(Kuradi Chandrasekhara Kalkura)
Enthused by a reference in a newspaper to the autobiography of late S. Nijalingappa, (My Life and Politics) I pestered on his youngest son Kiran Shankar, formerly chief architect, government of Karnataka, to get me a copy.
First of all, he was not aware that his father wrote an autobiography. At last he was able to trace a copy in Kannada, translated by the late leader’s follower, M.P.Prakash, a late Dy.C.M. of Karnataka.
Nijalingappa (above picture) was a member of the Constituent Assembly. He repeatedly stresses the importance of the Part IV, Articles 36 to 51, Directive Principles of the State Policy (DPSP). He says that they are the goals to translate the Gandhian Principles and ideals into action; in effect the creation of the welfare state: dream of the Constitution.
Salient features of PART IV; DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF the STATE POLICY:
Art. 36. Definition of the State: 37. Application of the principles contained in this Part. 38.State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people. 39. Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State. 39 A. Equal justice and free legal aid. 40. Organisation of village panchayats. 41. Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases. 42. Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief. 43. Living wage, etc., for workers. 43. A. Participation of workers in management of industries. 44. Uniform civil code for the citizens. 45. Provision for free and compulsory education for children. 46.Promotion of educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections. 47. Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health. 48. Organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry. 48. A. Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life, 49. Protection of monuments and places and objects of national importance. 50. Separation of judiciary from executive. 51.Promotion of international peace and security. PART, IV A. 51. A. Fundamental duties.
I heard noted Jurists like Justice Gajendragadkar, Palkiwala and Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Ayer. I had an hour long meeting with Justice Koka Subba Rao after his resignation. Late K.Jagannatha Shetty, who later became a Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Chairman of the First National Judicial Pay Commission was our Prof of Constitutional Law in Govt Law College, Bengaluru.
Every one of them was emphatic about the importance of the Part IV and regretting, with anguish, their tardy implementation.
Art 38 (1):The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life.
While debating on D.P.S.P. in the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Ambedkar on Noveber 19,1948 highlighted that they shall be the basis of future governance of the Country: “The word ‘strive’ which occurs in the Draft Constitution, in Judgement, is very important. We have used it because our intention is, even when there are circumstance which prevent the Government, or which stand in the way of the government giving effect to these D.P.S.P, they shall, even under hard and unpropitious circumstances, always strive in the fulfillment of these Directives. It is the intention of this Assembly that in future both the Legislature and the Executive should not merely pay lip service to these principles enacted in this part, but that they should be made the basis of all Executive and Legislative action that may be taken hereafter in the matter of governance of the Country.”
In Nehruvian Era, Modern Temples, industries and dams, were built to provide employment and to ‘strive’ economic prosperity. Shastri’s motto, “Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan” was not merely a ‘slogan’. Garibi Hatao, Roti, Kapada aur Makhan were targets.
Subsidies and largess, like depositing Rs.72,000/- per family, per year for 20 % families, as is being promised by Rahul Gandhi is not the goal of D.P.S.P.
How long do you pay? Feeding for one year is not poverty alleviation. Every youth today, is capable of earning Rs.7,20,000/- per year.
Instead making him to lead a contended life of beggary is not a healthy sign for the progress of the Country.
Implementation by devolving powers to the local bodies, following the letter and spirit of the 73rd and the 74th Amendments is one such goal.
Equipping the citizens capable of earning their livelihood is the Wefare State. Health and literacy for all, remunerative price for the agricultural produce alone can prevent the farmers’ suicides.
There is a class which thinks that only an elite class opposes such gratis and largess. It is nothing but making the people idle and lazy. It all started in Tamil Nadu during the 1980’s.
Regional, caste and community based parties in their hurry to grab power added this to their own agenda.
Liberalisation and globalisation has been enlarging the scope of employment. Let us have a sample survey of some selected villages.
There are any number of able bodied unemployed men and women. They are paid more than Rs.300/- p.d. But it is hard to get farm labourers if Rs.6,000 p.m. is promised to each family . One shuold not forget that every member in a family is capable of earning more than that.