no small measure to the harmony we have achieved during the freedom movement among our diverse ethnic groups and cultural entities. And if inspite of the severe cold war onslaught and a number of wars, the nation is united and continues to stand by its democratic, socialist and secular values, it is because despite the agents of provocation the various communities, castes and classes strongly believe in the principles that made India great since times immemorial. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad spoke for all of us when he said in his presidential address at the Ramgarh session in 1940 that "it was India's historic destiny that many human races and cultures and religions should flow to her, finding a home in her hospitable soil, and that many caravans should find rest here".

As we celebrated the 54th anniversary of Independence and as we count our achievements and as we plan for future, we must also look back at these free years to assess honestly if we have tripped and where. Such a balance-sheet is bound to show up rather glaringly that the scourge of communalism that vitiated the Indian society for centuries continues unabated. It has become a convenient tool in the hands of politicians and a nasty weapon for those without a viable ideology. No one recognises this malady of our democratic society and no one comprehends its dangers better than the Congress Party.

That explains the constant refrain of the party against communal forces and the tireless crusade against it by the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi. She is aware that decades of hard work and development can be ruined by a momentary, accidental communal strife. She is conscious of the fact that as long as communal minds are able to sway even a small fraction of people, the danger to the Indian nation state will remain real.

Having failed miserably to govern the country, the BJP and its associates have been making hectic efforts to saffronise the entire nation targetting education first. The Congress party being true inheritor of the marvellous Indian ethos shall not remain a silent spectator to this dispicable act. Smt. Sonia Gandhi had given notice to the government when she told the Lok Sabha "saffronising of education at all levels, will be resisted by the Congress party and all secular forces". The BJP has forgotten the people. We have not. Smt. Sonia Gandhi has placed the highest priority on "Daridra Narayan Seva". The recent Assembly elections have shown that her voice is already reverberating in every nook and corner of the country. The twin objectives of waging a relentless battle against communal forces and serving the poor shall remain the credo of the mighty Congress party.