We, the People of India

Its time to stand up. Its time not for exasperation, but for action. Its time for Indians to stand up and not allow the Politicians and the politics of this country to hold the people of India to ransom any more. Just as our nation stood on the brink of being one of the world leading economic powerhouse, the ineptness, the self serving interests and the corruption of our politics have once again brought us down. This country belongs not to the politicians but to the people of India.
It is a pity that it took a massive terror attack for te people to take action. It is a pity that innocent lives must be lost for the people of India to rise against the barbarians that rule us. It is also a great pity that it takes an attack on our our elitist bastions for us to to be motivated to take stands. For all the farmers that committed suicide, for all the bomb blasts in not so upmarket areas, for all the horrendous crimes perpetuated against the people in the rural areas have never created so much furor as this attack in Mumbai has.
Never mind. It is better late than never. It is time to take matter in our own hands. It is time to make amends for our own casual and selfish attitudes. It is time to make the voice of the people heard so loud that that our governments and politicians, those people in authority who seem to think they are the feudal lords and rulers are frightened into action.
It is time that we the people of India recognize that that the government is not our ruler, but our servant. They are elected by us, and paid by us to serve us. They have taken an oath to protect the very Constitution that they desecrate with impunity through all their actions.
And now technology has given the people of India a powerful voice. A voice that cannot be controlled by newspapers or by the media – for they too operate for the profit of their shareholders. It is the voice of the new media. Through the blogosphere. Through twitter. Through sms. Technology has given the people of India the means to take their destiny in their own hands, by making their voices heard loud and clear. By making our Democracy a true Democracy. Not a corrupt one that manipulated people’s minds through deliberate misinformation and ignorance.
If we the people of India want to see a Golden Age of India – we need to take it’s future in our own hands.

12 thoughts on “We, the People of India

  1. Hi Shekhar,
    You have rightly called on us “the people of India” to take action. After all, we, are the Government. So why blame anyone, after all, don’t they say when you point a finger at someone, three point towards you. If we want change, we have to make some changes ourselves in our own lives.
    We have become immune, apathetic to many of the injustices, the violence around us – whether it be a child being beaten, a woman being hit, a people being massacred. We need to unite, unite as friends, families, a nation. We make nice, preachy films like Munnabhai, we talk about Gandhian ideals, we talk about how fierce we are as a people.
    Can we make change happen. Yes, we too can. But we need to unite, unite for change, change for the good.
    Who are our politicians, both good ones and bad? They are people we help bring to power, they are us. We need to make these positions as competitive as applying for a seat in an IIT or the AIIMS or Harvard. Political processes need to become transparent. We should look at the best practices in other countries and adopt them.
    Many people were talking about the poor state of Indian intelligence during these tragic days. We need to respect our police, our intelligence and security forces. At the end of the day, they are the ones charged with our security and have to give up their lives.
    People giving important services should be valued both with respect and good salaries – the teachers, the police, the nurses – everyone who do the everyday essential jobs. We should fight for their right to get better salaries and have the right environment for them to contribute. Our police stations are often poorly equipped, the men and women are paid poorly, and the weaker among them find it easier to be corrupt.
    Can we do it? Yes we can. But we need to not only talk, blog, but where-ever, we are, we need to participate, to involve ourselves in making this change. We need to wake up.

  2. Hi Shekhar,
    You have rightly called on us “the people of India” to take action. After all, we, are the Government. So why blame anyone, after all, don’t they say when you point a finger at someone, three point towards you. If we want change, we have to make some changes ourselves in our own lives.
    We have become immune, apathetic to many of the injustices, the violence around us – whether it be a child being beaten, a woman being hit, a people being massacred. We need to unite, unite as friends, families, a nation. We make nice, preachy films like Munnabhai, we talk about Gandhian ideals, we talk about how fierce we are as a people.
    Can we make change happen. Yes, we too can. But we need to unite, unite for change, change for the good.
    Who are our politicians, both good ones and bad? They are people we help bring to power, they are us. We need to make these positions as competitive as applying for a seat in an IIT or the AIIMS or Harvard. Political processes need to become transparent. We should look at the best practices in other countries and adopt them.
    Many people were talking about the poor state of Indian intelligence during these tragic days. We need to respect our police, our intelligence and security forces. At the end of the day, they are the ones charged with our security and have to give up their lives.
    People giving important services should be valued both with respect and good salaries – the teachers, the police, the nurses – everyone who do the everyday essential jobs. We should fight for their right to get better salaries and have the right environment for them to contribute. Our police stations are often poorly equipped, the men and women are paid poorly, and the weaker among them find it easier to be corrupt.
    Can we do it? Yes we can. But we need to not only talk, blog, but where-ever, we are, we need to participate, to involve ourselves in making this change. We need to wake up.

