The Kudankoolam Nuclear project in TN is stalled due to
prtotest.Jaitapur could not take off for the same reason.In the past
the Vedanta mining project,Orissa,could not be realised owing to same
reasons. The real controversy was sparked off by the PM Manmohan Singh
when he said, "....there are NGOs, often funded from the United States
and the Scandinavian countries, which are not fully appreciative of the
development challenges that our country faces." Without going into the
merits of what Mr PM has said, I see these developments from a
different perspective.
'What is the space for dissent in a Democracy?' is the moot question. Whether throttling of dissent is justifiable in the guise of 'development?' In a democracy like ours we cant sideline these questions.
'development' is a relative term. Therefore it is bound to have different voices. Reconciliation is the function of democratic politics. Attributing 'motivation' to the dissenting voice is anti-democratic.By attributing 'motivation', Mr PM, probably wants to prejudice the minds of public in large, thereby wants to escape from the labouring task of what Bismark said,"politics is the art of the possible"
Pratap Bhanu Mehta has rightly said that--“The prime minister unwittingly showed what a banana republic India can be. If a few crores here and there, given to NGOs which have no instruments of power other than their ability to mobilise, can bring this country to a standstill, then we are indeed in deep trouble.Banana republics are more paranoid about dissent than self-confident democracies.”
'What is the space for dissent in a Democracy?' is the moot question. Whether throttling of dissent is justifiable in the guise of 'development?' In a democracy like ours we cant sideline these questions.
'development' is a relative term. Therefore it is bound to have different voices. Reconciliation is the function of democratic politics. Attributing 'motivation' to the dissenting voice is anti-democratic.By attributing 'motivation', Mr PM, probably wants to prejudice the minds of public in large, thereby wants to escape from the labouring task of what Bismark said,"politics is the art of the possible"
Pratap Bhanu Mehta has rightly said that--“The prime minister unwittingly showed what a banana republic India can be. If a few crores here and there, given to NGOs which have no instruments of power other than their ability to mobilise, can bring this country to a standstill, then we are indeed in deep trouble.Banana republics are more paranoid about dissent than self-confident democracies.”
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