Sub: “Challenges and Contradictions” by V Ramu Sarma (March 22, 2025). The travesty of Indian politics is the opposition’s inexplicable tendency to turn against the nation’s shared values, which the country is currently experiencing. This tendency is growing more vicious and unusually unpredictable at a time when the country has lofty aspirations to become a global power for the benefit of all nations.
These political entities’ attitude and remarks consistently reflect their rising irritation and despair at not being in power. People who oppose the Waqf Amendment Act, which is being utilized arbitrarily against temple and private Hindu assets to claim as Waqf land, believe that the Sambhal and Nagpur instances were just a taste of what they want to implement in a huge scale. Congressman Rahul Gandhi, who used the example of a girl who aspired to be Miss World and wanted to escape poverty, demonstrated his inability to understand the socioeconomic realities of the nation.
Although this is a commendable objective, beauty is not the only factor in Miss India and Miss World. The ability to respond to questions that need a keen presence of mind, knowledge, common sense, a sense of humor, and communication skills to clearly present one’s position to the judges is only one of many requirements. To be honest, Rahul Gandhi’s “family” has realized that he is a poor political misfit, and the current Congress leadership has no choice but to accept this depressing fact.
To achieve the objectives of Viksit Bharat, an ambitious, audacious, and transformative agenda must be prepared. The literacy target is far off. The foundation of progress is high-quality education. India needs reforms that may improve digital literacy and vocational training availability and quality. With a lively and active generation spearheading the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047, the country’s young embody its increased power. With the active involvement of India’s youth, this revolutionary plan places a strong emphasis on sustainable development, equitable growth, and efficient government.
It is far more serious as long as the political class is still dysfunctional and politicians like Rahul Gandhi are merely attempting to stir up caste tensions and inequality every other day by conveniently avoiding topics that are urgently relevant to the people. Actually, aside from yelling that the constitution is in jeopardy and brandishing a little handbook, the majority of opposition lawmakers are engaging in diversionary tactics because they haven’t done anything significant to improve the quality of parliamentary debate or help the less fortunate segments of society in their districts thus far. While leading the country through a difficult period, the current NDA administration has mostly defeated the threat of corruption.
If India is to advance and realize its goal by 2047, opposition parties, including the Congress, must stop engaging in harmful politics. India needs more leaders dedicated to public service, not dilettantes hoping to rest on their dynastic laurels. It is time for the opposition to wake up.
The author addressed a broad variety of issues that our nation is now facing. Given the discovery of a sizable cash stash in the judge’s apartment of the Delhi High Court, it is clear that corruption is a widespread problem and that the judiciary is not immune to it. According to reports, the fire department discovered money valued at about ₹15–20 crore on March 14 while putting out a fire at the house. The judge’s credibility is called into doubt by this occurrence, even though the Fire Inspector subsequently disputed that cash was traced at the judge’s home.
The author emphasized the significance of infrastructure and education for the nation’s overall growth. It is entirely true since education has the power to uplift marginalized and oppressed individuals. Therefore, both in urban and rural regions, the government should generously fund education and its infrastructure. Furthermore, the quality of instruction shouldn’t be compromised by the reservation scheme. Vote-bank politics must be abandoned by the government and opposition parties in favor of measures that promote inclusive development.
Indeed, caste politics and corruption remain a recurring problem in Indian politics. Reservation politics is just a vote-bank tactic. Karnataka’s 4% Muslim quota in government contracts is just minority appeasement. Politicians now have complete control over the tourist, education, health care, liquor, mineral, and oil industries, as well as Hindu temples. Every day, many forms of fraud, deceit, and nonsense are perpetrated. Money, muscle, and politics are all intertwined. Politicians’ desire to make money appears to have no boundaries. The opposition’s primary goal right now is to overthrow the Modi administration because they cannot stand his third term. Since fewer than 1% of India’s population owns 95% of the country’s wealth, individuals should be forced to work for their living. There should be no more inequality. Then and only then will democracy really mean anything. People still suffer from a lack of access to essential amenities, including clean water, transportation, healthcare, and education, even after over 80 years of self-government. Politicians need to be held responsible and have a code of behavior. In order to punish our lawmakers and give citizens greater authority, the RPA should likewise be completely redesigned.
The essay that highlights the importance of meritocracy and equal opportunity in India’s path to Viksit Bharat “hits the nail on the head.” Instead of engaging in divisive language, politicians should “put their money where their mouth is” and concentrate on enhancing infrastructure and education. They need to “get their priorities straight” and focus on developing the country. India’s young are entitled to fair opportunities, not just platitudes.
The path to Viksit Bharat is paved with obstacles, as Sarma correctly points out, but it starts with a fundamental change in people’s political and mental perspectives. For both Indian leaders and the population, the tenet “Nation is first, self is last” must become the driving concept. Achieving this goal requires combating corruption, which has spread across Indian politics. It’s also critical to guarantee that all residents have access to essential facilities, services, and infrastructure. Viksit Bharat demands that strong infrastructure be built, an innovative and entrepreneurial culture be fostered, good governance be ensured, policies be transparent, accountable, and focused on the needs of citizens, social development be encouraged, and environmental sustainability be encouraged. In the end, the government, people, and institutions must work together to achieve Viksit Bharat. “Viksit Bharat has to be built only through Sabka Prayas,” PM Modi said.
