On completion of four years of the NDA Union Government that came to power on May 26, 2014 following massive negative sentiments generated among people by free media against the previous UPA Union Government, on promises of inclusive development, corruption free good governance, eradication of black money, bringing black money stashed abroad, putting Rs.15 lakh each in every citizen’s bank account, looking back one finds that nothing has changed on the ground. People are now sick of empty words and hollow political rhetorics. Fed up of false promises, disillusioned with the change that never came, angry about the state of economy, ever rising costs of living, frustrated by the flat job market, enraged by the stepped up violence and rapes against women/children, targeted bashing of and violence against Dalits and minorities are making people to go whole hog for change if the very idea of India with Justice, Equality and Fraternity as postulated by the Constitution of India has to be saved. This cannot go on further. It’s now clear that all such hollow promises were a ruse for serving the larger RSS agenda.
Manipulative transactional politics is now order of the day, as never before. Those in power have usurped the Constitutional values. Politics of nationalism is used either to commit crimes or defend criminals with impunity with the rise of BJP. Majoritarian bullying is on the rise. Dalits, Muslims, Christians and dissidents of right-wing ideology, have been the main targets, jeopardizing the Constitutional values. BJP Governments in States, by not acting against law breakers, have been sending out message that such incidents promote its political agenda of polarization that brings votes. It’s pity such crimes against Dalits, women and minorities are allowed to occur unabated and culprits not restrained, making complicity of State Governments obvious.
There is nothing like inclusive development (sab ka saath sab ka vikas), nor halcyon days (achhe din) for the people at large. One who carries all people together is leader of a nation. From this point of view, we need to ask discerning people of India how could they see in a person (NDA Prime Minister) who has perfected the politics of hatred against Dalits and minorities, into an art and who never misses an opportunity to inject this venom in the body polity of India that has been overawing the people. It’s now time for the people to decide how long they will remain under the depressing spell of fake nationalists!
A defacto emergency like situation is prevailing wherein Dalits, minorities and other marginalized people are suffocated and live in fear and insecurity. No wonder incidents of hate crimes have gone up by more than 500 per cent during the first four years of the BJP rise. Democratic and Constitutional institutions are defiled as never before. Even the Supreme Court of India has not been spared. For the first time, four senior most judges of the apex court in an unprecedented move met the press on January 12, 2018 raising the fear of “Democracy in Danger” while charging the Chief Justice of India with “Bench Fixing” in sensitive cases and endangering the independence of judiciary.
As for the higher education, budgets for scholarships for research and development have been cut drastically affecting the poor and marginalized, reservations in central universities/institutions of excellence diluted, privatization and commercialisation of education strengthened manifold, and central universities and institutes of higher learning that have been springboard of free thinking and discerning minds interfered with high handedness to enforce regimented right-wing ideology. Sixty one central universities and private educational institutions of repute have been granted autonomy for chartering their own course curricula with a covert agenda to raise resources for themselves, intended to make higher learning and research prohibitive to the poor sections, so much for inclusive development and democratic norms.
Good governance in our rule of law based democracy has become casualty with concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office and principle of collective responsibility rescinded, while on paper everything is hunky dory. Respective Union Ministers are idling and enjoying privileges and perks of their office, with Secretaries directly contacted by the PMO for any needful. A case in point is the deal of Rafael planes with France entered into by the Prime Minister without prior approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security, which gave its approval ex-post facto after a month or so. This could happen only in dictatorial regime and not in a democratic framework like ours.
Corruption is on the rise as never witnessed before. Nothing has been done to stem it. Lokpal, the national ant-corruption watchdog is yet to be appointed. Government enforcement machinery and administration have not been made accountable. Enforcement agencies are selectively used to take on political/other adversaries. However, there is some improvement in infrastructure, rural electrification and rural connectivity, which had slowed during the last leg of the previous UPA Union Government.
Country’s economy is on the slide despite changes in the formula for calculation of GDP and Consumer Price Index. Demonetisation and mindless implementation of GST has knocked down trade, commerce and industry at medium and small level, informal economy destroyed totally and unprecedented price rise for petroleum products and high inflation have hit the people hard despite all economic data having been seemingly fudged, as ground reality shows altogether different picture of hardships. Rural distress continues unabated. No relief for farmers, whereas rich have been benefited by writing off their loans to the tune of 140,000 lakh crore. More than 4,300 crore money was wasted on all round advertisements that projected the Prime Minister ignoring Ministers in charge involving projects under them, so much for country’s democratic norms. Mainstream media houses arm twisted to project the NDA Government and not to scrutinize its functioning.
In the area of foreign policy and foreign relations, the PM toured over 61 countries; beyond optics it did not yield results. Country’s External Affairs Minister was dwarfed by the PM as the Minister was reduced to just public relations point to take care of our citizens abroad in distress, that also when approached. India appears to be besieged by China with its neighbours turning to Beijing, while looking down upon India with suspicion. Notwithstanding with the growing bonhomie with the USA, it appears that country is using India only as marketing destinations for its commercial interests, as is historically borne out globally.
With ever rising divisive and communal politics, social tension, inter-faith distrust and hatred, the time tested core values of social harmony, tolerance and co-existence enshrined in the Constitution of India are distressed, its internal peace has been endangered so much so that well meaning people have come to realize that without peace the very idea of India and its unhindered all round progress may slow further or stop altogether with the apprehension that country may turn into a banana republic with no guaranteed human rights for the country’s citizens. That is what looks like the state of the nation on completion of last four years of the NDA Government!
-M.Y.Siddiqui