  3. Now is our call
    “We, the People of India”
    We all have to start acting now
    Blame game in 61 years of independence have not gotton us anywhere…
    Everyone NOW need to start acting and make sure every government servant, every politician, every bureaucrat HAS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE & ANSWERABLE.
    Let us all put our best foot forward to stand together for the actions to stop.
    Mass education in the interest of Humanity and Golden India needs to be the TOP PRIORITY.
    From the whole world and in global economy, we need to learn and implement the techniques, tools the West is using to assure secure life, prosperity …

  4. I think there is a need for highly credible people to come in political space. They also need to come not through our regular parties. There are many credible smart people who would want to influence Indian political system but will not do so because of the complete collapse in the working style of political parties. The pendulum of inefficiencies of political parties shifts from each another. A congress will go and a BJP will come and the nation keeps on deteriorating at the same pace. As I said before regular Indian political parties have become morally bankrupt and expecting anything from them is like expecting a drug addict to come and treat people on how to keep away from drugs. There needs to be a new political party. We need to form a new political party and use tools like PIL’s and RTI to keep a watchdog on activities of Government.
    One needs to be the government to change it.

  5. respected sir,
    yes this is high time ,crises period for the nation of the billions,not only you but also every indian had tears in our eyes.
    These apostle of courage and supreme valour have exhibited great resilience to see Mumbai is emancipated from the clutches of the tyrannical terrorists.
    Our real homage to the real heroes,martyrs of motherland would be all Indians notwithstanding to whichever city,state,district &profession we belong to should show total solidarity and unity conjoin to fight the menace of terrorism.
    We should also show these intrasigent namby,pamby politicians that we are one and would not let any of these unscruplous creature galvanise it to an issue to garner political mileage.
    Whole nation can take a leaf of inspirations from the employees of the taj that they said they will not step out until the last guest is rescued unschyted,the fire personal who had no accroutments to defend themselves from the granades and bulllets still they carried a remarkable operation,the Railway announcer Mr.Jhendey who put his life at stake to keep the locals abreast of the ordeal in C.S.T
    Lastly it’s an earnest plead to the governance to have a proper crisis management system,a better combat system like the Razo sharp SAS,russian alpha forces.A system were cityizens are taken care of better ,just look at the way the bodies wer being lifted of the streets I mean is this the way we respect a common citizen!A
    Please dont politicise the police force,army,ats&nsg to serve parochial interest,respect the heroes provide police with the infrastructure,well i cant imagine a hawaldar with a lathi goes to fight a gurriela terrorist who is laden with A.K.47,pay forces as per the market.
    Well all leaders from advanis to amnr singhs and from thackereys to mulayams laloos and narendra modis, respect the emotions of a comman citizens dont pander to their instinct after every dastardly act of cowardice& we dont want platitudes,we want action not words anymore we dont want a few terrorists at the point of the gun can hold the entire nation for a randsom,please also prepare a groundswell to have a separate judiciary for these terror strikers in such a way that there may not be any political participation by these politicians and it should be seen the verdict upon terrorist is not tinkered with for petty interest, also don’t dent the spirits of the forces give them proper safety and combat instruments we don’t want to see great Mr.Hemant Karkare to embark upon a dangerous mission of fighting terror with half bullet proof jackets and 303 rifles ,follow the west in a way and make our forces(coast gaurds too)vehemently strong and formidable cover wider spectrums not just the xhylos.
    That’s what i want say and conclude my enumaration
    Jai HInd
    thank you
    Rithwick Chatterjee

  6. Dear Shekhar,
    Yes, we the People of India should and will take charge. We need to fix accountability of people in Government. I would propose that all corporates should come together and tell Govt that we will put all tax money into an escrow account and we will set up a task force that will work with Govt and ensure we spend this money to support implementation of article 21 os the Constitution – Right to life. we have best of brains in the corporate India. We should import technology, ideas, capabilities etc if needed to esnure we have best of best systems, processes, policies and training to cope with organised crime. Each Indian can volunteer to devote a day a month to support such a cause. we should train common man in distaer recovery methodologies. we need to have a blue print that will be managed and executed like any other plan. Politicians from one party are no different from the other. All are made of same clay. it is time we start this ‘give and take’ policy. All of us have been paying our taxes diligently and we dont get even basic right to life in this country.
    rgs
    mohan

  7. Hi Shekhar,
    You are so right when you say that the government is there to serve us… It is high time that we, the people of India woke up to our rights and took an action, took a stand… Changes have to be brought about and if we don’t like the way things are, then WE need to change them. If we are asking the question, then we have to be willing to BECOME the answer. It is time we realise that WE ARE THE ANSWER. WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS.We need to become the DOERS now… IT IS HIGH TIME.

