Sonam Wangchuk has called for a peaceful revolution in how India chooses its political leaders. He said the shift is necessary if India is to emerge as a developed nation by 2047.
Climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has called for a “peaceful revolution” in India, arguing that the country needs a fundamental change in the way it chooses its political leaders if it is to emerge as a developed nation by 2047.
In a video message posted ahead of Independence Day, Wangchuk said he had been reflecting on India’s future and was increasingly disappointed by India’s progress compared with several countries in the region.
“Fifty years ago, countries that were behind us or at par with us are today miles ahead of us,” he said, citing Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in terms of per capita GDP.
Wangchuk warned that if the current trajectory continued, India could struggle to hold its place in the global economy by 2047, the centenary of its Independence.
He also praised people who had recently taken to the streets demanding change, saying their protests had already resulted in the resignation of the education minister. However, he said the appointment of a new education minister had not yet brought any visible transformation.
“As long as education remains backward, the future of the country will also remain backward,” Wangchuk said.
NOT ABOUT ANY ONE POLITICAL PARTY
Wangchuk said the problem extended beyond any particular political party. Referring to protests and government action in different states, he argued that governments across the political spectrum had been accused of silencing voices raised against injustice.
He recalled the anti-corruption movement of 2012-13, which led to a change in government in Delhi, but said corruption and injustice had returned in a different form.
“Now, 12 years later, corruption and injustice have changed their route, but are staring at us, frightening us, in a form two or three times bigger,” he said.
Wangchuk said India therefore needed a “very big change”, which he described as a “peaceful revolution”.
FOCUS ON HOW POLITICAL LEADERS ARE CHOSEN
The activist said the biggest weakness in India’s political system was the way leaders were selected.
“If the leaders are not right, the whole country goes in the wrong direction,” he said.
Wangchuk acknowledged that there were politicians who followed principles and worked with honesty, saying he saluted such leaders. But he questioned how India could become a developed country when many lawmakers face criminal cases.
He claimed that nearly half of India’s MPs face criminal cases and around a third face serious allegations, including murder, rape and kidnapping. He stressed that he was not targeting any particular party or the ruling or opposition camp, but was speaking about the country as a whole.