Page 106 - Constitution

70 Years of Indian Years of Indian

Constitution
Constitution

'' Opportunity is the child of empowerment, and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exemplified ancient
wisdom in calling for "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas". Just as what is needed is to fashion an administrative
the air over a city cannot be clean unless it be clean for matrix that reflects the desire of Prime
all its inhabitants, progress and prosperity for a few at the Minister Modi for "Minimum Government,
expense of the many will finally result in a dead end. Maximum Governance"
Both have to be shared for the society to be strong,
becomes empowered.
and for this, opportunities should have to be present for
History teaches us that it was precisely during such
every citizen, including the most needy one. For long, the
periods of benevolent rule that the country prospered.
American Dream has been that any citizen of the US can
Conditions languished when harsh controls and penalties
rise through the system and reach the top, and in that
became the norm, as during more than a few periods of
(the)former President Barack Hussein Obama and the
the history of India during just the millenium just past.
PM Narendra Damodardas Modi in India, it is clear that
Winston Churchill spoke of freedom and democracy, but
the world's two largest democracies share that common
to him this was bounded by considerations of ethnicity.
characteristic, else neither would have made it to the very
Britain was indeed fighting for such values, but unlike
top of the governance structure.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Churchill sought to confine
Opportunity is the child of empowerment, and what
such freedoms to those of European ethnicity.
is needed is to fashion an administrative matrix that
After the defeat of Germany and Japan, successors
reflects the desire of Prime Minister Modi for "Minimum
to Roosevelt such as Harry S Truman and Dwight D
Government, Maximum Governance".
Eisenhower anchored Washington firmly in the camp of
The expansion of Digital India has made possible a
the colonial powers, assisting them to get back control
system where a citizen needs not to visit a government
of the colonies that they had lost to Japan. Instead, first
office for sanctions but can do the same at his home
the people of first Asia and then Africa made sure that
using a smartphone.
European colonialism became a relic of the past, a battle
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the wisdom of
in which India played the lead role.
those who have sought to fast-track digital alternatives for
Disregarding the many including within the country who
from now onwards, it is likely to more and more be through
claimed that democracy was a privilege that needed to be
such access that several requirements of everyday life get
restricted on grounds of income or education, the framers
fulfilled. India at the 70th year of the coming into existence
of the Constitution of India made the freedoms guaranteed
of the Republic is on the threshold of entry into a world
by it applicable to every citizen , no matter what his or
where civil society takes precedence and the individual

106 70 Years of Indian Constitution