We are a democracy, not a country for rich and powerful

Despite all her arrogance, the late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa held a firm hand and did not allow the Center to usurp State’s powers. Today,  be it professional entrance examination such as NEET, or cow slaughter or taxation, everything is being brought under the realm of the Central Government’s governance. States are losing their hold over several subjects in the concurrent list. 

Yet, people are kept in the dark and diverted with breaking news about some TV shows; whether Tamil culture / Hindu culture is being upheld by the shows, etc. Much time and space of the social media sites are spent on whether an actor is responsible for abduction of a colleague/ actress or not. When it is common knowledge that an accused would plead innocence and pray for bail, that takes the energy of all media discussions. 

Deprival of basic human rights, continued use of manual scavenging, beating up protestors in a bid to dissolve those who peacefully assemble to express dissent; dubbing those indulging in issuing pamphlets as Maoists / terrorists and nipping all dissent, is an attack on the very fabric of our democracy. 

Abrogation of powers to itself is done not merely by the Central Government but is also being indulged in by the Supreme Court and the High Courts. Slowly, the division of powers is eroding and the Courts are indulging in deciding even on the policy matters of the State. This goes unchecked, mainly because the State governments are busy with their own petty politics. 

Statesmanship is lacking in our politics, whether it be that of the various States or that of the Centre. Politicians are selfish. While the legislators fight and do not have any intellectual debate of the welfare legislations to be passed by the Assembly, they sit silent and unanimously vote for their pay rise. Even as the State is reeling with a deficit budget, Tamil Nadu’s legislators have hiked their salaries from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. While the hard-working government servants who have worked for long have no pension, the legislators have raised their pension and perks too. Unashamedly, they cheer and clamour for display of government emblem on their vehicles, to enable them to pass through toll plazas smoothly. Jumping the queue syndrome is literally lauded and sought for by our MLAs, who have lost the confidence of the people for whom and by whom they exist and get elected. 

On the whole, it is a depressing scenario. The likes of Sasikala get all that they need even in prison, while the common man is deprived of even basic necessities. The powers that be are silent on tomatoes being sold at Rs.100/- a kilogram. They are busy counting their perks. A nation with all the nature’s bounty is limping with the powerful lobby interested in maintaining the status quo, in order to protect their power and wealth. Dissent and positive discussions are nipped in the bud, activists jailed and journalists silenced - it is democracy not for the people and by the people or of the people anymore. It is getting to become a country / state of the rich and powerful for the rich and powerful and by the rich and powerful.