After committing over Rs 14,000 crores in investment to contribute over 9 Gigawatts of power to the national grid, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is in the limbo because a small minority of people perceive it to be unsafe against immense arrangements made for its safety. Science, technology, polity, social justice and distribution of resources to rightful populace is all a package that does not now weigh up to even half of the weight of an odd number of people's perception. The media, NGOs and social activists have directly or implicitly supported the 'perception' lobby through their activities or expressed views. Reason has been slaughtered by surmises. National plans are being massacred by irrational conspiracies. It is an understatement to say that our future is at stake.
Let us widen this debate a little farther.
If we are to build a dam to distribute water to arid lands, irrigate drought-prone regions, provide drinking water to parched throats - the 'perception' lobby springs up a line of impediments. Sardar Sarovar Project is a glaring example where thousands of crores of rupees of project escalation was one impact while the fear psychosis created by the anti-development mafia was a higher impact. If we are to build some excellent road infrastructure, the 'perception' lobby raises the bogey of land acquisition and diverts national attention. We can find examples for this in every state in the country. If we are to put up nuclear power station, thermal power station, an assembly line to produce cars or any large project that could take forward the nation, it is certain that some lobby raises its cobra head and lunges forward to sting. Media picks up the thread as negativism is always sensational. The NGOs pick up the matter as most of them have assumed the position of 'principal opposition' to governance. Both the proposition of law and opposition to policies have now become street activities and the Parliament or mechanisms of governance have become redundant, toothless and irrelevant. Added to this is the senility of Government - both in age, actions and inactions.
It is a paradox that India has begun to use democracy to destroy itself. Right to Information is misused, right to protest is misused, right to report is misused, right to govern is misused and the power invested in different institutions of democratic governance, whether they are governmental or non-governmental - are all misused, subverted and ridiculously applied. As a result, the country has come to standstill. Progress has been pared. Future has been compromised.
We cannot continue like this forever. It is a paradox that we are the third largest economy in the world but our infrastructure quality has been rated to be lower to that of Ivory Coast. We need some sense of purpose in national life to build a common future. And the lynching mob needs to be rightly guided and governed. Otherwise, the status of 'most favoured nation' bestowed on us by Pakistan will come to mean that they like us because we are on the same slope of collapse like them and holding hands with them makes sense.
Let us widen this debate a little farther.
If we are to build a dam to distribute water to arid lands, irrigate drought-prone regions, provide drinking water to parched throats - the 'perception' lobby springs up a line of impediments. Sardar Sarovar Project is a glaring example where thousands of crores of rupees of project escalation was one impact while the fear psychosis created by the anti-development mafia was a higher impact. If we are to build some excellent road infrastructure, the 'perception' lobby raises the bogey of land acquisition and diverts national attention. We can find examples for this in every state in the country. If we are to put up nuclear power station, thermal power station, an assembly line to produce cars or any large project that could take forward the nation, it is certain that some lobby raises its cobra head and lunges forward to sting. Media picks up the thread as negativism is always sensational. The NGOs pick up the matter as most of them have assumed the position of 'principal opposition' to governance. Both the proposition of law and opposition to policies have now become street activities and the Parliament or mechanisms of governance have become redundant, toothless and irrelevant. Added to this is the senility of Government - both in age, actions and inactions.
It is a paradox that India has begun to use democracy to destroy itself. Right to Information is misused, right to protest is misused, right to report is misused, right to govern is misused and the power invested in different institutions of democratic governance, whether they are governmental or non-governmental - are all misused, subverted and ridiculously applied. As a result, the country has come to standstill. Progress has been pared. Future has been compromised.
We cannot continue like this forever. It is a paradox that we are the third largest economy in the world but our infrastructure quality has been rated to be lower to that of Ivory Coast. We need some sense of purpose in national life to build a common future. And the lynching mob needs to be rightly guided and governed. Otherwise, the status of 'most favoured nation' bestowed on us by Pakistan will come to mean that they like us because we are on the same slope of collapse like them and holding hands with them makes sense.
V K Saxena
President
National Council for Civil Liberties
