E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Is There an Alternative to… 169achieved and maintained through intrigue and naked militarypower. But, of late, physical possession of territory has becomeless important. What is aimed at is the creation of client statesthat are willing to serve the economic, military, political, orideological interests of the other, while still preserving theappearance and appurtenances of sovereignty.In both these areas, serious threats have emerged.Within the country, we find areas in which the commitment tothe sovereignty of the Central State has been corroded. Thethreat may turn even more serious if some of the forces that Ihave referred to act in concert. It appears that the economicpressures that are being exerted from foreign countries andmultinational corporations or multinational economicinstitutions may also contribute to the inhibition of sovereignty.If the history of other developing countries offers anylesson, this threat cannot be brushed aside as non-existent.Even those who believe that the concept of sovereignty itself isunder attack in the world today must be able to distinguishbetween the surrender of some of the attributes of sovereigntyby all nations, and the surrender or atrophy of the sovereigntyof one nation in its relations with another nation, or a group ofnations.I do not say anything about democracy now since Ipropose to deal with it when I come to our political institutions.But, before we turn to them, let us look at anotherindex, the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principlesoutlined in the Constitution.The Articles that enshrine Fundamental Rights haveacquired provisos that render the 'Fundamental' Rights less thanfundamental and inviolable. They have given the State the rightto abridge practically every Fundamental Right, in the name of