VP Dhankhar warns against ‘threatening effect of demographic disorder’

JAIPUR: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has warned the people against the threatening effect of demographic disorder “being engineered strategically for making political fortresses”.

“Demographic disorder is no less severe in consequences than a nuclear bomb. Mind you, young boys and girls, in particular who are chartered accountants, mine is a moderate statement,” Mr Dhankhar said delivering his inaugural address at the opening session of the International Conference for CA Members at Birla Auditorium here on Tuesday.

It has happened in some countries and they suffered total loss of identity because of this demographic disorder, demographic earthquake.

Deviating slightly from the main theme of the conference the Vice-President said- “I will be availing myself of this opportunity because I take you to be beyond chartered accountants. I take you as very responsible citizens of this great nation.”

He said – “India, Bharat, is a stabilising global force. This force has to emerge, this century has to belong to Bharat, and that will be good for humanity, that will contribute to peace and harmony on the planet.

”Therefore, it will be a national disservice of extremity if we turn Nielsen’s eye to the dangers of demographic upheavals that are taking place in this country. Organic, natural demographic change is never upsetting but a demographic change brought about in a strategic manner to achieve an object, offers a scene that is frightening.

Analysing this menacing development over the last few decades will turn out to be an eye-opener, he said. ”Take any state and you will find demographic change has a pattern. That pattern offers a challenge to our values, to our civilisational ethos, to our democracy. ”

If this challenge, which is alarmingly worrisome, is not addressed in a systematic manner, it will graduate to an existential challenge, he pointed out.

”It has happened all over the world. I need not name countries that have lost their identity cent per cent because of this demographic disorder, demographic earthquake.

”Demographic disorder is no less severe in consequences than a nuclear bomb. Mind you, young boys and girls in particular who are chartered accountants, mine is a moderate statement,” he said.

“You look at the global landscape and you will find the devastating consequences in the shape of loss of human rights, human values, democracy being the last option.

In some countries, even the developed world is feeling its heat but in our country, when we seek to address this draconian problem, there are voices that talk on a different level.”

He said -“Every one of us and each one of us has to be alive 24×7 to ensure this does not happen anymore. There is a proverb that says, if you are going in the wrong lane, you are not on the right path. The first thing is you must immediately stop and then contemplate taking a U-turn. The more you delay in taking a U-turn, you are creating your problems, not arithmetically but geometrically.

”Look at our culture, our inclusivity and unity in diversity are facets of affirmative, positive social order, very soothing. We are for all with open arms and what is happening? This is being shaken and severely compromised by these demographic dislocations, evil design divisiveness on the plank of caste and the like also”.

Elaborating, the vice-president said demographic dislocation was turning out to be a fortress of political impregnability in democracy when it comes to elections in some areas.

”We have seen this change in the country. So much is the demographic change that the area becomes a political fortress. Democracy has no meaning, elections have no meaning at all. Who will be elected, turns out to be a foregone conclusion and this area in our country, unfortunately friends, is increasing.

”We must be alive to this danger. We owe it to our future generations that this civilisation that has an ethos of 5000 years, its essence, its sublimity, its spirituality, its religiosity cannot be allowed to be destroyed before our eyes. Therefore, please think about it,” he said.

Dhankhar said,”I thought, If I don’t share my mind with people who have the capacity to change and the only constant in life is change, we must not be allowed by involuntary change, we must be the architect of change, we must script the change…”

”… Let us have the change which we believe in. Let us aspire for a change that fits in our civilisational ethos”, the Vice-President concluded.

Agencies