Our Dysfunctional Democracy

Your right. Your responsibility.

“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” At the stroke of the midnight hour, a torn blouse, a frantic scream, a red stain on white sheet. Just a mile away, the tryst with destiny had begun.

The largest democracy in the world was always a troubled daughter. She was the pinnacle of glory and culture, revered by the world. Then she fell from grace, and her body was torn apart by emperors and rulers out for blood. This went on for far too long. And just as she could smell a hint of relief, the British came in and entered her coasts, ravaging her, violating her dignity for centuries.

#Vote4Children - This Time For Education

She looks up at the skies in hope – a hope of liberation from the shackles of labour. But soon, her master’s screams send her crashing back to reality. She is only ten years old, yet forced to work as a servant. Her family needs the money to survive. In her heart, she wonders what she did wrong to fall into this punishment. She looks up at the skies again, but all she can see are dark clouds, echoing the gloom in her life.

Such is the story of over 126 lakh children in India today. In addition, roughly 140 lakh children in the country have never seen the inside of a school. We are a land of contradictions – India dreams of becoming a superpower, yet a third of the world’s poor still reside here. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, yet home to the most number of malnourished children. Indians are part of the most educated circles in the world, yet the country is plagued with illiteracy.