Corruption, religious fanaticism deterrants to democracy: Mah Guv

Mumbai, Aug 9 (UNI) Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna today said India has evolved into a stable democracy over the past six decades, but corruption, religious fanaticism, politics based on caste and religion, and economic exploitation, could weaken the same.

Speaking at the 65th anniversary function of the Quit India movement and after inaugurating the ''Nirdhar Darshan' exhibition organised by Maharashtra government at the historic August Kranti Maidan where Mahatma Gandhi had given the ''Quit India'' call, Mr Krishna said, ''Let us commit ourselves to face these challanges and strive to create a modern India based on equality and fraternity.'' Mr Krishna recalled the First War of Independence of 1857 and also the contributions of freedom fighters like Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, V D Savarkar, and Lokmanya Tilak.

''Thanks to the visionary leadership of late Rajiv Gandhi, democracy has reached the grassroots level with all the important institutions of democracy having been decentralised. The nation has made tremendous progress in IT, science and technology,'' he added.

''The benefits of globalisation should percolate to the last man in the society, and empowering the last person in the remotest part of the country would be a real tribute to the Father of the Nation,'' he observed.

UNI