by Sukrit Sabhlok

Created on: April 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Freedom does not just mean ratifying a Constitution and holding periodic elections where eligible citizens voluntarily cast their vote. That is political freedom. The other side of the coin is economic freedom. Despite paying taxes properly, honest citizens in India feel unsatisfied as they must still bribe officials - either directly or through agents to obtain their legitimate entitlements relating to property, electricity, water supply, and so on.

Deeply founded distrust and fear of police, bureaucrats and elected legislators is widespread amongst law abiding citizens. On the other hand, criminals, religious fanatics, and tax evaders (generators of black money) live without fear. Prisoners "escape" from jails and ministers are involved in entrenched corruption.

The problem lies in the invasion of freedom through intervention of the state into matters that are not the business of government. With each passing decade since independence from British rule in 1947, religion (including caste) has strongly influenced the affairs of government, blurring the distinction between state and society. Industrial tycoons found it easy to manipulate a socialist government and effectively rule by proxy.

Indians have allowed pre-independence colonial systems of governance and administration to continue without a proper review of their relevance. Indeed this system has been strengthened to yield a huge concentration of power to the Prime Minister. There is also lack of democracy within the political parties themselves. Independence should have meant distributing power to the people - instead, India has an all-powerful government.

Things are changing. In the 1970s, the term "socialist" was added to the Constitution, but India's government is now slowly discarding socialist policies. While some parties still openly appease religious sects and run their campaigns on funds obtained from criminals, liberals have become more organised and regularly hold to account politicians that make reckless promises they can never fulfill.

The Lok Satta Party, at present India's only liberal political force, should press for reforms that ensure neither central nor state governments unilaterally take over tasks not specifically assigned in the Constitution. Self serving politicians and bureaucrats need to be brought down to size. Indians deserve a political party willing to espouse a firm belief in the innate freedom of people, secularism, democracy, free market economics and sound public administration.

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