Concept Paper on
‘Enlightened National Politics’ (ENP)
“The
ultimate tragedy of mankind is not the brutality of the few, but the silence of the many” - Martin Luther King
‘Enlightened
National Politics’ (ENP) implies a nation-building initiative by responsible
citizens of India, transcending the barriers of religion, party, caste, class, colour, gender,
language, ethnicity etc. that divide and
alienate the people of this country from one another. It will be politics based
on the vision and conviction that India is one large family bound
with a common destiny.
Salient features of ENP
a. ENP
will be politics for economic, social and moral freedoms of India with focus on the common basic goal
of ‘hunger-free,
caste-free and corruption-free India’.
b. ENP
will be value-based politics aiming at providing a creative alternative to the
present party and power politics.
c. ENP
will be decentralized politics with Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha playing the
key roles in nation-building.
d. ENP
will be politics based on the national values of justice, liberty, equality and
fraternity as enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, and on the
spiritual values of satya, ahimsa, tyaga
and seva (truth, non-violence,
sacrifice and service) that are common to religions in India.
e. ENP will be politics wherein citizens of the
country will give more importance to their Fundamental Duties than to their
Fundamental Rights.
f. ENP
will be politics based on the ideology of ‘Democratic Federalism’ inspired by the Gandhian
vision of ‘Gram Swaraj’.
g. ENP
will be politics based on a two-pronged
approach aiming at
a) Promoting
a ‘Common Minimum Qualities of MPs & MLAs’ for a qualitative improvement in India’s
political leadership &
b) Promoting
a ‘Common
Minimum Agenda for Nation-building’
based on the Gandhian
Talisman with focus on the last and the
least.
Seven
Common Minimum Qualities of MPs & MLAs for a qualitative
improvement in India’s
political leadership and public life
1. Strength
of character with selfless service record
2. Harmony
in family relationships and marriage
3. Simplicity
of life and devotion to duty
4. Good
mental and physical health
5. Below
60 years of age
6. Commitment
to attend minimum 85 % of Parliament / Assembly Sessions
7. Ability
to communicate at least in 3 languages (Regional language, Hindi and English)
Gandhiji’s
Talisman:
“I give you a Talisman. Whenever you are
in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, you apply the following
test. Recollect the face of the poorest and weakest man whom you may have seen,
and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him.
Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his life and
destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj
for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find
your doubt and your self melting away.”
Nine-point Common Minimum Agenda for Nation-building based on the Gandhian Talisman with focus on the
last and the least
1. Food security
to ensure that no one in India goes to bed hungry,….Making FCI / PDS/ Midday
Meal Scheme free from waste and corruption, ….Ensuring that BPL cards are
issued only to the really deserving citizens of India without any fear or
favour……….
2. Land & livelihood
rights of landless poor, adivasis, tribals,
and of those made homeless in the name of development to be protected,…Ensuring
that farmers whose land are taken away by the Government for setting up SEZs /
Public Sector Undertakings/ Large Scale Industries / MNCs are compensated adequately
and rehabilitated well…………..
3. Agrarian reforms
to ensure that farmers who cultivate land to produce food for the nation are
well respected for their ‘annadada’
(giver of food) role, …Encouraging natural/organic farming,….Ensuring that
farmers are supported and helped to get appropriate price for their produce,
Implementing land reforms to ensure that the tillers possess the land....Giving
scholarships to farmers’ children for their higher education ….
4. Universal Primary
Education to be given the greatest importance in
the educational efforts of the Central and State Governments,…Establishing Primary
schools and training Primary school teachers are to
be given priority in allocation of funds,… Women to be given preference for
appointment as Primary school teachers, ….Primary school education to be made
enjoyable, playful and creative, ……..
5. Environmental health
and ecological harmony to be ensured and
protected by strict rules and regulations,….Only eco-friendly technologies,
agricultural methods and industries to be encouraged…Pollution of air, water
and earth to be made punishable offences……………
6. Decentralisation of
authority and resources for empowering the Gram
Panchayat / Gram Sabha,.., Ensuring that the Gram Sabha plays the key-role in
local developmental initiatives,…Establishing and empowering ‘Gram Adalats’ to
ensure speedy justice and to punish the guilty and corrupt locally…Political
parties to be barred from contesting Gram Panchayat elections/interfering in
Gram Sabha and Gram Adalat functioning…… Government not to become an employment
agency and ‘Government jobs’ to be limited to the bare minimum and to essential
services….Smaller states to be formed for better development and
administration,… Granting states more administrative and financial autonomy
with accountability……..
7. Youth and women
entrepreneurship and leadership initiatives to be supported and encouraged……. Mutual
Support Groups, Cooperative Farming Groups, Cooperate Industrial Enterprises, and
Cooperative Social Service Groups that protect and promote individual initiative and creativity to be
encouraged …… Salary and productivity to be linked… Sincere hard work to be
rewarded………..
8. Responsible Citizenship
& Value Education to be made part of the
education system at all levels. …Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens are to
be given more importance than Fundamental Rights,…..Entry into Government
services and public sector undertakings to be based on track records of
responsible citizenship qualities and initiatives….. Destruction/damage of
public property to be treated as a national offence,…Candidates for public
offices and elected posts to be people with good track record of responsible
citizenship and non-violent character with social commitment……………
9. Old age pension and healthcare
services to be made available to all poor and
needy citizens….Cooperative Hospitals with local initiatives to be
encouraged…..Doctors and Nurses working in rural areas and slums to be paid
more and supported and helped …………..Pharmaceutical companies and products to be
strictly monitored for their quality and price…..Old age homes/Senior citizens
homes/villages to be encouraged and supported.
Acharya Sachidananda Bharathi
