Even as the physical space in the country remains constant per se, its availability per citizen shall gradually and steadily shrink over the passage of time, thanks to the unrelenting annual addition to the land’s headcount at an average number of births in a day currently estimated as 50,000 or near about. The share in the space for each citizen is conditioned by two factors — economic disparity and social diversity, the latter factor marked by a) Different faiths followed by people and b) Castes and sub-castes in their thousands by which Indians prefer to be identified. Unarguably, these two factors, both separately and in combo influence and largely determine the path every citizen is bound to tread in life. In this backdrop, the just concluded poll to elect people’s representatives as Members of the nation’s 17th Parliament has more than adequately exposed the money-driven and caste-influenced voting pattern not witnessed anytime before. The role of these factors in landing jobs in one or the other Department of the Government and obtaining seats in educational institutions, particularly those offering professional courses doesn’t need any elaboration, except citing the related Constitutional provision to well-marked sections in the population.

The large number of castes in particular and the slew of faiths in general that have a legacy dating back to several centuries have been perceived as bad by the cognoscenti while the factor of their hierarchy has made it worse, given the acrimony bugging the people in their daily life. Ideals of a) Social justice to all citizens and b) Inclusive diaspora have been debated in various circles with no signs of achieving either.

As long as the provisions made in the country’s Constitution are adhered, implemented lawfully and accepted by its people at large, preferably without grumbling noisily, the world’s most populous Democracy, that is us, shall endure. For reasons not necessary to be stated unambiguously, the set of provisions marking some sections of the population, aimed at social justice for them, has not gone down well with those outside the ambit of the privileges. The scenario of one section as the beneficiary of the favour relishing the provision and the rest feeling disillusioned may not change in foreseeable future. That leaves us with the immediate task of achieving an inclusive society, which has been talked about in many circles of literati as an important agenda.

The crux of an inclusive society translates to (a) Every citizen in the economically productive age to earn by a livelihood consistent with the respective faculties and (b) Enabled to have a reasonable share in the available total space. If that ideal is achieved, the factors of faith and caste are likely to be sidelined. Humanity and self-restraint, the two attributes hold the key to success in the national task.