Irfan Habib calls for 98% public participation in governance

The country is looking forward to a day when 98% of people in the country will have a say in the governance, not just 2% of the rich, said eminent historian S. Irfan Habib.

Speaking at a session on the ‘Relevance of Left India,’ organised as part of the culmination of the centenary celebrations of Marxist ideologue P. Govinda Pillai here on Thursday, he said the great ideals were to create a world where 98% rule, not 2% rich. However, the fact is that only 2% of the rich rule the country.

“We need to ensure that 98% of people have a chance in governance and participation in governance. These were the values that figures like Bhagat Singh left behind for us,” he said. The historian, who strongly believes in Bhagat Singh’s views on governance, stated that following the freedom fighter does not mean that people should only remember him on March 23 or September 28.

Stressing the need to remember him every day, he said, “The British killed him only once on March 23, but we kill him every day when we don’t listen to what he said. If we want to carry on with his legacy, we have to follow the ideals he left behind,” he said.

Disparity, social conflict and the divide between the rich and poor continue to exist in the country. As long as these issues remain, the relevance of the Left can never disappear. Unfortunately, no other political party has such a passionate commitment to the propagation of the ideals left behind by legends like Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Hasrat Mohani, he said. Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader S. Ramachandran Pillai inaugurated the event organised by P.G. Samskrithi Kendram.