Happy New Year

This New Year’s Day, which is also the dawn of a new decade, is an occasion to take stock of the past and to envisage a better future. The past month has driven home the rift and strife in the country, and it is only natural to hope for peace. We have still to master the art of being agreeable even as we disagree. We have to learn to take notice of demonstrations before they become protests. We need to learn how to protest, and how to handle protests, without violence. In the larger scheme of things, we are still a young democracy, and in time, we will evolve into a more mature one. We must remind ourselves that our Constitution offers us safeguards only till we ensure its supremacy. And the greatest tribute to the Constitution is a culture of civil and vibrant discourse.

As we look at the New Year, we all want it to be one of prosperity. Various economic indicators have painted a bleak picture, with the stock market inexplicably rising in spite of that. People need work, and jobs are hard to come by. The slowdown in various sectors of the economy is now an acknowledged reality. The government’s newly articulated willingness to listen to voices it has been ignoring thus far is, hopefully, a harbinger of an approach that would lead to a turnaround. Besides the basics, much depends on the ‘sentiment’, which is intangible. Governance and regulation, without evoking fear, would go a long way in boosting it.

While we, the people of India, owe our allegiance to the rule of law, we must secure for all fellow citizens justice, liberty and equal opportunities in plenty. We must be steadfast in our commitment to these values. As the nation marches to a better tomorrow, we seek an economy that matches our aspirations and a country that reflects our deep-rooted and essential secular values. The New Year should mark a new beginning of goodwill and prosperity for all.