In the most sensational manner NDA rode to power at the centre in the 2014 general elections. After a very long time, a single party got majority in the Loksabha. Mr Modi as the PM candidate was at the fore front of the campaign for the NDA lead by BJP. Undoubtedly it was a historic win for both the BJP and Mr Modi. The government was sworn in May 2014 with the promise of delivering on their poll promises of “Minimum Government and maximum Governance” amongst many other popular and catchy slogans which actually had attracted the voters to the BJP fold. Today the present cabinet is nothing but “JUMBO” in size. Exactly the size as it was in the UPA regime. All the sloganeering, during the elections, was, at the behest of the Mr Modi the PM designate by the BJP lead alliance. The results at the general elections proved the effectiveness of such a sloganeering which wooed the electorate, raising their level of aspirations in particular.
It is now the time for the common voter to sit back and audit whether the promised “Ache din” has come to him/her or not. Unquestionably most voters are now wondering what exactly the “ache din” is. If he had not voted for NDA would he have got in to “Bure din?” Rather than his poor savings bank account swelling with the promised fifteen lakhs, he is worried about the megre funds in his account depleting with the Finance minister’s recent remarks that the interest rate on savings must be cut down by Public Sector banks. “Zaroor ache din aa rahe hi”.
It is still fresh in the public memory that Shri Modi, then PM designate made roaring election speeches which centered on silence of Shri Manmohan Singh then PM of the UPA led by Congress. We are left to wonder whether such a silence by a PM is the effect of the “Chair” since Mr Modi has also taken to silence like to fish to water on certain contentious serious issues. He has been conspicuous by resorting to “mouna” rather than expressing his views on controversial issues. Even in parliament he has not spoken much at all being the leader of the house. Even in his regular addresses to the captive audience both through “Man ki baath” and organized rallies during his frequent foreign travels he has chosen the silent route. Such acts of accusing others of a quality which one embraces later are not only hypocritical in nature but also are a proof of vanity and banality of a person. Off course the public as usual fell for the bait in the summer of 2014 which is slowly but surely realizing its gullibility and awakening to the realism of lack of promised governance and deliverance of promises. It is true that the electorate has fell for the politician’s promises time and again but has rejected the party which has failed to live by its promises to some extent at least. Combination of “raised aspirations” and “failed promises” are sure shot recipe for disaster next time around in the ballot box.
It is nothing new for the political parties to promise plethora of things in the election speeches in India. What is different in the 2014 general election speeches by Mr Modi is that, while he denounced the opposition parties for their failures, including passing individual slurs, with his vitriolic and promised moon to the electorate in his high decibel campaign. Reality is the gap between the promises and the deliverance through good governance is only widening by the day. The CAG report on LPG subsidy has just burst one false claim of the Modi government. Many more such falsehoods will start revealing themselves in the near future. Where is that famous one lakh thirteen thousand crores obtained through spectrum auction, as claimed by Modi government gone? Only the CAG audit will reveal the truth behind such a claim.
It is time for the PM to clarify on the manufactured GDP and engineered reduction of Inflation by his government to the people of India. Continually blaming the predecessor is not what the management schools teach their future managers. One should prove his mettle through sheer hard work and sincerity for the benefit and welfare people, who have placed their confidence by dethroning the earlier rulers for their bad governance. No ears will be lent to only whining, complaining and involving in blame games. So it is time to move on and deliver the promises.
A persistent doubt remains whether promises will be delivered through good governance or not since in the last 26 months the performance of the government has not helped improve the confidence of people. The NITI ayog created after disbanding the age old and time tested planning commission has not brought in any new idea to inject and infuse both the economy and well being of people in a welfare state. Merely changing name of schemes and programs will ever remain cosmetic with futile results as is being experienced. It is also true all the old bills introduced by the UPA regime which were vehemently opposed earlier are being re introduced in the parliament by the same set of people without adequately explaining to the people of the country about such a strong U turn. While GST bill is one such example the FDI in retail is another. In fact there are many more such BIG U turns by the NDA government. Is it to be believed that they are short on creativity or they simply opposed the bills because they just wanted to oppose? India wants to know why there has been tectonic shift in the NDA mind set. It is every Indian’s constitutional and birth right to know why there is no clarity when serious economic activity, directly affecting billion of Indians, in the manner in which such bills are re introduced by NDA in the august parliament of India. Let PM Modi come clean in his next captive address through “Man Ki baath” since he abhors interactive sessions either with the press or general public. Hopefully he will be available in the country to do so, as he is ever busy travelling.
I Love my India
Jai Hind