Min. RK Singh: Shrinking space for honest in democratic system is shameful

Patna: Union Power, New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said ‘it is shameful that the democratic system is unable to accept honest persons, as mostly dons, criminals, murderers, uneducated, dishonest and adulterers were unfortunately being voted to power who have the final say in the system’.

Apparently exasperated with the scenario, RK. Singh attributed the caste system and dishonesty prevailing in power and politics for it. The minister suggested several measures to check it but finally held the people responsible for it as they prefer to choose such people while exercising their franchise. After voting such people to power, they also complained and questioned about the credibility of those in power, said R. K. Singh while addressing the Manoj Shrivastava annual memorial lecture here on Saturday.

Describing Manoj Srivastava, a rare Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, R K Singh said he was a brilliant, enthusiast, non-compromising, Idealist and the man of principle with courage and conviction. He said that the system was unable to accept the honesty and non-compromising attitude of the officers like Manoj Srivastava.
The Minister said that the people as a whole were responsible for it as they do not care while selecting their representatives.
He said that the deeply percolated corruption was one of the major flaws in the entire system and an honest officer standing against such practices had to face the music.
Highlighting the flaws in the system, he said that the parties mostly bank upon the politics of appeasement and after being voted to power use the resources and the money of the tax payers to appease their vote bank.
Suggesting remedies for it, he said good people joining politics would certainly improve the situation otherwise the power in the democratic system would continue to go in the hands of uneducated people.
Concerning the dominance of money power, the Minister suggested state funding of the elections to reduce it in politics.
He said the time has come when the system needs honest and committed politicians with high moral values instead of uneducated people, muscle and money power.
In a reminiscent mood, R K Singh said that for him the demise of Manoj Srivastava was like losing a child and a sibling. Speaking about his ideologies, dedication and commitments, R K Singh said that we need to create a system where people and the system look forward towards idealists and honest people.
Former Vice chancellor Durham University, UK and former Pro vice chancellor London School of Economics, UK professor Stuart Corbridge, former governor of Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das, former CEO Niti Aayog and India’s Sherpa at G20 Amitabh Kant former Secretary General NHRC Satyanarayan Mohanty, Chief Conservator of forests, Maharashtra Arvind Jha, Principal secretary education of Bihar Deepak Singh, Senior IAS officer Harjot Kaur and others also shared their memories during the memorial lecture. (UNI)