Distressed Indian economy needs a Reboot; Denial will deepen the crisis!

Modi government is nearing a cusp - a new phase, where it will emerge as another face of Congress. It's current position on different policy issues is a grim reminder of the Congress legacy that ruined our country for decades. At this rate, the ruling party risks losing its core character. 

BJP's unfriendly economic policies, copied from Congress era, have brought unimaginable misery to common citizens. Although right-wing parties are supposed to be champions of 'Free-markets' , BJP adopted the model of 'Gandhian Socialism' since it's inception.

The current economic policies seem to be inspired by this model, which glorifies the virtues of a socialist state. However, it brings unimaginable suffering to the citizens of the country. Whether demonetization or GST, the government explored options that expanded harassment of general public and businesses. In the modern era, GST emerged as a prominent driver of tax terrorism and caused irreparable damage to existing business sentiment. A complex and faulty implementation of GST has created more obstacles instead of easing the pain. 

It was initially marketed as 'One Nation, One Tax', however, the bureaucrats managed to create a bigger cobweb of tax measures. The unfathomable complexity of GST caused severe strain to the Cerebrum of businessmen, CAs and government officials.

Current economic policies are reactionary and lack vision to address emerging challenges. Moreover, consistent fluctuation in decision-making by MoF has only made matters worse. Since the last two years, the government is grappling with excess supply issues yet it somehow manages to offer SOPs/ incentives to industry, which will further augment supply. On demand side, signs of depression were visible much earlier yet nothing was done to spur consumption. 

Sudden emergence of Covid-19 disrupted the normal way of living and further deteriorated the ailing economy. Lack of planning prior to announcement of lockdown added to the existing mess. A near complete halt of economic activities alongwith rising Covid-19 cases has created holes in BJP's governance and economic model. 

Despite the mess, the party continues to be aloof regarding ground problems and refuses to seek help of talented leaders from within. It has failed to utilize the capabilities of  intellectuals like Dr Swamy for the benefit of the nation. Dr Swamy's brilliant ideas on economy can change the course of the country. He co-authored index number theory along with Paul Samuelson, who also happened to be his Guru at Harvard. 

BJP's reluctance will add to existing woes of the party and could adversely impact it's image in public domain. Dr Swamy's out-of-box idea on 'Abolition of Income tax' can be a game changer if implemented properly. Similarly, Dr Swamy has innovative solutions to revive industrial and agricultural sectors. 

Time has come for BJP leadership to set aside its arrogance, accept mistakes and seek Dr Swamy's guidance on national & economic matters. Any delay in this regard is against the NATIONAL INTERESTS of the country.

Dr Swamy's heroic fight against Emergency for democracy!!

On 25th Jun 1975, Indira Gandhi declared the emergency to suppress the growing voices of opposition. Several Jan Sangh stalwarts such as JP, Morarji Desai, Nanaji Deshmukh and Ashok Mehta were arrested. On that fateful night, JP, while having dinner with Dr Swamy, sounded alarm bells about a possible military rule. Dr Swamy, in his usual style, remained calm and composed. 

However, JP’s premonition turned out to be true. After returning home, Dr Swamy was tipped off by an unknown police officer about his imminent arrest in the early morning hours. Dr Swamy was quick to react and left his residence to some other place in Delhi, where he could hideout. 

After staying for two days at a friend’s house, Dr Swamy shifted to Rajinder Nagar to stay along with Nanaji Deshmukh till August 25, 1975. Meanwhile, senior Jan Sangh leaders such as JP Narayan and Morarji Desai were arrested and sentenced to solitary confinement with complete disregard for their age (late 70s). To make matters worse, Congressi MPs were demanding death sentences for Jan Sangh leaders. It was perhaps the blackest hour of our country as democratic voices were crushed under the dictatorship of Indira Gandhi.

At the advice of JP Narayan, Dr Swamy moved out of India to campaign against the emergency. With the help of two prominent Swayamsevaks, Madhav Rao Mule and Dattopant Thegdi, Dr Swamy travelled from Delhi to London via Chennai and Colombo. Later, Dr Swamy travelled to the US and aggressively campaigned against the emergency.

While Dr Swamy was away, his Delhi home was under constant watch of the Police. Many of his assets such as Car, TV etc. were confiscated by Police since he was declared a proclaimed offender by the Indira government. 

During his campaigning abroad, few suggested Dr Swamy to permanently settle in the US. Popular public perception was that challenging Indira Gandhi will be a difficult task. Many NRIs and Indians had accepted that dictatorship in India will prevail for the next ten years. Dr Swamy had different plans and was planning for a fitting response to the emergency. 

