Lecture on national character by Bharat Vikas Parishad in Gwalior
“The intellectuals and good people of the society, who are reluctant to join the agitation against corruption, are also responsible for this menace to take new forms. Need of the hour is that the honest people must join this fight,” said former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India Justice Shri RC Lahoti. He was delivering a lecture on national character in Gwalior on June 26. The function was organised by local unit of Bharat Vikas Parishad. Former governor of Himachal Pradesh and retired justice of Rajasthan High Court Justice Shri Sadashiv Kokje was also present on the occasion.
Referring to national character, Justice Lahoti said the country might have achieved political Independence but we have to still get the real Independence. “We got the country but still to get the nation. It is not possible until we remove the deficiency of national character. Today, the national character is the worst hit, because the intellectuals and good people are inactive in the fight against corruption,” he said.
He expressed concern that the whole government machinery is engaged to frame and defame the people who raise voice against corruption. “When one commits an offence or stop following the law why the government agencies including the CBI, FB, income tax department, etc. keep sleeping,” he asked. Expressing concern and anguish over the burgeoning corruption in the country he said India was at 74th rank in 2004 with regard to honesty but now it has reached at the 87th rank,” he said further expressing concern over the declining time for moral education in education.
Justice Kokje said man making is must for building national character. He said the joint character of the people basically forms the national character. He stressed the need to strengthen the organisations dedicated to the cause of man making. “During the monarchies the character of the king and the upper castes used to be regarded the national character. Nobody looked at the character of majority people. But the Constitution has given every citizen the equal rights. Therefore, the joint character of the majority people is the national character,” he added.
(FOC)
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