We owe it to ourselves to be detained by the question why our moral thread is unspooling and what steps are needed to stiffen our moral fibre
As we ring in the new, we cannot but consider that the year we leave behind was one of serious challenges — from the governance point of view as well as socially.
The ugliest manifestation of the latter was seen in the recent Delhi gangrape case which culminated in the tragic death of the courageous 23-year-old whose story shook the nation. Indeed, it obliges us as a people to interrogate ourselves. It is true the government moved shoddily, its highest representatives unable to join hearts with angry Indians who protested and were overtaken by first sorrow and then grief; and the Opposition parties and the political neophytes seeking to make a quick mark could do little more than unfurl relentless opportunism through double-edged observations devoid of sensitivity. But the society is larger and loftier than the sum of the government sphere and the political space. How can we fail to ask if it is enough to point a finger at governments and politicians and not ourselves as society?
We owe it to ourselves to be detained by the question why our moral thread is unspooling and what steps might be necessary to stiffen our moral fibre. In essence, this boils down to finding ways to re-anchor ourselves and work towards becoming a caring society. This should be possible in a democratic set-up; indeed only under democracy and under no other system. It will not do to find sociological, psychological or economic explanations for an outrage of the kind that shocked us and made us grieve.
The life in families needs to be made brighter, educators must come to the fore, social leaders have to be nurtured, religious and spiritual gurus must be made to stick to their core commitments and not be diverted by the lure of politics, and steps taken at all levels — from the panchayat and municipal arena up — to integrate our children and youth and give them cause for hope. Less politicking can go a long way for optimism to be wrung out of politics and governance. Leaders on every rung of the social, political and government ladder must strain themselves to set an example. Media too has a role here. It must observe acutely, but also notice uplifting acts and otherwise help raise the bar. Indians have surmounted difficult barriers in the past. The effort to beat back poverty has not been without success though much remains to be done. With clear-sightedness and resolve we can find answers to demanding questions. We wish our readers peace, prosperity, and happier times in the new year.
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