  8. Sekhar, thank you for your valuable post. The terrorists have shattered not just several lives, and historic & monumental places like Taj, they have also shattered (as easily as they attacked our sovereign land) any hopes a billion of us had on our safety, and our national defence mechanism and the political bras that take a joy ride on such agencies. It took precious lives, and several hours of time to arrange tickets for our commandos to reach mumbai, and to take positions. We are a diverse nation- we can send a probe to moon at par with a few of developed nations, and at the same time we cannot prevent few thugs from repeatedly attacking us time to time, visibly trained from same sources. The pity is that we could not prevent it even after we had clear tip, and credible intelligence from several sources. Our beloved Prime minister Singh ji gives a big speach sying perpetuators will pay a heavy price, and within 24 hours he goes and asks for Pakistani help to find terrorists, the world is so glad president Bush didn’t ask help from perpetuators of 9/11. That is how a political leadership can protect its people from Terrosists. Leaders of nations should have some spine in the First place which is strong by their strong resolve and contiction for people, and not bent by vote bank politics. Whatever you said is right. Peple must take charge, its the time we really should take on all currupt and spineless leaders of our nation. You are absolutely right, most of our political leaders are feudal in nature. they believe they are above the law. (Shame on Raj thakare, to name a few) Why we keep quite, and let Patils from state and central goverments be let free after their resignation- why not they they be procecuted as equally as a failed keyman of railway deptment gets procecuted and punished if found guilty for being irresponsible in performing their duty avoid a preventable train accident?

  9. Let the “Reform India” our first priority. We can!! We will!! Do not lose heart and vigour. Be in the race… Give ideas!! Spread ideas!! Make “Reform India” movement a great success!!
    As in schools, children pledge: India is my country and all Indians are my brothers & sisters…
    Now we, the voters have to pledge…
    I’m an Indian. My vote has great power to make my India safe, stronger and united. I’m not in favor of any party. I will vote only for the best of the lots candidate, who is from my locality. I will vote only for service-minded, well-educated, non-corrupt, non-criminal and below 60 yrs of age candidate. I will vote for the same candidate again in the next election only if he/she has fulfilled all the promises, made the government more responsible, deliverable & progressed. If all the candidates are bad, i have the right to use 49-0 power to remove all the candidates from the election.
    This pledge has to deeply evolve everyone’s mind to vote only to the right candidate.
    (All the NGO’s, college students, diplomats in India can conduct voter’s awareness campaign across India and make all voters pledge. Circulate this by email too.
    Result within one election:
    Once we adhere to our pledge and vote accordingly, our government is reformed within one election. And for sure, the government machinery will get reformed too as best of the lots are in the power as well as in the opposition too, corruption will be reduced drastically, and will deliver the best to their people. And from the next election onwards, all parties will start keeping best candidate only.
    Please do reply with your suggestion & advice on the above to rajansangam@gmail.com.
    I wish you can make a big movement in your city for making awareness among the citizen and pledge to vote for the right candidate.

  10. Looking at what actually is going on in the country every one of them finds a justification in criticizing the leaders. Sixty years before while floating the constitution of the country in the Parliament, Dr. Ambedkar must not have even thought a time will come when it will be battered by his own countrymen. Now, Sixty years later, India is seen as a third world country, or in politer words-A Developing nation. Why?
    It is because of the government that has been fooling around since 60 years. The government of which the people will take no more. The government that needs a change.
    “We need to be the change we wish to see in the world”
    -Mahatma Gandhi
    India’s GDP is growing at close to nine percent and is expected to reach ten percent. India overtook Japan this year in the number of billionaires, with 36 billionaires worth a total of $191 billion, while Japan’s 24 billionaires were worth $64 billion. This is a good news! But it is also important to note that the majority of our population lives at less than Rs. 20 per day, mostly in rural India. Benefits of growth and prosperity are not reaching rural India and it is spiraling towards increased poverty
    Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software – a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 and yet India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
    India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence and yet now all you get see today in India is violence.
    • Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.
    • Mark Twain said: India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.
    • French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.
    • Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said: India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her borde
    Other problems can wait, our country can not. Join me

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.