Our country is progressing in all fields of endevour. Girls are excelling and proving competence in civil aviation and the Air force as fighter pilots. It is all about grit , confidence and sound training. Hoever, we also witness scenes that push us back on path of progress. Mathura issue and Kairana issue are examples and the sad part it that we are engaged in identifying more such places and announcing this as some sort of achievement. The central government brushes off its responsibility saying that law and order is a state subject. We will ask for the report. There is lot more to administration than merely seeking report. Our officers and ministers have abandoned the habit of undertaking tours, tours to districts and smaller towns. They must regularly undertake tours ( daura) and study the issues and situations and , then, you will not find Shri Ram brikshji sitting with american made rocket launcher. Officers must be allowed freedom so that the criminals can be effectively dealt with. If you keep the officers subservient to you all the time and provide patronage to criminals, you cant claim to be running a good government. Union home minister must say, okay, I am going to such and such place and I will stay there for 3-4 days and discuss issues with DM, SP , local MLA and gram panchayats. Next time go to another place in another state and so on.
We must learn and do all we can , even by seeking foreign collaboration, in trying to provide water to cities, towns and villages. There is no point in making toilets if there is no water at all. How to use recycled water how to recycle it , how to use minimum water for irrigation. These shall be our pursuits . Recently I read reports about Nawazuddin siddiqui learning irrigation technique , taking time off from his engagement in the film festival. We must learn all that is to be learnt in production, distribution and maintenance of electrical power systems. I was happy to read a report that girls learnt electrical technology in some training establishment near mumbai. Yes, these are the things that we must be doing and learning to sharpen our skills instead of trying to produce children under lock up ( hum tum ek kamre me band hon aur chabhi kho jai) or indulging in control in sale of condoms. The duty of high ranking officers, ministers and governors is to keep telling people what to do and what not and facilitating desirable growth. We are not taking steps in population control and nor we are buiding parking lots for vehicles and taxis etc; . Yoga is very beneficial but promoting swimming, track and field events is also necessary. We are good in cricket but football and hockey are also to be promoted by ensuring thay we have sufficient decent play grounds. Training in civil defense, fire prevention and first aid must be imparted to our youth in colleges and housing societies. To prepare responsible and disciplined citizens has to be our priority.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)