I am hurt and saddened by the vicious assault resulting in the death of the brave young daughter of India and like my countrymen, I am distraught and upset by the state of affairs in my country.
I wonder, what I can do and how I can help prevent such heinous and inhuman acts. At this juncture I only wish to reaffirm my faith in my personal moral and ethical values and hope I can lead by example. I can also express myself and add my voice to the millions of outraged countrymen and women, hoping to be heard someday.
Right after the horrific incident, we waited for the Home Minister to speak, for the Prime Minister to address the shocked and stunned nation. But why only them? Are these the only two departments of the government which need to act?
It seems strange that the Minister of Law and Justice had nothing to say on the issue. In fact, he should have been the first to ask for convening both the houses of Parliament, to discuss and debate the pending criminal bill.
The Surface Transport minister has to be made accountable. This was the platform he should have used to suggest measures to streamline public and private transport including bus routes, depots, bus-passes, timings, public conveniences and security to be put in place and to be adhered to by the public.
The Urban Development Minister along with the Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation should have spoken of the lop sided development, and addressed issues of migrant labour, outlined ways to manage these displaced and marginalized sections.
The Information and Broadcasting ministry's silence at this juncture is a cause for concern. Why not channelize public opinions and views, garner support and make the voices heard? Along with the Ministry of Culture, outline programs to raise the awareness, morale and pride of the Indian people, in her rich and great traditions?
We would definitely want to hear the Youth Affairs Minister, the Minister for Labour and Employment, the Education Minister, and review their programs in schools and colleges aimed at development of Youth, both emotionally and socially.
I believe mental health falls under the purview of the Ministry of Health and along with the Human Resource Development Ministry, it had to come out with compulsory bi-annual orientation programs for personnel including drivers, to sensitize the work force on various delicate issues-including foreign tourists and women.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Women and Child Development need to assert their presence. A policy on involving the NCC, NSS, Community policing, mobilisation of paramilitary forces and other quasi government organizations within their fold, needs to be framed. In my view, every department, including Statistics and Programme Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs should have spoken that day.
It would be foolhardy to believe that this malaise affects the police and judiciary alone. Unless every department works in tandem, such unspeakable crimes will continue to shock us. From the health of the nation, one diagnosis can surely be made..there is complete failure and breakdown of the government machinery.
Did the great poet Rabindranth write about this time..?
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake...
