Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: Prominent historian Ramchandra Guha today advised that civil society in Jammu and Kashmir should take a lead for confidence building measures and bridging gap between regions without waiting for initiatives in this regard at Government level.
In response to queries after delivering Balraj Puri Memorial Lecture, titled `India at 70: A Historian’s Report Card’, organized by Institute of J&K Affairs in memory of at Jammu University, here today, Guha suggested that civil society at different level should start conversation for easing out tensions and open the channels of discussions. “Jammu University and Kashmir University may start a conversation at their own level and students as well as teachers can take a lead in this regard,” he opined.
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Guha asked people to denounce all kinds of internal violence, irrespective of the reason and also suggested that one should never reduce his thoughts to a single individual.
In his thought provoking lecture, Guha focused on Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj and sought to explain how far India has achieved the Father of Nation’s vision for political democracy, social democracy, cultural democracy and economic democracy.
Opining that holding regular and fair elections is single largest achievement of Independent India, the noted historian , however, observed that there was no fully democracy for freedom of expression as writing and speaking against certain issues was still a taboo in India. Not even a single politician protected freedom of expression and this is the biggest blot on Indian democracy,” he rued and added that a good democracy requires independent institutions.
Making reference of loosing of link between caste and occupation in past few decades, rising of Dalit professional class and more Indian women getting freedom to choose their life partner, Guha described progress on social democracy front as modest.
However, he expressed his dismay over the scenario with regard to cultural democracy and said that cow politics was a threat to religious pluralism and not worthy for Indian democracy.
Lauding the economic progress, India has made in the last 25 years following reforms, which led to development, fiscal growth and decline in poverty, Ramchandra Guha, however, observed that there was a question mark on the country’s economic failure because of jobless growth and destruction of environment.
In his concluding remarks, the prominent historian observed, ” India has falsified the predictions of its collapse and we are more free where Britishers had left us but have not achieved the status of properly functioning democracy.
Earlier, Ellora Puri threw light on aims, objectives and activities of Institute of J&K Affairs, founded by Late Balraj Puri.
Jammu University Vice-Chancellor Prof R D Sharma presided over the function while Dean Students Welfare Prof Satnam Kour presented a formal welcome address.
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