Wait for a better India will continue in 2024

A new year has arrived and it’s time to set the tone for the days ahead as India and the world put the past behind them and start off on the road to new heights in harmony and prosperity.

For Indians, the most important event awaiting them in four months from now is the Lok Sabha poll in April-May which will lead to the installation of a new government in New Delhi.

Going by the indications which emerged in 2023, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seems to have an edge with the results of the five state Assembly polls proving that the saffron juggernaut is throbbing to go for a win.

That however does not mean that everything is lost for the opposition; on the other hand, the nation will surely be hoping that the parliament polls will be a well-fought one to make sure there are enough voices in the Lok Sabha to defend democracy, our much-valued rights and freedoms.

And the battle is never lost till the last vote is cast.

There is undoubtedly a growing opinion across the nation that the INDIA alliance should forget its differences and make the best of the elections to send out a clear message that India has a strong opposition, always prepared to defend its parliamentary democracy.

There are many economic challenges facing the nation and price rise is at the top of the priority list; the prices of essential commodities like grains and onions have been skyrocketing and the government despite a series of ad-hoc measures, has been unable to ensure that they are easily accessible to the common man at prices within his reach.

A serious concern in recent months is the conflict between governors appointed by those in power in Delhi and governments of states ruled by the opposition with the courts often forced to step in to remind the two sides involved that what matters most is the interest of the state concerned and its people at large.

What has also become glaringly evident is the not so hidden tendency of the powerful to clamp down on their political rivals using the agencies at their disposal with the result that many powerful faces of the opposition are now in jail or biding their time to be grilled in one case or the other.

Hopefully, the New Year will bring a much-needed wind of change so that our freedom remains as sacred and protected as ever.

The yearning for a world bereft of conflict will remain one of the major concerns in 2024 for the two wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the huge number of casualties besides cruelty of the worst kind, have left humanity wondering what will be needed to bring peace to these hot spots.

There is unrest elsewhere too - in Myanmar, African nations and in the South China Sea which make it all the crucial for the global community to make the United Nations much more effective than what it has been reduced to because of the Veto powers of the ‘powerful five.’

Joblessness remains a major concern and coupled with that is the shrinking of jobs particularly in the IT sector with companies cutting down on job offers, tied down by the grim global scenario.

Despite frequent claims made by the government, the young Indian remains as vulnerable to joblessness as ever.

A job for every able-bodied Indian and a full belly are simple dreams and they are not impossible dreams at all for a ruling class which has set its eyes on a five trillion dollar economy.

Will the New Year usher in a better India? Let’s wait and see.