Populist anarchy cannot substitute governance, says President
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India

New Delhi, January 25 2014 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday made a veiled attack on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's street protest saying government is not a "charity shop" and "populist anarchy" cannot be a substitute for go-vernance.

Without taking the name of the AAP leader, who earlier this week staged a two-day dharna outside Rail Bhawan against the central government, he was critical of Ke- jriwal's style when he said "elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions" .

Addressing the nation on the eve of 65th Republic Day, the President said corruption was a cancer that eroded the democracy and weakened the foundation of the state.

If Indians were enraged, he said, it was because they were witnessing corruption and waste of national resour-ces.

If governments do not remove these flaws, voters will remove governments.

"Equally dangerous is the rise of hypocrisy in public life.

Elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions.

Those who seek the trust of voters must promise only what is possible.

"Government is not a charity shop.

Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for go-vernance.

False promises lead to disillusionment, which gives birth to rage, and that rage has one legitimate target: those in power," he said.

Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues had staged a dharna outside Rail Bhawan defying prohibitory orders de-manding action against some policemen.

They ended it after two policemen were sent on leave.

The President said the rage will abate only when governments deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic progress, not at a snail's pace but with the speed of a racehorse.

The aspirational young Indian, he said, will not forgive a betray of her future.

Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the people.

Those in politics should understand that every election comes with a warning sign: perform or perish.

Favouring a stable government after the coming elec- tions, Pranab Mukherjee warned that a fractured government will be hostage to "whimsical opportunists" and be "catastrophic" to India.

Asking the voters not to "let India down", he said 2014 must become a year of healing after the fractured and contentious politics of the last few years and whosoever wins must have have an undiluted commitment to stability, honesty and development.

the President said he was not a cynic because he knew that democracy has a marvelous ability to self-correct.

"It is the physician that heals itself and 2014 must become a year of healing after the fractured and contentious politics of the last few years," he said.

Mukherjee said the year 2014 was a "precipice moment" in India's history and it should re-discover that sense of national purpose and patriotism which lifts it above and across the abyss and back on the road to prosperity.

"1950 saw the birth of our Republic.

I am sure that 2014 will be the year of resurgence" .

He said the youth should be given jobs and they would raise villages and cities to 21st century standards.

"Give them a chance and you will marvel at the India they create.

This chance will not come if India does not get a stable government.

"A fractured government, hostage to whimsical opportunists, is always an unhappy eventuality.

In 2014, it could be catastrophic.

Each one of us is a voter; each one of us has a deep responsibility; we cannot let India down.

It is time for introspection and action," he warned.

"Each one of us is a voter; each one of us has a deep responsibility; we cannot let India down.

It is time for introspection and action," the President said.

He said India was in a turbulent part of the world where factors of instability have grown in the recent past.

"Communal forces and terrorists will still seek to destabilize the harmony of our people and the integrity of our state but they will never win.

"Our security and armed forces, backed by the steel of popular support, have proved that they can crush an enemy within; with as much felicity as they guard our frontiers.

Mavericks who question the integrity of our armed services are irresponsible and should find no place in public life," the President said.

He admitted that the promise of India, a history of ideas, philosophy, intellect, has sometimes been mislaid by misfortune and at other times by our own complacence and weakness.

"Destiny has given us another opportunity to recover what we have lost; we will have no one to blame but ourselves if we falter," he said.

On democracy, Mukherjee said "some cynics may scoff at our commitment to democracy but our democracy has never been betrayed by the people; its fault-lines, where they exist, are the handiwork of those who have made power a gateway to greed.

"We do feel angry, and rightly so, when we see democratic institutions being weakened by complacency and incompetence.

If we hear sometimes an anthem of despair from the street, it is because people feel that a sacred trust is being violated" .

The President said India has grown into a beautiful, vibrant and sometimes noisy democracy which was not a gift but a fundamental right of every citizen.

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