Good morning all of you. 

India nears the centenary of its independence in 2047, we are in the last quarter of the century. If we look around, in the last decade or so, the economic upsurge, exponential infrastructure growth, last mile delivery to the people who concern us, आम आदमी – toilets, piped water, gas connection, electric connection, road connectivity, internet connectivity, health and education centres. These have created in togetherness a great challenge for democracy because on one hand no nation has grown so fast in the last decade as Bharat and presently no nation is as inspirational as Bharat. 

We have a demographic dividend that is the envy of the world and if we take it by some standards, 65% of our population is below 35 years of age, 50% being below 25 years of age which means in abstract political terms, we have human resources that can deliver and when you look at the writing on the wall, it's a challenge to those in governance. You have to find work for them. 

The youth wants work, employability, and therefore political involvement becomes quintessential, if we do not have people knowledgeable about politics, keen to be part of policy evolution, the country will not be having the kind of quantum job it needs to have or attain Viksit Bharat status in 2047. 

It is good to feel glorified that we are the fifth largest global economy and we are to become the third but to be a developed nation, which you would only study. A developed nation's status is formally not defined but you can draw the elements of a developed nation by seeing countries that are developed. A minimal requirement for that is per capita income of every Indian has to go eightfold and therefore we at the moment are having a political turmoil in the country. 

Constitutional Assembly set high standards, politicians must come together, must converge, must engage in dialogue, not disruption, must have a consensual approach, not confrontation and they managed to give us a good Constitution in less than three years, 18 sessions traversing some of the most contentious and divisive issues. Currently we find our temples of democracy are dysfunctional as never before. Anything but debate and discourse happens there. The kind of scenes we saw in temples of democracy, parliament and legislature are certainly not inspirational for anyone in the country. It is here the role of your category comes, the role of youth comes. 

You are a great powerful pressure group, social media has given you potency. You are in a position to engage in audit of parliamentary institutions, their functioning, performance of parliamentarians. You can show the mirror to those who rather than engage in discharge of their solemn Constitutional obligations are engaging in standards that no parent would want her child or his child to see. That scenario has to change, that can change only when people get involved with policy making, learn nitty-gritty of politics because then you can ask questions.

Once our temple of democracy now is a ground. अखाड़ा बन गया है, कुश्ती दंगल बन गया है। क्या कुछ देखने को नहीं मिल रहा है! क्या कुछ सुनने को नहीं मिल रहा है! मर्यादा, शब्द ही लोग भूल गए हैं। गरिमा नाम की कोई चीज़ नहीं रही है। दुनिया की 1/6 आबादी भारत में है। हमारी सांस्कृतिक विरासत 5 हज़ार साल की है। We take pride, we are the mother of democracy. We are the oldest democracy. But are we justifying that claim? If I look around, contemplate scenario, I am a worried man. 

The political climate in the country is alarmingly worrisome, political parties have no meaningful dialogue amongst themselves, they do not deliberate on issues of nationalism, security or development. You will find confrontational stance solidifying, disturbance has been weaponised as a political strategy. 

Look at the kind of language used from all quarters, right, left and centre that not only belittles Indian mind, but tarnishes the fair name of our civilisation. It lies in the domain of young people and particularly of the kind who show inclination as you have done to see that at the end of the tunnel there is some ray of hope.

I find young people reservoir of talent, they are the most vital stakeholders in governance and democracy. They will drive the engine of Viksit Bharat at 2047. And this they can achieve only when they are fully aware of the problems. 

I am concerned as Vice-President of the country that the expression and dialogue these twins fundamental to blossoming of any democratic value are fast receding in background. People are judgemental, they have a view. I am alone right, all others are wrong without listening to the other point of view. 

We have talked things and we go from one to another but we must focus on, I would say, a development that is well spread out, a development that gives us satisfaction, that gives us respect, that makes us take pride in our country. Now issue arises, what can an individual do? And let me tell you, the major contribution in making Bharat great, Vishwaguru for a developed nation, the key is in your hands. It is an individual's contribution that can go a long way. Let me focus, why should we take kindly to disturbance of public order? Someone gets a notice from a lawful authority. He or she happens to be a politician, people take to streets. It is savagery, it is violation of law. It is disrespect of democratic norms and high and mighty are doing it. Can this be allowed? Public order has to define democracy but when there is public disorder, orchestrated for political gains, or to raise the might of an individual, that yes, you can bring about stoppage of traffic, paralysing daily life by ravaging public order, we don't react, we take it in the matter of course. 

