E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Is There an Alternative to… 171operation of the economic system does not result in theconcentration of wealth and means of production. Article 40talks of ensuring that village panchayats become units of realself-government; 41 talks of providing the right to work, and tosocial security, assuring a decent standard of life, andopportunity for the full enjoyment of leisure. Artic1e 44 talksof a uniform civil code. Article 45 provides for the free andcompulsory education of all children up to 14 years of age; 46talks of the protection of the rights of the weaker sections, thescheduled castes and tribes. Article 47 talks of bringing aboutprohibition. Yet, which one of these has been adhered to by theState? The case of prohibition is eye-opening. Today, a largepart of the revenue of almost every State in India comes fromthe production and sale of liquor. Do we add to the credibilityof the system by persistently and flagrantly violating theDirective Principles?Now, let us turn to the basic institutions-the Parliamentor legislature, and the judiciary. (Where should one start to besure that one does not attract pleas of privilege or contempt?)Let us look at the Parliament and the legislatures. When weopted for adult franchise, we had hoped that: (i) there would bea Commensurate and continuous effort to ‘educate’ the voter, toprovide him with the information and knowledge that herequired to form opinions on matters of public importance. (ii)Every effort would be made to free his mind of feudal loyalties,fear of reprisals, superstitions, etc., so that he might not feelinhibited in the expression of his views; so that he exercised hisfranchise in an atmosphere of calm reflection, and not infrenzy. The contributions that parties have made in this fieldhave been marginal, if not negative.Since 1969, most parties have fallen in line with thetactic of personalising politics (that Indira Gandhi initiated); ofregarding debates on policy as redundant; of projecting a