The "New India" must be something which respects all religion, culture, caste, creed and not separate one Indian from another, said internationally acclaimed author, diplomat and parliamentarian, Dr Shashi Tharoor, delivering the Brajamohan Mohanty Memorial Lecture on the "Future of Indian Democracy". The Lecture in the memory of former Speaker, Union Minister and Minister in the State, Late "Braja Babu", one of Odisha's tallest political leaders, was organised by the All India Professionals' Congress ( AIPC) Odisha on Saturday evening on a virtual platform. It was well attended online by professionals, intellectuals and senior Congress leaders of Odisha and outside the State.
Odisha Pradesh Congress President, Shri Niranjan Patnaik, welcomed the three-term Thiruvanthapuram MP to Odisha, saying even though it was a virtual meeting due to Covid19 pandemic, many of Dr Tharoor's admirers, including himself, were keen to listen to the erudite speaker. Shri Patnaik said he was impressed with the address given by Dr Tharoor in the British Parliament infront of the Britishers and was always looking forward to meet him personally to thank him. Paying rich tribute to the Late Braja Babu, Dr Tharoor, who is also the Chairman of AIPC, said he was honoured to be part of the lecture series being held to mark the 96th birth anniversary on 23rd December of the Gandhian leader and Congress stalwart.
Delivering a seminal lecture for about 30 minutes and then interacting with the audience, Dr Tharoor expressed concern that the country was passing through tough times, but the people of India retain faith in democracy and it's secular democratic Constitutional values. Dr Tharoor reieterated that India is not just a country but an adventure.
He explained how the the Government was behaving in an adamant and chauvinistic way of the so called Hindutva ideology, entrenching majoritarianism and threatening citizens with amendment rules. He called this Modification of India a threat to the term democracy. "India's secular democratic Constitution is an identity of its citizens", Dr Tharoor said. But the current dispensation is bent on being an authoritarian state dubbed as "New India" which is chauvinistic in nature. Winter Session of Parliament was cancelled.
Parliament meeting for only 10 days is scuttling of democratic values using the Pandemic as a shield, Dr Tharoor said. He also pointed to the Government being hell bent on making all the institutions weak and committed by playing with their autonomy. The AIPC Odisha State President Smt. Sucharita Mohanty welcomed all the professionals for progress and public conscious citizens of Odisha and outside who had linked up online for the Memorial Lecture.
She said AIPC in Odisha was marching towards attracting more and more professionals and the meeting with AIPC Chairman Dr Tharoor's was a step in that direction. AIPC East Zone Regional Coordinator Ms. Szarita Laitphlang did a formal introduction of the Speaker Dr Tharoor.
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