Destruction of public property, stone building of trains, setting fire to government buildings, where are we heading? Society has to rise in unison to name and shame these people. The system has to work in a manner to hold them accountable and penalise them fiscally also. A nation has to be defined by discipline, every individual can do that.

What I am suggesting is that while our rise is meteoric, global institutions are avoiding us. We should not be carried away because there are issues we have to address. There are loose ends that have to be tied, if we fail to do that, the fragility which is there may be exposed. Therefore, we have to be extremely alert as individuals. 

You would have seen these days avalanche of information and misinformation. Narratives are being built because of technology, the world has shrinked, not physically but otherwise and therefore, it takes no time for forces inimical to our interests, whose strategy is to destroy our nationalism. They can converge easily. Therefore, every young man has to perform his or her duty. We need trained people in policy making. We need trained people who know politics. 

It is not easy to hold government accountable, the only way to hold government accountable is through the platform of legislature and mind you, when you hold government accountable, you are helping the government. Anyone would like to improve, but someone has to tell him or her that these are the areas of concern where you need improvement. It is something like you go to a doctor, you feel you are fit, but doctor can tell you you are not fit, you have to focus on certain areas. Therefore, my earnest appeal to the young people of this country, it is your time. You are the driving force, you are restive, you are in restlessness, you have to find a way.

Fortunately, India offers a very rich basket of opportunities for the youth. The government has taken initiatives by way of proactive policies to hand-hold you. It is a fundamental role of politicians and those engaged with politics and don't mistake these two words for representatives of the people. You can be in politics without being a representative to make people aware that you perform your duties above your rights. To make people aware that you can generate employment. Start-ups, look at the fabric of start-ups, most of them are now coming up in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Catering to local requirements. 

When the genius of the Indian mind is unbeatable globally, let us not fail. We have a fundamental right in the country and the right is we can access judiciary. It is a fundamental right but in the last few decades, access to judiciary has been weaponised. It has been weaponised to a level, it is posing a great challenge to our governance, our democratic values.

Day in and day out you will find advisories emanating, executive functions being performed by bodies that have no jurisdictional or jurisprudential authority or competence to perform those actions. To put it in layman's language, a Tashildar can never record an FIR. However strongly he may feel because our Constitution ordinance institutions have to work within their own domain. Are they working? I will answer for you, No.

Institutions are yielding ground to other institutions and that is being done out of expediency. These placatory mechanisms may result in short-term gain but they cause incalculable spinal damage in the long run. Therefore, I urge you you have to think. Once you think, connect with the people. Make them aware, No nation is as rich in human resources as Bharat but we have to audit ourselves. We can't rest on laurels that are superficial. We have to go to the basics. 

Space economy our ISRO is doing wonders but look at our share in space economy. it must at least match our demographic component. Blue economy patents. 

Parliament politics define our nation's growth, they motivate and inspire people to go to the next level in research and development. They provide leadership to corporates, they promote economic nationalism but right now all I can say is since, I occupy a chair, Chairman Rajasabha. I see all these problems and they are before me, talented people not before me.

You must have some tough questions I'll give you three rest you consider. 

One, why should there be whip? Whip means you are curtailing expression. You are curtailing freedom, you are subjecting a representative to servility. You don't allow such a person to use his or her mind. Examine whether US has a whip or not. Find out in last ten years, how decisions of Senate have been influenced by persuasion but when you issue a whip there is no persuasion.

To persuade whom? Chaos deception, disturbance and the kind is remote controlled in the house. They step in the temple with firm determination to carry out a command that this day is a day of dysfunction in the parliamentary legislature, examine it. Political parties are supposed to promote democracy but do the elected representatives have the freedom of expression? Whip comes in the way. 

Number two; Think for a while a representative can vote for the President for the Vice-President keeping his vote secret but such a person member of the assembly cannot keep his vote secret while voting for election of a Rajya Sabha member, why? Nominated members, twelve in number can vote for the election of Vice-President but not for the President and the justification is on quicksand. The President appoints them but the situation went under big change. The President under Constitution is now ordained to exactly do what the council of ministers does, so is the difference. Examine what is happening in other countries also, this is very, very important.
 

Thank you so much.

 

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JK/RC/SM

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