H.K. Dua rues death of idealism

H.K. Dua rues death of idealism
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 24
The callousness on the part of today’s politicians, who are not doing the jobs assigned to them properly, is largely responsible for the disillusionment that has set in among the Indian multitudes. This was stated by the Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, Mr H.K. Dua, who delivered a special lecture on the “State of Nation’’ at PGI here today.

Drawing parallels between the nation at the time of Independence and today, Mr Dua highlighted how the ripped apart nation in 1947, just free from the cudgels of decades of slavery, faced the mammoth task of Partition, internal conflicts and plethora of various other problems. Yet, he said, the people had the dream to build a strong nation. Mr Dua pointed out how that spirit of idealism had vanished over the years and hope had turned into despair and anxiety now. “Despite all problems there was hope in 1947. But today, despite the claims of achievements, there is a feeling of despair. India is shining only for the upper middle class in this country,” said Mr Dua in his thought provoking speech questioning how the high standards and ideals set at the time of Independence had come to mean nothing to the politicians of today who were using people as mere vote banks.

“For politicians, people are vote banks who can be fiddled around with. Except for occasional flashes of concern for the masses, the politicians do not rake up people’s problems in the Parliament. The discussions are desultory and most MPs, barring a few, do not even come prepared with their facts and figures. What matters to the leaders is just the pursuit of power,” he said. He also cited instances of the burgeoning criminalisation of politics and how each and every party was openly involved in amassing votes by using regionalism and caste issues.

The speech was followed by a lively interactive session. The Director of PGI Prof K.K. Talwar, welcomed Mr Dua and the Dean PGI, Prof Sudha Suri, proposed the vote of thanks.