When the Union Is Not a Sum of the Parts
The New Indian Express Kottayam|December 27, 2024
Given our fractured polity and institutional atrophy, this isn't a moment to celebrate the Constitution. Instead, we should ponder about the future of our democracy and constitutional culture
KAPIL SIBAL

IKSIT Bharat is a pipe dream of the pied piper. The question that we have to ask ourselves today is 'whither Bharat'. We have much to ponder over. The absence of dialogue between the treasury benches and the opposition, unruly scenes within and outside parliament, jostling for vote-bank politics by seeking to appropriate the legacy of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, feeding the environment of hate, and spouting historical inaccuracies to make unsubstantiated allegations. The toxic environment within parliament has reached a situation in which the chairman of the Rajya Sabha is sought to be removed through a no-confidence motion.

All of these are symptomatic of the decline of an institution that saw stalwarts like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and several others who contributed to civilised discourse within parliament.

The reasons for this institutional atrophy are not far to seek. We have a prime minister who, when abroad, extols the virtues of India's diversity; but while at home, allows a political agenda seeking to foist a majoritarian culture that vilifies minorities. The accompanying public discourse is also echoed within parliament.

This story is from the December 27, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express Kottayam.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 27, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express Kottayam.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS KOTTAYAMView All
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Maha Kumbh Goes Global, Will Have Its Presence in Spain, Germany Fairs

IN order to position Uttar Pradesh as a leading tourist destination on the global map, Yogi Adityanath government has planned to showcase the state's tourism offerings at the International Tourism Trade Fairs in Madrid in Spain and Berlin in Germany.

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

TESTING TIMES FOR THE SKIPPER

It's fascinating to attend Rohit Sharma's press conferences. There is a sprinkling of humour, some wit; usually the answers are straightforward and as gripping as his batting in full flow.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Centre's olive branch on perishable agri products

UNION Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Centre is ready to bear the cost of transportation and storage of perishable agri-commodities like tomato, onion and potato (TOP) to bridge the price gap between the producing and consuming states.

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Ministries to be allotted space in new secretariat buildings by January end

Central vista project All central govt ministries and departments to move into 10 CCS buildings coming up along the Kartavya Path

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Send a trolley from each village to stir site: Dallewal

FASTING farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Saturday urged farmers to send one trolley from each Punjab village to the Khanauri border where the agitation seeking legally-guaranteed MSP (minimum support price) for crops and loan waiver for farmers continues.

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

PM hits out at Oppn over caste politics

Says his govt's policies have energised rural areas, but some forces are actively sowing 'poison' to disrupt harmony

time-read
2 mins  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Kharge takes 'matchstick' jibe at BJP over Manipur violence

AFTER fresh violence erupted in Manipur, the Congress on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to uphold \"rajdharma\" and taking responsibility for the ongoing unrest.

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

India Bloc Allies May Move Separate Petitions on Places of Worship Act

The INDIA bloc parties, which include the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Left parties, may move the Supreme Court seeking the strict enforcement of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which seeks to maintain the religious character of a place as it existed on August 15, 1947.

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

The Growing Need to Regulate Crypto

One of the biggest gainers of 2024 was cryptocurrency.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 05, 2025
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Devaluing Death of an Unsung Singh

When obituary becomes opprobrium, history takes a step back. The malicious mudslinging against Manmohan Singh, who passed away last week at 92, by political pygmies and self-serving sycophants exposed all that is wrong with Indian public life.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 05, 2025