भारतीय राजनीति में नैतिक संकट- Moral Crisis in Indian Politics

Politics ought to remain firmly rooted in morality if it is to be useful to the people, satisfy their aspirations and help achieving the goals of the State. In marked contrast to it, what we witness today in India is that the politics is generally bereft of morality. Politics, once it is separated from morality causes serious injury to the vital organs of the Government. Political processes are choked, political development is crippled and the political culture is vulgarized to such an extent that it increasingly becomes inimical to the interests of the community as whole. The result is that the vitality, new ideas and freshness of the State is gradually destroyed and its organs lose their energy and enthusiasm. In fact, what lies at the root of the troubles of India's democracy is the widening hiatus between politics and morality ?

Let us not forget that morality is the bedrock of any healthy political system. Politics becomes soulless in the absence of morality; contrariwise, if conjoined with morality it becomes a life-giving activity, full of verve and vitality. The relationship between politics and ethics was highly valued by Greek political philosophers. In the modern. period, especially in pre-independence era, Mahatma Gandhi had been a great exponent of ethical approach to politics and strongly pleaded for the spiritualisation of politics. But in the post-Gandhian era, on account of the decline of moral ideals in politics, extremely dangerous and harmful tendencies have gradually appeared, gathered momentum, and in a way bloated in Indian politics. This phenomena is sometimes referred to by the scholars as the 'moral crisis' in Indian politics. The nature and extent of this moral crisis, and its impact on the politics of the country, form the central theme of the present work titled 'Moral Crisis in Indian Politics', edited by Dr. Sangat Singh.

As a teacher and a scholar in Political Science, Dr. Sangat Singh's reputation is fairly high. Against all odds, he has carved out a place for himself in the discipline of Political Science. An industrious researcher, Dr. Sangat Singh has been able to edit the present work according to a systematic plan. The notes and comments added by him are interesting and illuminative both. I am sure the book would be of immense benefit to the students and researchers in Indian politics, as well as the general readers. May I take this opportunity to congratulate my old student, Dr. Sangat Singh, for editing and producing an excellent book on the lively theme of moral crisis in Indian politics!

**Contents and Sample Pages**