Elections 2014... and Narendra Modi. These are the "Modi" elections... everywhere you look, you will find Mr Modi. Nothing wrong with that - problem is, in this Modism, the real issues lie buried somewhere - buried and forgotten. Let me enumerate these issues in the form of Questions, in short and simple words. This is not a long blog-post; I am just asking a few questions. If you want my vote, please answer these questions, straight and simple. Else, I am clear: I will not cast my vote for the BJP. Mr Modi, sir, my vote may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me. I am a nobody in the 1.27 Billion, but to me, I am a somebody, a thinking individual...
- How will you ensure that infrastructure projects' implementation will start after your rising to the pole position? How will you ensure implementation of all Government projects, departments and works?
- Will you give Autonomy to the CBI?
- Will you allow Raghuram Rajan and the RBI a free hand to reign in Inflation? How will you reign in Inflation?
- Will you cut red-tape and reduce the number of approvals required for setting up new businesses?
- How will you stoke consumption, and improve the confidence levels of business in the country?
- How will you ensure the investment cycle picks up again, and Capital Flight is stopped?
- How will you improve Brand India?
- Will you make Gen VK Singh - or someone else equally qualified {an ex-serviceman} - the responsibility of the Armed Forces?
- Will you increase allocation of funds to Defence, Health and Education as a percentage of GDP?
- How will you increase the manufacturing base of the country?
- Will you set up the tri-services command?
- What will you do about the crippling shortages plaguing the Indian Armed Forces?
- How will you handle Kashmir, and the relations with Pakistan and China?
- What will be the thrust of your Foreign Policy?
- What will you do about Farmer Suicides?
- How will you ensure Market Access to ensure proper rates for farmers?
- Our Small and Marginal Farmers regularly lose money on every crop. What will you do to ensure their profitability - without raising subsidies?.
The reason I am asking these questions is straightforward : everyone is expecting Mr Modi to waive a magic wand, and hey presto! Everything is right with the world again. We even have a suprising spectre of famous people stating that some level of corruption is acceptable if the result is stability. Expectations are rife - expectations of India being a strong, and renewed India. A euphoria, a heady euphoria is in the air, the euphoria of a rise of the BJP after 10 long years of the UPA. It is a given that the initial response to a Modi Government will be positive on the business cycle. But will this be sustainable?
For it to be sustainable, the points enumerated above will have to be attended to. And no one - note, no one is asking these questions of the BJP, or the UPA or even the AAP. No one. I would like to understand how can things correct themselves automatically? Let us take stuck projects as an example. How can anyone ensure that implementation picks up unless the very serious and vexatious issues of land reforms and corruption are solved? If anyone expects that once BJP comes in power, corruption revelations will stop - they are living in Shanghri-La, the land that doesnt exist! The Media, the CAG, and the others in the fray will continue to ensure that corruption is exposed. Same is the case with Land Reforms, or red tapism, or any other issue highlighted above. These will have to be attended to; and yet, no one is asking these questions. Everyone is just chanting some name or the other!
How can any Government ensure rapid growth without sorting out these questions I have asked above is beyond me. Just shouting NaMo or RaGa or Kejri will not solve our problems. There has to be a strategy, a plan of action, a clearly definable tactical execution strategy that tackles extant problems. This is clearly absent - and yet, people are jumping for joy in sheer expectation! Will we never learn our lessons? High time the Indian electorate learnt to asked our political classes the right questions. Sadly, it is with a feeling of deep regret that I note that even the educated middle classes - the only people who can show the path to the rest of India, and lead the true renaissance of our land - are missing these very real questions, and are getting caught in the pointless and dangerous euphoria!
It is the time for the middle classes to step up and be counted - but looking at the euphoria and the heady mood of the people, including the only people who can bring about real change - I cannot but feel a dredge of helplessness sweep over me; that our problems will never be solved. There is no concrete proposal on the board in the manifesto of any political party that attends to these real problems facing my India. And yet, the people are ecstatic and euphoric of the rise of Mr Modi. Amazing! How will one man solve all problems? How? Please do tell me!
Jaago, Sonewaalon!
Kashmir and Indo-Sino relations are tricky issues, which cannot be dealt with a hardline stance which we would usually associate with Mr Modi.
ReplyDeleteIndian foreign policy has been virtually non-existent. Probably the after-effects of the non-Alignment movement of the past.
It will be interesting to see how Modi would handle inflation, which in India is the outcome of supply-side constraints. On one hand, you want food prices to be controlled, while on the other hand, you want farmers to get their minimum support price. This is not an easy nut to crack.
Very valid questions VVK.
Cheers
CRD
Thanks, CRD...
ReplyDeleteAgree on Kashmir and to some extent, China...
NAM was actually quite a good deal for India, as we avoided the harm that befell Pakistan, while getting superb support from Russia!
Inflation... not an easy nut, indeed. A very hard nut to crack, Methinks. I think it is both a supply side as well as demand-side issue... what say?