If I’m asked what is it that holds the nation together and help it strive ahead, my answer will be that it is the social harmony among disparate sections of populace that is responsible, and one that has stood the test of time since independence.
To my understanding, social harmony cannot exist if there is a denial of liberty to people who belong to various caste, creed, race and religion. To that extent the current government is doing a commendable job, especially so in the aftermath of Gujarat carnage that happened during previous regime’s rule.
What however has come into sharp focus in recent times is social tension arising out of widely divergent income levels between the privileged few and unprivileged mass of people.
On the occasion to mark 3 years in office, the PM was rather somber. He cannot but reflect on his dilemma. On one hand, there is this scorching GDP growth, something unexpected even 2 years back. The stock market too is hitting highs on expectation of a charging economy.
On the other, incidents like protests in various states against land acquisition, farmers’ death in drought-prone areas in central India and the like have cast a dark shadow on India’s progress.
He had these grim prospects in mind when at a CII meeting on May 24 the PM urged the captains of industries to shun greed, graft and glitzy lifestyles, and instead explore ways to alleviate the conditions of the poor and needy.
In a roundabout way he reminded that the industries have benefited from the growth process initiated by the government. Wouldn’t they now share some of their spoils, thus returning favor to improve the plight of common people?
True, the government has started innovative measures like rural employment scheme. It plans to come with a new legislation for social security plan for unorganized workers who form the major chunk of the country’s workforce.
But the government knows the corporate India too has to do their bit to improve overall economic condition of the country. The notion the common people have in their mind that big businesses are too busy to count their money than care for them has to quash.
If not, the already palpable social tension may explode one day, and if that happens, it will not be good for anyone, whether the corporate sector or the governments at center or states.
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