The 11 resolutions that Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed in the Lok Sabha on Saturday (December 14), which he explained were “inspired by the constitution”, can act as a robust shield against any authoritarian assault on India’s constitutional democracy. Every citizen should pray that Modi’s initiative comes to fruition, disabling all potential threats to the rule of law in the land of Mahatma Gandhi.
The first resolution Modi proposed is that everyone, whether it is a citizen or the government, should perform their duties. Nothing is more laudable than this. Let’s wipe the slate clean and expect Modi to perform his duty as the prime minister. While his first visit now will be to Manipur, he will henceforth strictly follow the constitutional spirit to ensure every citizen is treated with equality, accorded the same privileges and protected by the state from all forms of injustice.
Every charge of wrongdoing, be it against Gautam Adani or Ajit Pawar, will be investigated. No more those “ghuspaithia (intruder)” barbs, no more tolerance of toxic communalism, no more violation of constitutional principles. The instruments of the central government – Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax department (IT) and police – will act with strict fairness, rendering the disquieting allegations of biases and vendetta to be the tales of dreadful anachronism of a forgotten past.
Imagine what a wonderful country India will become if every institution works in accordance with its mandate, every official adheres to rules, every professional maintains ethical standards. No more violations of norms to award contracts, ports, airports to favourite capitalists. No more protection of friends and hounding of foes on extraneous considerations. Thank you Modi ji.
The judges will give verdicts purely on merit. Bureaucrats will resist illegalities, intelligence agencies and police will oppose surveillance, police will stop framing honest people, journalists will explore truth. Let every citizen follow the prime minister’s instructions and “perform” their duties without fear or favour.
The second resolution is that every sector, every society should get the benefit of development, there should be development for all with everyone’s support. This concept too flows out of the principle of equality that our constitution guarantees. Every sector, every society will get the benefit of development, signalling a paradigm shift in policy-making that has so far demonstrated an urban bias.
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Villages will have schools and well-equipped hospitals, projects will not be shifted from Maharashtra to Gujarat, and Opposition-ruled states need not cry over discrimination and lack of funds. That sectarian approach to build only temples and develop only Hindu pilgrimage centres will be discarded now. Instead of wasting resources on statues, memorials, bullet trains and expressways, funds will be discreetly utilised on building infrastructure used by the majority of the poor.
The third resolution is that there should be zero tolerance towards corruption, there should be no social acceptance of the corrupt, there should be no social acceptance of the corrupt. Modi’s nobility knows bounds. Let bygones be bygones. Now, there will be no protection of the corrupt even if he or she joins the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Junk that washing-machine nonsense. Now, if Bofors was investigated so thoroughly, so will be Rafale.
Every charge of wrongdoing against corporate houses, every scandalous case of hair-cuts that banks took, every contract that was given by bending rules will be investigated. Rahul Gandhi will be ashamed of making wild allegations about Modi helping Adani in getting contracts and blocking or slowing down investigations. If the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) finds irregularities in Ayushman Bharat or road projects, the CBI will get cracking. And the most famous refuge for the tainted politicians will be closed down.
The fourth resolution is that the citizens of the country should feel proud in following the laws of the country, the rules of the country, the traditions of the country, there should be a sense of pride – wonderful idea. Why hide behind nationalism if caught on the wrong foot? Offer scrutiny, invite agencies to find out the truth. Why break the rules by screaming and dancing with swords in front of a temple? Why take the law in your own hands by lynching suspects of cow smuggling?
Take pride in India’s established tradition of composite culture, of peaceful co-existence, of the values espoused by Buddha and Gandhi. No point in denigrating freedom fighters like Jawaharal Nehru who made exceptional sacrifices for the country. It looks terrible when greenhorns with little contributions to society and the nation abuse national heroes. That’s not our tradition.
The fifth resolution is that there should be freedom from the mentality of slavery, there should be pride in the heritage of the country. Doubtless, the heritage can’t be disowned or distorted. Freedom is non-negotiable and all forms of fear and slavery need to be abolished.
The sixth resolution is that the politics of the country should be freed from nepotism. This is critical because democracy doesn’t give birth right to rulers to promote their sons and daughters. Let them struggle and earn legitimacy and success in whatever field they choose. A Rahul Gandhi will have to struggle for decades and become the prime minister only if people give him the mandate. If somebody becomes the head of any national or international body without requisite skills and talent, questions about nepotism are bound to arise.
The seventh resolution is that the constitution should be respected, the constitution should not be used as a weapon for political gain. Can there be any quarrel with this proposition? Can any party, institution or individual be honourable without an unflinching faith in the constitutional principles of equality, justice, fraternity and secularism? In fact, every outfit and individual who violates these principles should be declared illegal and unfit for public life.
The eighth resolution is that the reservation that is being given to those who are dedicated to the spirit of the constitution should not be snatched away and every attempt to provide reservation on the basis of religion should be stopped. No dispute at all. Religion cannot be basis of special privileges or discrimination.
Ninth resolution, India should become an example for the world in women-led development. Women indeed need the highest priority. While empowerment of women should be the top priority for any government, no political protection should be given to criminals and rapists. This includes the troll army that abuses women day and night on social media.
The tenth resolution, development of the nation through development of the state, this should be our mantra of development. The prime minister must have realised how he played havoc with the concept he espoused at the very beginning of his tenure in 2014 – cooperative federalism, making every opposition-ruled states scream discrimination and deprivation. Modi’s newfound tendency to correct his own mistake should be hailed.
The eleventh resolution, the aim of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat should be paramount, Modi said. Which India will contest this wonderful construct, of Ek Bharat which entails unity, and Shreshtha Bharat, which calls for a nobility of Gandhian morals. India is known for compassion and tolerance, for love and forgiveness. Let’s all pay heed to the prime minister’s call and work for peaceful and exalted existence.
Modi concluded his speech with these kind words: “If we move ahead together with this resolution, then the spirit of the constitution – We the people – we should move ahead with this mantra and the dream of a developed India should be of everyone sitting in this House. When the dream of 140 crore countrymen is realised and the country moves ahead with a resolution, it brings the desired results.” Hope the prime minister’s wishes come true.
An India where poets, writers, lawyers, journalists and students are dumped in jail on false charges can’t be a matter of pride. An India where an honourable 84-year-old activist dies in prison crying for a straw because he can’t drink water from glass because of an ailment is not a Shreshtha Bharat. An India where citizens’ political consciousness is controlled and freedoms are mutilated is not desirable. Hope the 11 resolutions are not allowed to flow down the waters of forgetfulness like the countless promises of welfare that now rest in oblivion.
Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.
