New Delhi: The preparations had been done and the groundwork had been completed with several MPs — both serving and former, and even notable personalities as well as corporate honchos having submitted their write-ups. Yet at the last minute the research wing of the Parliament put on hold its ambitious volume to commemorate 70 years of Indian democracy.
The reason, according to sources privy to details, was that most of the write ups received from several leaders and distinguished personalities did not have much matter regarding the contributions of the BJP-led NDA governments (both led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well as the current dispensation) towards India’s development as a strong democracy after Independence.
Sources added that while the process for publishing the commemorative volume was on in full swing as write-ups from many distinguished political leaders, analysts, industrialists, bankers and corporate bigwigs had been invited. However, after much deliberation it was decided to put it on the backburner at the eleventh hour.
The sudden postponement has led to a lot of embarrassment, as sources further informed that there have been polite enquiries from many contributors regarding the status of the publication, since they are keen to know when it will come out.
Most of the matter received for the publication, eulogised the contributions of the successive Congress governments, which have governed the nation for a major of the last 70 years since India gained Independence on August 15, 1947.
Right from shaping policies, developing infrastructure and building institutions, sources aware of details, informed that the write-ups mostly praised the efforts of the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in helping India grow as a young democratic nation.
The required inputs regarding contributions of the non-Congress regimes in most of the write-ups were found to be inadequate, which led to the postponement of the entire exercise, an official requesting anonymity told this newspaper.
