Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Independence is for elite political leaders and corporates

By Harasankar Adhikari
The TMC-led government of West Bengal is in power for a 3rd term of another 5 years with an absolute single majority. This populist government has implemented several populist programmes for the people rather than supporters of this party. It publicises that Ms. Mamata Banerjee is the symbol of honesty and she has devoted herself to the better living of people or cadres of her party. Dole-based development and corruption are in parallel. Leaders of different hierarchies are involved in rampant corruption or day-night corruption. Corruption has been diversified from tarpaulin, ration to school jobs, coal scams, cattle scams, and so forth. The cut-money from developmental allocation has been officially recognised in an open meeting.
Opponents have been shouting against it. But the TMC party ignores it as politics. Then, Public Litigation Interest moves to the honourable High Court of Calcutta and several orders for investigations into the cases of scams are made to the ED and CBI. Both these central agencies are accordingly running investigations and some of the leaders are suspected, arrested and under custody.
It is obvious because these people have significantly looted public money and cultivated a culture of corruption in West Bengal. TMC cadres are agitating against it because these agencies are purposely used for political purposes by the BJP. But the leaders and cadres of TMC make no effort to probe their honesty. They have made enormous wealth during this tenure of 10 years. Most of them are not from noble families or they left their very highly paid jobs before that. They use the administration as an instrument of corruption deliberately.
Democratic service to the people of Bengal is also an instrument to ensure the self-prosperity of the leaders of TMC. Their strategies for people’s development and prosperity lie within the limits of their dole. Their abusive power mode makes people deaf and dumb. A culture of fear is prominently inculcated in the state. At a recent public meeting near Kolkata (Behala), Ms. Mamata Banerjee asked her supporters to create chaos when she would be interrogated. It demonstrates that she is being investigated by the ED and the CBI. She has made no effort to cleanse herself and her party's cadres of any dishonesty or corruption. She clearly indicated that corruption is the right of her cadres when she is in power. She reveals her dual character of crying for people and supporting the cadres to carry on corruption. She is with her cadres for the vote.
Every Indian celebrated Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav on the eve of completing 75 years of independence with a tricolour flag in each household. But unfortunately, this freedom or independence is for whom? It is for the political leaders in rule or opposition because both categories follow the same line when either one is in rule. This independence is for the political leaders to be free to lie, be corrupted, make wealth, enjoy power, and threaten the people who voted for them. This independence for them is to do whatever they like. But the common mass, even intellectuals or activists, has no right to talk against government policies. They would be punished with incarceration and even death in this democratic country.
At the Lal Quila (Red Fort), the Prime Minister would promise 5 to 7 determinations for a strong, self-sufficient nation (Atmanirvar Bharat), where one-third of the population would remain hungry, ill-healthed, and in other serious crises. For instance, unemployment is a problem for the unemployed, no matter how it is connected with the government.
The colonial rule was by foreigners. But in independent India, the rule is by the own people, elected by the suffering. This independence is for elite political leaders and corporates. The leader will patronise in order to enrich the corporate. The colonial rules snatched wealth for their own country. In independent India, the elite keeps wealth in foreign custody.
When would this type of discrepancy stop? When will Indians enjoy real freedom? Is it not the political leaders that have become a burden to this nation?

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