When we talk about patriotism, this question arises itself that what is patriotism and who are patriots. The most appropriate definition of patriotism might be, “to think good about the people of the Nation and the Nation is patriotism”. Now, the most appropriate definition of patriot might be, “those who are following patriotism are patriots”. Now, we should start our journey from top to bottom and think about who are patriots.
At the top comes politicians, then officers, then business persons, then government staffs and in the last comes the public. Being in a democratic situation, ideally the public should be at the top but all of us are well aware of the truth and we know that what is the condition of the public even being in a democratic situation. Although, the source of power is public but ultimately what is the final destination of the power is known by everyone and it is also known very well that who are the manipulators of this power.
When we did get independence, we had a lot of hope from our governments. It was well known that now republican democracy would be established. It is also known very clearly that who are most important in a republican democracy. It is clear that these are people. But the situation of the people is also well known. These are the people who are suffering from every type of problems. There are two basic needs of people. First is health and second is education. When we look at the stand of the governments, it becomes clear like a crystal that what do the governments want.
It might be that district hospitals, hospitals in the capitals of States and the capital of the Nation would be in a good condition but what are the conditions of the block hospitals. Block hospital is also known as Primary Health Center (PHC). Block is one of the most important administrative units in India and it is this administrative unit which is responsible for the development of any block. Leaving aside the situation of corruption, we will talk about this later. If the basic needs of people can not be fulfilled at the block level then it would be almost next to impossible to establish an ideal situation which our great ancestors had established in the past.
When we have crossed 75 years of our independence, it might be a hope of the people that there would be good health infrastructure at block level, services would be provided with sympathy and good behaviour, doctors, nurses and other staffs would be available every time and there would be a complete patient centric establishment. But when we go to Primary Health Centers, we get the situation different from what is expected at most of them.
Now come to the situation of education. On the name of education most of the parents are sending their children at private schools. What is this? Why do we pay taxes? Only to get saved externally not internally. Now I want to pose a question that what do you do with our taxes. And how much do you spend on us out of those taxes? These questions are not to any specific government rather these are to all the governments since the time of independence. Different political parties are talking lot of things about the poor, SCs, STs and OBCs.
But here there might be raised a question that who are sending their children at government schools. From which classes most of these students are? Aren’t they from poor? Aren’t they from SCs? Aren’t they from STs? Aren’t they from OBCs? If they are from these classes then what are you doing? Aren’t you playing with their life? When the matter comes of your children, you send your children to the best private schools in India or abroad? Whats about the children of the public? Most of the political parties are talking about the reservations of the reserved classes but what would they do with those reservations when they wouldn’t get the proper education.
When you are just talking about the reservations then you are cheating reserved classes and the Nation both amid. How do you cheat the reserved classes? It is generally seen that only those people are taking the benefits of reservations who have some education since the starting and are in benefits since the starting but rest the people of the reserved classes mostly do not get the proper benefits of the reservations. How do you cheat the Nation? When do you promote only reservations rather than equal standard quality education then definitely you do not let the Nation use the best people at the best places. Here one more thing can be brought into notice that by talking about reservations you try to make the people fool. What is reservation?
It can be simply defined that the theory of reservation has accepted that the source is limited and out of this limited source some parts of it are distributed among some classes of people. By means of reservations, politicians are playing at two fronts. At one they are creating class conflict in the society and this class conflict helps them during elections. At second they get rid of the responsibility of increasing the source.
In this way they use the human resource for their own purpose rather than for making the Nation Great. When we look at the misuse of human resources by politicians and political parties, it becomes clear to us that they are also restricting the spiritual development of human beings. How can a man get spiritual height when he wouldn’t follow the right path?
Now come to the point of corruption. Most of the people think that only taking bribes is corruption. Yes, it is a fact that taking bribes is a form of corruption but there are many other things which come under corruption. Being a government staff it is your responsibility to do the works of the public properly at the right time. But when you fail in doing this, it also reveals your corruption and it is also a form of corruption.
At last the question remains the same. What’s about the public? Will they always be cheated by all? Even in all such conditions there is no other way than to hope from the governments. It is hoped that they would bring changes in the government hospitals and government schools and provide equal standard quality education to the whole Nation. And this hope has become strong due to two great personalities of the present time whom I want to address Rajarshis. These two great personalities are Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi Ji and Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji.
Our revered Prime Minister has brought drastic changes at the central level which have added too much in the life of the general public and have uprooted many hurdles of their day to day life. Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji is doing his best in Uttar Pradesh. He has dedicated and devoted his life in the service of the people of Uttar Pradesh. He is a complete public centric leader and after coming to power he is busy day and night in the service of the people of Uttar Pradesh. Before his coming to power Uttar Pradesh was almost in chaos but after coming to power he tried to control that condition of chaos and got success.
At personal capacity and as a Chief Minister, he stood with the people of Uttar Pradesh in every condition. Who can forget the corona epidemic when most of the politicians were frightened to go in public but it was Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji who didn’t only go in public rather stood with them at each step. This courage, will power, administrative and ruling capacity and public centric nature of Shri Yogi Adityanath has made a landmark and will be always remembered in the democracy of India and human history.
There is a need of leaders like Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji in all the States and Union Territories. And the way showed by Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi Ji and Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji will definitely generate leaders like them in future. If governments will be completely public centric then definitely the Nation would be on the right path. With all such hopes I am putting the end to this article.
By Amit Kumar: Research Scholar at Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
