26.1.13

Re-Public



“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong it's reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” 

- Abraham Lincoln

I found this quote applies rather well to us in India as we celebrate our existence as a Republic.

There is much to question, but the Indian Constitution ensures rights. It is our duty to not misuse them. Among these, the right to life, livelihood and dignity should get supremacy. Unfortunately, we as individuals are helpless.



The right to breathe in a secular environment is important. Anyone who dreams of a nation based on religion - and any name given to it in disguise will not help - has no right under this Constitution.

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Also:

Nehru, Ambedkar and a Cartoon

Cartooning the Constitution: Look before you leak

11 comments:

  1. FV, "There is much to question, but the Indian Constitution ensures rights. It is our duty to not misuse them. Among these, the right to life, livelihood and dignity should get supremacy. "

    FV, Don't buy this view. There is no right to dignity or right to livelyhood in any republic -- the right to life is one that I agree with -- those are benefits that are derived from an egalitarian society where every one has equal opportunity to the necessities of life, but Indian society is far from egalitarian. Racist behavior like casteism and religious bigotry is against various laws -- the problem is that this decrepit republic cannot provide justice or enforce law and order.

    Celebrating the Republic is reduced to gawking at floats and parades and symbols of military power, much like in totalitarian regimes elsewhere. easier to keep the people stupid when every third-rate politician of the past is celebrated as your (and my) chacha Nehru or Mamata didi or Pranab da. These people fed off the public trough and saw that their kith and kin are entrenched in power in the republic, and we have losers in India celebrate them, as if they are some sort of achievers. Hey, don't we all forgive our own family members, so let us forgive "chacha nehru" for endangering the Indian Republic with his avowed suspicion of the armed forces and his moronic decisions that continue to harm us today, and let us all adore "pranabda" for pissing on the Indian economy via retroactive taxation...but I digress.

    The Republic is supposed to provide justice, law and order, and equal opportunity (not equal outcomes as the "right to livelihood" suggests).
    There is only the concept that all are equal in the eyes of the law and there is no special treatment of any one group over others.

    That concept has long been rubbished in India, and replaced with bogus "rights" that cannot be enforced, like the "Right to Education" that is now in vogue, which ironically shuts down schools for violation of this "right", thereby ensuring equal educational outcomes for all, i.e., no education.

    I respect the concept of the Constitution and Republic, and will not work against the values and the idea....but I despise those who are symbols and hold constitutional positions in the Indian Republic that rubbish the core values of free republic every passing day. Hope they are burn in hell...oh right, such a place does not exist...they will have to burn right here, and they are well down the road of bringing it on themselves. That is my wish on this Republic Day, and no I am not wishing any a "Happy Republic Day", as I am not still in high school.

    -Al

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  2. FV, To put it simply (and not ramble), the Republic can and must ensure that it upholds the "Right to Life" and "Right to equal treatment" and "Right to equal opportunity" -- these rights can be enforced by the organs of the Republic as their violation can be easily determined and thus fixed. "Right to Dignity" or "Right to honor" is subjective...the thieves and lowlives in Indian politics seem to think anything less than a parade of security guards and a red light on their car is not "dignified" and "honourable", so making such things as rights will lead to erosion of the Republic rather than strengthen it.

    For example, The right to education just naturally falls out of the right to equal opportunity to earn a living, as education drives opportunity -- it cannot be done by legislation so a bunch of incompetent criminals in politics can be seen as doing something about the appalling state of education in the country. Apparently building schools and training teachers (and providing incentives for people to become teachers) is beyond their ken, so they resort to abusing the rights of Citizens of the Republic and the constitution using the very discretionary powers given to them by the constitution.

    -Al

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  3. The most important right that a citizen can have -- the Right to Free Speech does not exist in the Republic, so excuse me if I find nothing to cheer about this republic.

    -Al

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  4. FV, I have a better way to state it I think -- Only Rights provided by the Constitution are Justice, Liberty and Equality. "Right to Justice" implies "Right to life" "Right to dignity" is just "Right to Equality of all Citizens in the eyes of the State". Boils down to those fundamental rights that we all assume we have in this republic, but we don't in real terms.

    -Al

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  5. let there be justice for everyone esp the poor and the minorities. Let us make of court system efficient and have better police and law enforcement agencies

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  6. Why justice only for the poor and minorities? Why this worthless pretense that the rest of the middle class is getting justice? People who go around pretending that only the poor and minorities bear the brunt of injustice and inequality need to cut the horse manure and accept that everyone is being affected by poor governance in India.

    -Al

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  7. I wrote "Why this worthless pretense that the rest of the middle class is getting justice?"

    Learn to parse sentences right, pal. Worthless applies to "pretense", not "poor and minorities". Get a grip, or better still, get lessons on parsing simple sentences in english. Last response to creative misinterpration of what's written.

    If you actually read what was written (instead of using your overactive imagination), it says mal-governance affects everyone, not just poor and minorities -- the young girl in Delhi who was violently brutalized and murdered was middle class, as are thousands of victims of violence all over India.

    Pretending that the problem only affects poor and minorities is bogus and ill-informed. That's all I have to say to you.

    -Al

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  8. I guess you don't understand simple annotation. After the poor girl got raped there were 15 other (most of them were poor) rapes, and one of them committed suicide. why only get inflamed when 25% (ie middle class) is affected lets think what happens in "bharat" (the other 75%), maybe the discourse of truth hurts but it shouldn't :)

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  9. "maybe the discourse of truth hurts but it shouldn't :)"

    No. the discourse of dishonest stupidity is painful, which you have exhibited in spades so far. Now go bother someone else with your "debating skills".

    You deliberately misinterpret what was written, and go around burning your strawmen and pretend you have a point. I know several precocious third grade kids who can do that better than you.

    And no, there nothing funny with your kind of tactics, so your smileys don't make your deliberate dishonestly less apparent. Last response to this dishonest troll.

    -Al

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  10. Apply an adverb meant for one word to a phrase not mentioned in a sentence is either abject stupidity or crass dishonestly. Isn't it just awesome that such self-proclaimed bleeding-hearts care so much for the poor and minorities in India while sitting pretty in Montreal?

    -Al

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  11. at-least I don't hide in the cloak of anonymity , what I have said is ground reality, there is no room for class system in our country either based on ideology or financial suitability. You could be rueful of what I believe in , but there is a reason , and the reason is worth pondering Mr Al oops maybe Ms Al ( see I don't know who you are) yet you know where I live - even here there is no justice - there lies the discourse - and it is good and vibrant with a happy disposition :)

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