Whispers Forum

Happy birthday to Dalai Lama! Wish you a happy and healthy long life, to steer the Tibetan society through such testing times. Remember Marana Pratap and Mahatma Gandhi. Between those two heroes lives Buddhism, inspiring millions for more than 2500 years! Communism is already dead in lesser than two decades your age. However, like all religions, reforms are overdue in Buddhism globally. It is not the religion of the weak. But it must be proved. One Indian under the influence of Buddhism from his birthplace has already proved it in our own times. Religion is not for the hungry, starving or ailing. So, means of livelihood must be provided. The fingers producing goods and services are the first targets for the proselytisers, whether religious or political. I would like to quote two poetic gems: “bhooke bhajan na hoi Gopala, ye lo apni kanthimala” and, Rahiman paani rakhiyo binu paani sab soon, paani gaye na ubre moti manus choon”.
M L Gupta

Let us pause and ponder about the Emergency, illegally clamped in 1975 without the consent of competent authority. Post emergency, the recorded statements of individuals revealed that even the union cabinet was not taken into confidence before declaring the emergency. It was autocracy all the way.
Put honestly, as a fledgling civil servant, I would shudder to recall and re-live the horrors of that draconian phase. The civil servants must be held accountable for the atrocities committed during the period. The gutless bureaucrats, when asked to bend, chose to prostrate before the political class to demonstrate their proximity to the power that be. They were largely responsible for misleading the political supremo surrounded by the coterie of power-seeking,extra-constitutional authorities. The emergency gaslighted the civil servants with impunity. The bureaucrats behaved like excellent subordinates but bad advisors.
There was no freedom of press with authoritarianism galore. People talked in hushed tones fearing detentions or arrests.
The fundamental rights were suspended without approval of the competent authority.Hundreds of people including the government employees, private persons, journalists and politicians and so on, started disappearing suddenly. They either went underground or were taken into custody on slightest suspicions with no clue about their well being.
Fortunately, the self-assumed power of the political Executive for unilaterally imposing internal emergency,was subsequently withdrawn by the newly elected successor dispensation by carrying out appropriate,deterrent legislative measures.
A K Saxena ( Former civil servant)

While, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Emergency, some politicians have trained their guns on the 42nd Amendment for inserting the term “secular” in the Preamble of the Constitution. This has raised an unsavoury controversy. It is noteworthy that even the Supreme court in its landmark judgement in the Kesavananda Bharti case (1973) preceding the amendment ,upheld the view that secularism is the basic structure of the Constitution. The court found no rationale in deleting the demand for its exclusion. Secularism is not a mere word but an article of faith in the manner we proudly define nationalism and inclusive democracy. Let us stay united with all co-existing faiths and set the on-going controversy at rest.
A K Saxena ( Former civil servant)

One small step in the journey of the sovereign democratic republic of India in these 78 years can be summed up in “tears to cheers”. Indians born 21st Century would not know what tears majority of the population had shed in the previous Century. Even 78 world class books will not provide a complete view. But the Indian films had faithfully captured the reality and essence of that India in tears. That India produced the best poetry and music as “our sweetest songs are those tell of saddest thoughts”. That India was also dominated by alien notions of communism and socialism etc. Before the turn of the century, India had discarded fully communism and socialism and all other isms. Today more than 95 Crore people are covered by social security according to the ILO. The World Bank report shows that extreme poverty rate in India has declined from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, which means that the number of people living in extreme poverty fell from 344.47 million to 75.24 million and 269 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty. Today’s India is cheerful and determined to achieve greater heights. In these 78 years we the people of India have crossed insurmountable hurdles and become the world’s 4th Economy. The challenges today are more geopolitics related, but nothing can deter us. Our journey these 78 years was not stopped even for a day, because we are a knowledge society, hardworking and entrepreneurial. The full potential of our youth needs to be realized. They ought to be given support and rewarding tax laws, so that they enjoy the fruits of their labour without cutting corners.
M L Gupta

I agree with M L Gupta's views. The bureaucrats were equally responsible for what happened during that period. In fact it was the "Over enthusiasm " of some of the bureaucrats, which brought fear and bad name for Family Welfare programme. There is need for change in the conduct rules for civil servants, which should include monetary punishment for deliberate actions against the rules/directions of SC/Constitution.
S Gopal
It is fashion now to resuscitate past events
It has become a fashion nowadays to resuscitate past events, especially unsavoury ones. It is better to stop this process and move on. Also, an irrelevant debate is going on as to which organ of govt is supreme. In my view the organ which fulfills aspirations of downtrodden and weakest strata of society is supreme.
Rajesh Gohel

Democracy revived but administration died The Black Emergency hurt democracy, for which the people of India delivered severest punishment to Indira Gandhi and her Congress Party, which they still remember with shame on their face. But the sinful act of murdering democracy and throwing the constitution of India out of the window inflicted a permanent injury to the administration. It is permanent disability of 99%. Till June 24, 1975, civil servants and judges performed their duty faithfully, sincerely, and honestly as mandated by the law (Rule of Law in letter and spirit). After 25 June 1975 they had no courage to function lawfully as the Rule of Law had suddenly changed to Rule of Wo/man. They simply fell at the feet of the power of the corrupt government of Emergency. A victim of the torture said they were asked to bend, and they prostrated! Contempt poured in these words: “spinal cords were surgically removed”. They have failed to stand straight ever since. Today no organ of the state can proudly assert that none of their community has been accused/charged/punished for corruption, which is illegal gratification for functioning to suit the rule of wo/man.
M L Gupta

Congratulations to both India and the US for enduring partnership between the NASA and ISRO for successful launching of Axiom 4 Mission and sending four astronauts including Group captain Shubhanshu Shukla from India. He is on way to becoming the first Indian pilot to successfully dock with the International Space Station. Sending humans into space and bringing them back safely to earth after two-week- long stay, pose grave challenges. Long stay of spacefarers, outside earth’s gravity, may result in losing the ability to regenerate muscles. Going by Sunita Williams and her co- spacefarer’s experiences, this could even cause muscle atrophy. The ISRO-NASA team, during the mission. is supposed to collect inputs for research in the fields of Genetic engineering and Biotechnology, among others.
A K Saxena (Former civil servant)