Bharat Samvad Abhiyan

With the independence of India, a new class of people were born who were not the 'subjects' of the British imperialism and the monarchy but were citizens. The Interim Government of India was formed and with it commenced the process of making the Constitution for a soon to be Republic. On 26 January 1950, the people of India adopted, enacted and given the Constitution of India with the goal of making India a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. Now the people were duly citizens of the new Republic. This marked the beginning of their new role in India and the world with diverse and guaranteed rights and duties prescribed in the Constitution.

 

In an old society like India with religious-cultural-geographical diversities and socio-economic disparities, special efforts should have been undertaken to foster a sense of civic consciousness among the people. Had it been accomplished, then we all would have had a robust Indian democracy. And constitutional provisions, values and institutions would also have become a part of such collective consciousness. But alas most of the leaders and intellectuals did not consider such efforts necessary.

 

As a result, even after 75 years of independence, the country not only remains in the throes of communalism, casteism, dynasty, individualism, even the freedom achieved through great sacrifices has also been caught in the clutches of neo-colonialism. The ruling-class of India which operates in subordination of domestic and foreign corporate powers, is bent upon making the people of India their ‘subjects’ by increasingly compromising on and diluting their status as citizens.

 

Bharat Samvad Abhiyan is a humble effort to enthuse vigour into and revive the lost civic consciousness among the people of India. It is a campaign of the citizens, for the citizens, and by the citizens. Please refer to the attached base-paper to apprise yourselves the detailed information of the Bharat Samvad Abhiyan. Efforts are made that the base-paper is published in all the Indian languages.

 

If all the conscious and concerned citizens will join Bharat Samvad Abhiyan, then we may hope that this important work which has been neglected since independence would be fulfilled. And, thus, we will be able to find solutions to our immediate and long-term problems on our own. The practice of living with a sense of citizenship may be called civic nationalism.