Prime Minister Narendra Modi can claim that in two years his government has put an end to policy paralysis and the gloom over the economy which blighted the Congress government. The NDA’s policies are being aggressively pushed. Inflation has been contained and public finances have been strengthened. But all is not well. Private investment and jobs have taken a hit. One great thing however is that there has been no scam. Crony capitalism is on the wane. The shadow over coal auctions has passed away. Infrastructure is being beefed up- energy security, rail, road and petroleum sectors in particular. There have been oscillations in Narendra Modi’s foreign policy but he has been energetically on it and visiting various countries.
The minus points are many. Crony capitalism has given way to crony socialism. Bold economic reform is still very much up in the air. The much talked about ease of doing business has improved only marginally. The bankruptcy bill has been passed but not GST. Efforts to achieve more flexible labour laws and land acquisition laws are yet in animated suspension. What is most regrettable is that areas such as education and culture have fallen prey to religious dogmatism. The RSS sets the tune in such vital sectors. It seems to have been forgotten that India has a secular, composite culture. The deviation from the concept has led parties with nothing in common to fight the BJP. The JD(U) and the RJD in Bihar did an unexpectedly great job. The BJP has come to power in Assam but lost in Delhi, Bihar and has just made an entry in Kerala. The HRD Ministry’s handling of the incidents in Jawaharlal Nehru University and Hyderabad Central University following the suicide of Rohith Vemula have earned it the ire of a vocal section of youth who have become force multipliers, courtesy the social media networks. A political party that has to hold the country together must show magnanimity and tolerance of different ideas. Above all it must respect dissent. Let’s hope the Party learns from its mistakes!
