Extremely disappointed over the naming of schemes, institutions and scholarships after the Nehru-Gandhi family, Prasar Bharati chairperson and journalist A. Surya Prakash on Sunday remembered the contributions of eminent freedom fighters, scientists, engineers and doctors besides others and said this must be corrected immediately because it hits at the very root of the country's democratic system.
Surya Prakash told ANI that he started looking at this issue about eight-ten years ago after finding the Dalit scholarships in UGC and elsewhere named after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"That's why I started looking at this and I was quite shocked finally when I completed my research which took about six months. I put together a list of 450 government schemes, projects, institutions, fellowships, stadia, airports. All named after just three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family," he added.
Surya Prakash said that he lodged a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard in March 2009.
"In my view, at that it was something like two lakh crores was invested in Central Government schemes in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru. I said this disturbs the level playing field in our electoral system because the Election Commission does not allow a minister to even use a government vehicle during elections that is because it will disturb the level playing field. All other candidates do not have that advantage," said Surya Prakash.
"Similarly, they cannot stay in a PWD guest house and so on. If that is the case, if all the major schemes in the country are named after the high commands of one political party does it not disturb the level playing field in our elections. This was the main thrust of my argument," he added.
The Prasar Bharati chairperson said that the Election Commission did not agree with him at that time and wanted him to address this problem to the Central Government.
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"But my view is that time has come for the Election Commission to re-examine my petition," he added.
Surya Prakash further said what the Congress Party has done over the years is that from birth to death and at every stage in one's life it expects a citizen to always constantly remember just the single political family.
"For example, if a poor man in a village is allotted a house, he must remember Indira Gandhi because it is Indira Awaas Yojana scheme. If he gets a water supply connection, he must remember Rajiv Gandhi (because) it is Rajiv Gandhi drinking water scheme. If there is electricity connection coming to the house, he must again remember Rajiv Gandhi because it is Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana," Surya Prakash said.
"If the family sends the child to the school, it must again remember Rajiv Gandhi because that creche is funded by what is called the National Rajiv Gandhi creche scheme. If you get old and you get an old age pension, you must remember Indira Gandhi because that is Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme," he added.
The senior journalist said all others, including Mahatma Gandhi, who have built this country have thus been excluded.
"When I lodged the complaint with the Election Commission in March 2009, it was the first time in October 2009 that the UPA government named the NREGA scheme as MNREGA scheme after Mahatma Gandhi. But that is not enough. Where is Mahatma Gandhi? Where is Subhas Chandra Bose? Where is Sardar Patel? And where all these great scientists, engineers, doctors, teachers? All of these people who have built this country," Surya Prakash said.
The Prasar Bharati chairperson, who was talking to ANI on his book 'All in the name of Nehru-Gandhi family', also threw light on the forgotten heroes of Indian freedom struggle.
"And where all those great heroes of our freedom struggle? Where is Bhagat Singh? Where is Chandra Shekhar Azad? Where is JP Narayan? Where is Vinoba Bhave? We just don't hear of anybody. All these schemes are named after the members of one political family," said Surya Prakash.
"So, I still believe this is something that has to be corrected and it must be done quickly because it hits at the very root of our democratic system," he added.