At a time when corruption is the way of the world, when scientific and technological advancement as well as wealth generation is considered be-all and end-all of human endeavour, when majorityism is brazenly hailed at the cost of the true spirit of democracy and pluralism, and when hate is exploited as a tool of governance, to talk of morality and values in politics seems to be a voice in wilderness.
But does it mean that the concerned citizen should end up surrendering to the so-called ‘way of the world’? Of course, those who have created this chaos and anarchy would love to see this situation going on, taking refuge in the corruption-institutionalising hypothesis that ‘even Gandhiji would have been corrupt today’.
But what about really concerned citizens of the country? Would they also enjoy sleeping unaffectedly on the hot, furrowed bed of corruption? The level-headed would say a big NO. They would sit up, brood over the prevailing situation and eventually come up with some solution. It was exactly the same when the national convention on “Towards Value-Based Politics” was presenting in the Capital on April 18. People, men and women, belonging to various faith groups from all regions of the country appeared full of zeal and enthusiasm to take up the cudgel to cleanse the contrived corridors of legislatures, to present alternative politics, to see to it that ethical values and high moral standards prevail in the political system and the other realms of national life. It seemed as if they had been simmering and simmering for quite some time and it was there at the jam-packed Mavlankar Hall that they came to a boil.
They in fact created a sort of history by launching a national political party, Welfare Party of India with a considerably broad vision of realising a value-based welfare state governed by the principles of Justice, Freedom, Equality and Fraternity.
Though Jamaat-e-Islami Hind was in the forefront of the launching programme and the media is dubbing it a Jamaat’s party, the organisers made it clear that the Welfare Party would have nothing to do with the Jamaat as the party is open to all irrespective of caste, creed or region with the only condition of having clean image. That Welfare Party would not be just another political party is a matter of great satisfaction for the suffering citizens. With the fact that the party is in the hands of people with clean image and good record of social service, let us hope it would succeed in changing the situation for the better.