Resuscitating in a New Year!

The year 2018 that showed us various ups and downs at personal, national and global stages, in social, economic and political aspects has waned to its end. We have, yet again, another New Year to welcome and vow to resolutions attempting to better ourselves!

In the marine neighbourhood, India witnessed political crisis and turmoil, in Maldives and Sri Lanka. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister after Nawaz Sharif was cobwebbed in the Panama Leaks controversy.

Amongst all, Afghanistan was at the receiving end this season. The déjà vu of ‘Reign of Terror’ in Kabul made the world come together as a single nation. To its contrast, the refugee problem in Europe started to be seen as a threat, now being treated with strict rules and seen with suspicion.

The biggest tectonic shift - the Brexit - still happens to be the most yet-to-be-comprehended global political happening.

The failing state of Syria had witnessed civil war since the Arab Spring. The war, with Russian intervention, finally ended in Aleppo, the largest city in Syria.

At the domestic level, India has spent most of 2018 reeling in the aftermath of key policy changes, economic and political scandals, and brewing internal conflict, while playing a more visible role on the global stage.

The year began with the Bhima Koregaon violence in Pune on January 1, which culminated in widely publicised and contemptible arrests of Dalit rights activists in August. The year ended with alarming reports of turmoil from the RBI the CBI and the Supreme Court, three institutions that form the cornerstone of democracy.

The year also witnessed a disquieting surge in nationalism as evinced by the Ram Mandir movement 2.0. Demands for the contentious temple loom large on BJP’s political banner, the national discourse and the Supreme Court’s roster, while the movement itself teeters dangerously on the edge of historical reenactment. Also shaking things up are the nationwide farmers' agitation and Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) debacle, putting country’s marginalised communities on the map and pitting them against the central government. These are but some of the issues that have testified to BJP’s misplaced political priorities more than ever, courtesy some excellent media coverage.

Ever since Congress president Rahul Gandhi mentioned the smoking gun during the 'No-Confidence Motion' against the BJP, the Rafale deal and its many iterations have been a national talking point for the better half of the year. Reliance Defence CEO Anil Ambani's entry in the offset contract sparked the most raucous criticism of cronyism from the opposition, who questioned the decision making process. The top court’s verdict earlier this month, however, came, as an early Christmas gift for the centre, when they ratified the deal but an error in the court’s document later brought its clean-chit under suspicion.

In the political spectrum, the nine states that went to polls to elect their state representation this year, four key saffron states lost to the opposition either led by or comprising Congress. In the north-eastern region, however, BJP won big and clinched most of the states including Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.

The case against tampering of ballot machines also made headlines.

Setting the note for BJP’s evanescing stronghold was Karnataka in June, where the the saffron failed to form the government being the winner. After a week of dramatic wrangling and a quick post-poll alliance, the JDS-Congress coalition staked a claim to form the government.

In the second round of Assembly polls, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh delivered key victories to Congress from the BJP. All three states are reeling from a massive agrarian crisis.

Scripting a new chapter in the history of the 36-year-old regional party founded by his father-in-law late N T Rama Rao with the sole aim of taking on the Congress, TDP supremo and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu buried the hatchet and vowed to work with it to dethrone the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Alongside rise of cow vigilantism and saffronising names of cities the agenda for Ram temple in Ayodhya remains at the fore of Hindutva politics.

The three cornerstones of democracy - the RBI, the CBI and the Supreme Court - witnessed an unprecedented turmoil, perhaps the first in India's history. The autonomy of the bankers' bank clashed with the government's interference. CBI chief Alok Verma, who was responsible for leading the Rafale investigation, was sent into exile after his second-in-command Rakesh Asthana levelled charges of corruption against him. The protector of the Constitution was itself at the verge of collapse when four of the top judges appeared for media briefing against the CJI.

This was also the year of urban naxalism. Government’s increasing attacks on media and academia, especially those working for the marginalised communities.

More importantly, for the centre to hold, politically motivated revisions to India’s history must be forsaken with immediate effect. With the polls looming ahead, it does well to remind ourselves that as long as Indian democracy – the largest of its kind – prevails, the power rests with the people. The country is headed for a fresh round of elections in the new year with the hope that the political leadership, irrespective of who comes/returns to power, recognises what people really need: jobs, basic rights, healthcare, education and development of the masses, and essentially not statues, temples, JIO university, gau rakshaks or growing economic disparity.

In August, India’s first all-female commando team was formally inducted into the Delhi Police by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, that broke the male hold on the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in the country.

In February, 24-year-old Avani Chaturvedi became the first woman in India to fly a fighter jet alone. The flying officer flew a MiG-21 Bison, which possesses the highest take off and landing speed in the world.

The #MeToo India hashtag was the defining moment of the year 2018. The movement may have come home a year after shocking the US with high-profile sexual misconduct allegations in the creative industries, primarily Hollywood. 

The repercussions/consequences of the historic 8^th November 2016 decision of ‘remonetisation’ (or ‘demonetisation’, as what you may call it) are yet to be documented. 

The year 2018 was the most happening year in Odisha history. Be it positive reports or controversies, the State remained in news both in national and international media this year. The outgoing year in some ways was a political throwback. The tussle between the State and Centre over some key issues and the internal rift within political parties were in the news throughout the year.

The first-of-its-kind Patnagarh parcel bomb blast, the lawyers-cop spat that disrupted the judicial procedures for more than two months, reactions against the anti-Odisha remarks made by journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra in context of Odia culture and her pride possessions made the headlines. The non-operational status of the newly inaugurated Jharsuguda airport under the UDAN scheme attracted criticisms.

However, towards the last quarter of the year, it was Odisha in the world eyes. The ''Make in Odisha Conclave" witnessed 183 investments worth Rs 4,19,574 crore. Then came the much awaited Men's World Cup Hockey which garnered much appreciations and applause for the efforts put in by the locals.

Each time a year ends, wallowing in and living life to the zenith marks the trend of this transition phase (remember to cause minimal damage to resources though!). Amidst all this suddenly we become self conscious and jot out a schedule for the new season. It would be moronic to spend the eve of the new beginning without an attitude for oneself and care for the society!

The world is educating. So should all of us – not with degree but morally and ethically. It is time for us to act with a sense of responsibility towards everyone and everything. For this we have to have a strong zeal to change our perception and look at things from the respect of the entire humankind. A simple yet effective resolution, like “I shall, no matter what, speak the truth”, can be effective and yield results rather than faking tens of resolutions. 

This time I would want you to not only prepare your own ‘can be adhered to’ plans but also look inwards instead of outwards. I am sure this would give you a lot more satisfaction, a feeling of content and energy to go the extra mile – remember it is seldom crowded!

Cavett Robert once said “Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed”.


                         Happy New Year 2019
                            Jai Jagannath :-)