By Poonam I Kaushish
If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance battle them with bull. A truism which comes to mind as the Modi Sarkar rolls out its three-year report card nee facts, figures, data and statistics, no matter statistics are unreliable facts from reliable figures.
Sure, Prime Minister can overwhelm with his speaking skills continuing to ride the wings of glory and fame for a new order of aache din. Certainly, he has saturated airwaves, social and digital media with his relentless onslaught of ushering in change asserting that “people have become active partners in governance as there is mutual trust between the Government and the people.” Sic.
Unquestionably, everyone laps up every word bespoken by him. Yet when one draws up the balance-sheet of his Government, can the Prime Minister brush under the carpet the fact that the situation sadly continues to remain stagnant —status quo ante? Has Modi walked his talk of Saath Hai, Vishwaas Hai…Ho Raha Vikas Hai and delivered?
Has he brought about inclusiveness, made minorities comfortable and won their confidence? And where are the jobs, the promised development, infrastructure, quality education even Swatcch Bharat, the Aache Din? Or, should one believe his detractors who see Modi as a filibuster of a “fundamentalist Party”?
Undoubtedly, he has outsmarted the Opposition and it is in total shambles. A fragmented, leaderless and directionless anti-establishment in its elusive quest for a coherent narrative to take on the BJP defines Modi’s three years in office.
A desperation that borders on a crisis post the Saffron’s electoral sweep in UP and its expanding electoral footprint in the North-East.has ensured that Modi is master of all he surveys. He continues to astride the tiger called India trampling all who come in his way as he takes giant strides
By adding a pro-poor plank to his outreach a la demonetisation he has further shrunk space for his rivals to maneouvre and marginalized them. The UP win underscores that Modi has not been hurt by the antipathy of Muslim voters resulting in troubled times for rivals, all clueless groping in the dark. Add to it the fact that they lack a mascot to match NaMo given Rahul’s present leadership style and you have a disaster.
Moreover, the Sangh has laid a multi-level intricate trap for his enemies. One, through Hindu polarization, notwithstanding loud noises against gau rakshaks, street tactics of saffron stormtroopers, caste and communal violence, the Hindus are one.
Remember, his shamshan-kabristan, Diwali-Ramzan comments targeted base sentiments tapping into resentment against Muslim appeasement. Thereby, killing the appetite of the pseudo-secularists. Two, cutting across caste lines he successfully used notebandi to rid BJP of its Brahmin-Baniya image while the Opposition waits for a ‘big idea’
Call him a narcissist, dictator or a Hindu zealot, yet NaMo’s approval ratings continue to remain high. According to a recent survey he has got the thumbs up from over 70 per cent Indians, ranks among the top five world’s greatest leaders, is in the top ten of Forbes most powerful people worldwide and is the ‘most-followed’ person on Twitter and Facebook.
Perhaps, that explains his perceived arrogance running a one-man rock band albeit concentrating power in the PMO. A one-way street full of staccato monologue, no dialogue and questions are a strict no-no. He uses Modisque ‘direct marketing’ format and delivers a speech every 1.9 days (45.6 hours) and counting.
Notwithstanding, the Opposition dubbing his three years as “disappointing”, it has been a roller coaster ride, a bag of mixed fortunes for the Government. At one end of the spectrum, surgical strikes against Pakistan Occupied Kashmir marked a huge strategic and tactical shift, accentuating an-eye-for-an-eye, and tooth-for-a tooth plot. Ties with Pakistan and China are icy and relations with Russia, once India’s time-tested friend too seem to be in the doldrums.
The audacious notebandi was one of the boldest policy moves in Independent India. Alongside the passage of the GST bill, power and banking sector reforms have also been big economy drivers. Some 90 lakh new income tax payers, India’s market capitalisation of $2 trillion and record levels of foreign direct investment,
Further, the Government is going hammer and tongs against the corrupt. That Modi means business is obvious when leaders like Congress’s Sonia- Rahul, ex-Finance Minister Chidambaram and son, RJD’s Laloo and daughter, BSP Mayawati’s brother have been charged for various acts of omission and commission.
True, Ujwala to provide cooking gas connections to poor households, direct bank transfer, mobile banking, women empowerment, electrification and distribution of LED bulbs, Security Insurance Plan with over 10 crore people being enrolled and housing for all has blunted the Rahul jibe of ‘suit boot ki sarkar’
Startlingly, for reasons best known to him, Modi has still to address key developmental issues that continue to exercise people: employment and housing before toilets! Enforcing basic state functions like law and order, preventing crime against women and children, inflation, illiteracy and ill-health are the touchstone of the much-hyped and illusionary deal of roti, kapada aur makan. Look at the irony. Cellphones go abegging, yet people continue to beg for food.
The most notable failure of the Government is that its catchy slogan of minimum government, maximum governance touted as a new power paradigm of providing baggage-free good governance to unshackle moribund laws and State has come to bite him and how! Today, alas, the Government has its fingers in all economic and social policies for change, down to deciding if people should eat meat and drink.
Economically, the State has not retreated from public sector disinvestment and no strategic sale has happened. Talk abounds of offloading Air India since 2015, but zilch. Does the NDA have the appetite for privatization? On the ease of doing business front according to the Word Bank India stood at 130, 155th at starting business, 185th in dealing with construction permits, 138th in registering property, 166th in enforcing contracts and 108th in trading across border.
His pet project of making Bharat Swatcch by 2019 sans water and toilets seems a tall order. The corridors of Government offices stink to high heaven, forget the congested residential areas with garbage strewn all across roads. Less said the better of health care, Shamefully, 1 in 3 of the world’s malnourished children live in India with 1,500 dying every day and risking the future of another 6 million.
Moreover, there is political disquiet over Modi’s failure to curb his fringe rabid Hindutva brigands who espouse communal polarization. This has corroded inter-community relations, to an extent where discrimination against the minority community seems to be par for the course. Less said the better about allegations of Saffronisation of education.
What next? Politically, can Modi change India? Certainly, he is no magician who can cure India of its over 60 years ills expediently, despite his brand of politics. The next general election is due in 2019 and, to a large extent, the outcome will depend on Modi’s management of the optics and his Government’s ability to generate jobs to meet the growing aspirations of voters.
Of course, he can enhance his Government’s performance by addressing weak areas and can convert threats into opportunities. Saath and Vishwas alone about Vikas will not usher Achhe Din. Will his naqaab of aache din encompassing roti, kapada, makaan and naukri be unmasked?
Certainly he has redefined politics and promises further change. Simultaneously he needs to invigorate the system and fortify democratic institutions. Importantly, can and will Modi be able to reconstruct the language of democracy. Remember, leaders don’t build democracies; people do. —– INFA