REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL - 2011

Our country goes to it 62nd Republic Day tomorrow with much fanfare as always. President Pratibha Patil will address the nation today stating the achievements in various fields and will casually mention the challenges like terrorism that too as always. The threat from outside the border is likely to be mentioned as also internal threats like rampant corruption, poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, non-empowerment of women, lack of educational facilities and health, all relevant even now. What all she addressed on 61st Republic day eve message are still relevant what actually she needs to do is a repeat parrot-like.Yes, changes taken place within one year and they are at the upper pyramid of the society. The gap between the haves and haves has widened and its not a phenomenon it is an ongoing process and the trickling down of benefits are nil to say the least. Corporate social responsibility is at its bare minimum with the greediness rising sky-top. An inclusive society is something good to be mouthed from the top of podiums by the ruling coterie that they are doing with much vigour but that apart nothing worthwhile is being done by them.The ruling coterie dances to the tunes of corporate tycoons for existence and it is a dark fact nothing but a dark fact and even while preaching sermons at the top of their voices they do practically nothing for the good of seventy percent of Indians who are on the border line and the ones below the poverty lines (BPL).Fuel price hike at least once in a fortnight, price spiral of food items and other essential commodities, with no corresponding rise in food products, onion prices at its peak expect assurances to the effect that the prices of essential commodities and food items would come down within a short period, in short assurances and assurances alone rent the air.One thing I know, even I do get bored when mentioning about the 2G Spectrum scam involving a swindling of 1.76 lakh crores, Rs 70,000 crores loss in CWG-2010 scam. Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society scam, the corporate - middle person – media nexus violating the age-old ethical values, please note the list never ends here.Corruption is ruling the roost and it seems as long as the ruling ones are a party to it, how is it possible to wipe out the grimy dark paints from the face of our country. Nominal healing touch won’t be of any benefit to the nation a strong political will is the need of the hour, but that is immaterial s long as the rulers are willful dolls of the business class. Actually the rulers are the corporate honchos but those at the top echelons of power always remain subservient to them.Each day brings with it new stories of stashing away of huge sums in various accounts in foreign banks by the elite of India and many more are yet to come out into the open. The Supreme Court has taken strong note of all these and to the Prime Minister’s stand that the names of the account holders cannot be divulged due to the bilateral understanding between the two countries.On going thru a newspaper, it was learnt that the total amount to the tune of $ 1456 bn of US dollars are stashed away in Swiss banks alone which could wipe out our nation’s total external borrowings totally. Whether our President on the eve of Republic Day while addressing the nation will touch upon this issue is a billion dollar question. In my opinion ‘No’ is the answer.First she unfurls the National flag, as the National Anthem is played, and a 21-gun salute is given. Next, important awards like the Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra are given away by the President, before the regiments of Armed forces start their march past.This time, BJP’s proposed hoisting of a tri-colour flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar has come up as an issue to take up cudgels against them. That apart in the years ‘scams’ and ‘cover-ups’ what else is there to dwell upon for our PM other than parroting the oft-repeated things?