For a long time we have been discussing about personal issues such as our goals, our time schedule, self-confidence etc.. So now we moved onto subjects that deal with a larger number of people. What better way than to discuss the problems existing in the society at present and what we would do to bring about change if in a position to do so!
After brainstorming for a bit of time...all of us came up with some great ideas...
For instance Kaushik put forward that he would like to see the society as an 'Anarchy' where the focus is on morals and values. There are no rules to govern you rather self-government exists. Here Devbrat contradicted by saying that existance of rules is a necessity. Kaushik pointed out that since early years the minds of a child should be nurtured such that the negativity in the society like breach of trust can be eliminated...It will take time but the 'ideal' state can be reached. Sriram Sir re-iterated the model suggested by 'Plato' for governance in one of his books...
Pulkit, Prateek,Trinath and Karan stood up strongly against corruption. A corruption free society will lead to a good public life. Pulkit also wanted to bring about self-consciousness among the people regarding the consequences of not following rules and regulations. He aims to do this by imposing heavy penalty on defaulters. The reason stated for this was of 'Singapore', a very clean and regulated city.
Karan also brought forward the issue of the rising population of India. It is one of the reasons for India's slow development.
Snehashish raised his voice against delays in the works to be done by the Government. The issue of Commonwealth Games (known for the immense delays) came forward. Pulkit also gave an example that an underpass was proposed to be constructed in Bangalore in 72 hours but eventually took 72 days! The solution to this problem that came up was Public-Private Partnership.
Lakshminarayan talked about an centralised automated society. An example given by him was that in case you break a traffic rule, the fine is added to the tax you pay to the government. This will also prevent corruption at the lower level. He also brought to light the fact that the benefits of the Government schemes like PDS, scholarships is not reaching the people who actually need/deserve them.
Devbrat formulated his points keeping in mind the rural as well as the urban sector. He talked about removing corruption. In the rural areas the middlemen exploit the farmers. The farmers are 'living on the edge'(expression courtesy Prateek!)...It is they who need our attention. In every growing economy the Primary Sector is of great importance.
Tabish's thoughts were inspired from Rabindranath Tagore's poem 'Where the Mind is Without Fear'. He says that a developed society is that where there are no injustices and there are equal oppurtunities for everyone.
Avinash wants to change the mindset of the people and wishes to imbibe qualities like selflessness in them. This led to the discussion that education is integral part of life. Trinath raised a very crucial point that the youth today does not want to be a part of the decision making i.e. no-one would like to join Politics today...
A comprehensive list of the problems in today's society was prepared by Shriyaa which everyone agreed on:
1. Implementation of Legislation
2.Women inequality
3.Education System
4.Corruption
5.Economic Growth(primary/secondary/tertiary sector)
6.Judgement by courts
7.Secular aspect of India
8.Pollution/Global warming
9.Infrastructure development
10.Poverty
11.Human Development
Good article! However, the central theme of the discussion and the conclusions drawn on various aspects including your opinions could have been described in a slightly better fashion.
ReplyDeleteWe had discussed the idea of development and each of us commented on what kind of development they desire for their country/community. Pleasantly, most in the group suggested social changes rather than economic changes. Surprisingly, nobody said that we would want our country to be richer and to be superpower. Rather, everyone talked about achieving a society free of corruption, injustice etc etc.
Majority in the group concentrated on those aspects that related to the public dealings, and believed that if the government services improved (without corruption and on time), most of the ills in the country would be resolved. However, in my opinion, the state of government services reflected, in general, the mindset of everyone in the society. There would be questions that we would be asking such as,
- Would we do things on time if we weren't held accountable ?
Btw Shriyaa. There is a typo in the title of your article.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a factual correction. Plato's idea of an ideal state is different from Anarchy, and that's what we had discussed in the class.