Bonds of social harmony deliberately stretched to keep voters polarised: Sonia

In a scathing attack on the Modi government Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that power has become intensely concentrated over the past eight years in a handful of politicians and business persons which is undermining Indias democracy and institutionsShe also alleged that constitutional values and principles are under assault with the bonds of social harmony being deliberately stretched to a breaking point in order to keep voters polarised for electoral gainsIn an oped piece in the Hindustan Times the Congress chief said that all too frequently previously independent authorities have been reduced to tools of the executive ready to do its bidding in a partisan and heavyhanded wayAs a result election outcomes are being subverted by money power sustained by electoral bonds and cronyism State agencies turn on any political party that opposes the current dispensation she saidGandhis article comes amid the Congress ambitious Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra aimed at combating the alleged divide in the country and rejuvenating the party organisationAlso Read Congress president poll Jairam Ramesh bats for consensus upholds prominence of NehruGandhi familyRahul Gandhi along with several top leaders of the party began the Yatra from Kanyakumari last week and after traversing through Tamil Nadu it is now passing through KeralaIn a stinging attack on the Modi government Sonia Gandhi said in the opinion piece that painstakingly built public enterprises which are held in common by all citizens are being hollowed out and sold to one or two private biddersUnder the United Progressive Alliance we understood that it was important to make sure that resources and opportunities flowed to all citizens in a time of rapid growth and rising inequality she saidGandhi said the UPA government invested in health and education and initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act the Food Security Act and Accredited Social Health Activists ASHAS as well as the Right to Information Act and Aadhaar improved welfare effectiveness and lifted tens of millions out of povertyWhile elites and then Opposition parties ridiculed these measures they have been a lifeline during the pandemic and times of economic distress she opinedThis nurturing framework which sustained India for many decades is now under direct attack and inequality has never been higher in independent India Gandhi saidPower has become intensely concentrated over the past eight years in a handful of politicians and business persons which is undermining our democracy and institutions Gandhi allegedThe independence of our institutions is being eroded and their role as balancers of the competing demands and aspirations of a wide range of social groups is being intentionally undermined she allegedGandhi claimed that authoritarian tendencies are becoming clearer with the erosion of fundamental rights being accompanied by a narrow imposition of conformity and obedience from dutiful citizensWeaker sections minorities women and civil society are under constant attack supported by significant sections of the media Parliament is not being allowed to function forcing discontent to spill onto the streets she saidThis dangerous cocktail will only weaken our national fabric and create openings for Indias internal and external enemies Gandhi addedIf democracy is to triumph over oligarchy Gandhi said people must come together and resist these powerful forcesNoting that women have made much progress in the last 75 years the Lok Sabha MP said there is still a long way to goMale violence remains an overriding concern and even now many teenage girls are compelled to drop out of school she pointed outGirls are taught that they are secondary to mute their voices to deny themselves and depend on men for protection The governments patriarchal instincts and view of women solely in traditional gender roles as wife daughter sister make a bad situation worse Gandhi saidAsserting that these challenges call for a new commitment to the hopes with which this nation was founded she said that over the next 25 years India has to deal decisively with growing economic inequalities bring greater integrity to its institutions return to the spirit of social harmony and widen opportunities and freedom for allThis means focusing on the real economy raising employment in core government activities such as health and education and opening opportunities for the excluded she saidThis could involve a basic income in place of inefficient subsidies reining in growing monopolies and committing to support jobcreating businesses Gandhi stressedIn an environment of worsening climate stress and pollution we have to preserve our forests and commons address soil and water degradation We need a democratic environmentalism to make sure that India grows in the right way creating mass prosperity without sacrificing the wellbeing of those who come after us she saidThe future we seek will have to be achieved by us Patriotism means that we have a stake in each other and we must unite in this common cause Gandhi assertedShe noted that against the odds 75 years ago the founders of the Indian Republic set it on the path to becoming a liberal and democratic nationNational integration was achieved while ensuring that our many cultures and identities were strengthened because it was understood that diversity is our strength she pointed outAcross our differences every citizen has an equal claim on India Gandhi stressedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever