The people of India have once again reposed their faith in UPA and given it the power to guide the destiny of the nation for second term. Election of Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister for the second time is a tribute to leadership qualities of the soft-spoken and sagacious personality of Dr. Singh.
India has again rejected the traders of hate who wanted to divide people on communal lines by exploiting baser sentiments of human nature. Three cheers to democracy and thousands of salutes to the wisdom of common Indian voters! The results showed that people are for peace, progress, stability and non-communal approach.
Now it is the responsibility of the present government to give the people what they want and deserve. People are hopeful that a new period of national reconciliation and overall development, with justice for all and discrimination against none is just at their doorsteps.
On this occasion, it is good to recall that the decline of Indian National Congress started in late eighties when it presented the negative image of a party whose leaders were corrupt and more interested in making themselves rich at the expense of the common man. At that time, the BJP appeared on the political horizon with its agenda of minority bashing. Demolition of Babri Masjid was the vilest act of communal forces, which vertically polarized people on the basis of hatred, fear and pseudo-religiosity. The caste-based parties of Mulayam Singh, Lalu Prasad, etc filled the vacuum created by the absence of a strong and principled party. Muslims who had lost hope of getting justice and fair play and felt extremely alienated after December 1992, were attracted by the rhetoric of caste-based parties who assured some help to them in states like UP and Bihar. But the recent elections have turned a new leaf and trends suggest that communal parties, like BJP and Shiv Sena have been permanently pushed to the periphery of national politics. The caste-based parties also have been put on notice that they would no longer be allowed to guide the destiny of the nation on the basis of their pandering to caste sentiments. Leaders like Mayawati, Lalu and Mulayam now appear to have exhausted their appeal to the Indian voter. Muslims did not get the expected justice from them also. Now the whole nation including the principal minority is looking to Congress which is leading the UPA.
The first task of the UPA Government should be promotion of justice for one and all. Secondly, they should put an end to discrimination against minorities and marginalized sections. Thirdly, they should concentrate on alleviation of poverty and uplift of the poor, who, according to World Bank survey, constitute not 25 per cent but more than 75 per cent of population. The new Government should not shun its social responsibilities and give utmost importance to public health, education and village development.
If the UPA Government comes up to the aspirations of the people who voted it to power and fulfils its promises, then there is a strong hope that the people will respond positively and India can see a period of comprehensive human and economic development, which can really make it a moral and economic super power.