Dr Swamy booked a ticket in PanAm flight from US to Bangkok via Delhi. Since Delhi was a transit stop, his name didn’t figure in the list of passengers headed to India. When the flight landed in Delhi, Dr Swamy comfortably came out of the airport and then stayed in a Hotel. While speaking to his wife over the phone, Dr Swamy realized that gaining entry into his house won’t be easy since police were deployed outside.

Nonetheless, Dr Swamy’s meticulous planning facilitated easy access to his home. Dressed as a Sikh Mechanic, he rang the bell just two minutes prior to change of Police duty. On enquiry, Dr Swamy identified himself as a TV mechanic and the police allowed him to enter the house. 

For four days, Dr Swamy stayed inside his Delhi home and planned his entry into the parliament. It was his HEROIC entry, which was a GAME CHANGER in the struggle against emergency. Because except few leaders, many had already given up the fight and some had even written apology letters.

On 10th Aug 1976, Dr Swamy entered the parliament, shocking the Congress MPs. The speaker was reading obituary references when Dr Swamy rose and said, 

 

“I have a point of order. There is no obituary reference for democracy. It has also died.”

The sheer audacity of Dr. Swamy, the nerve that he showed by making that heroic entry left everybody stunned. Before anyone could react, Dr. Swamy left the parliament and later escaped to the US via Nepal. 

Dr. Swamy’s entry into Parliament had embarrassed Indira Gandhi globally. At the peak of her power, Indira Gandhi failed to trace the whereabouts of Dr Swamy and couldn’t get hold of him even when he made that dramatic entry into the parliament. 

Defeated & Disheartened, Indira Gandhi withdrew military rule after six months and announced fresh elections. 

Six Un-Hindu things under Modi Govt

Government Control of Hindu Temples:

Despite Modi’s so-called Hindutva image, more Hindu temples have been brought under government control during the last six years of BJP rule. 

In 2019, BJP Uttarakhand state government passed ‘Char Dhaam Shrine Board Management Act’ to take control of 51 Hindu temples in the state.

In 2018, then Maharashtra state government, under the CMship of Devendra Fadnavis, passed a bill in the Assembly which enabled state control of ‘Shani Shignapur Temple’. 

Maharashtra govt also took control of Mahalaxmi Ambabai Temple in Kohlapur by passing ‘Shree Karveer Niwasini Mahalaxmi (Ambabai) Mandir (Kolhapur) Act’ in 2018.

In 2017, BJP government in Haryana took control of Chandi Devi Temple, Panchkula and Durga Mata Temple,  Hisar (Banbhori village).

Although Article 25 empowers the government to take control of temples, the process of takeover is subject to certain restrictions. For example, documentary evidence of financial misconduct is essential to facilitate such takeover.

In all the above cases, BJP government failed to conduct due diligence prior to takeover. Under the pretext of facilities management and infrastructure improvement, it usurped control of temples.

Nearly 60-70% of temple donations are utilised for paying staff salaries, upkeep of temple premises and other secular purposes. Only 1-2% of donations are used for festivals whereas, no donation money is spent on the development of Ved Paathshalas. Doesn't this mean that BJP gradually transitioning into a secular party?

Interestingly, BJP opposes government takeover of Hindu temples in non-BJP ruled states but grabs temple properties in states where it is in power. Such duplicity proves that BJP's concern for Hindu welfare is a sham.

Increased funding for minorities through Ministry of Minority Affairs:

Ministry of minority affairs was created on 29th Jan 2006 by the UPA government with the sole purpose of pampering minorities. The decision wasn’t surprising because the UPA always pandered to minorities. After BJP’s resounding victory in 2014, Hindus were hopeful that such ministries will be disbanded due to their discriminatory nature. 

However, BJP not only continued with the UPA legacy but also consistently increased funding for minorities in order to appear secular. Surprisingly, the so-called Hindutva party introduced several new schemes for minorities under different categories such as education, economic and infrastructure, which further expanded the scope of the ministry.

Moreover, the ministry hasn’t yet seen a non-Muslim union minister as a head, even though incentives to all minorities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis are part of its objectives. Why did the government choose a Muslim Minister as a head of the minority affairs? Why not a Parsi, Sikh or Christian as the head of the ministry? 

The answer is obvious - after Hindus, Muslims are a sizeable vote bank in India. It is a big carrot to a party whose sole objective is winning elections.  

Third Largest Exporter of Cara Beef in the world

Over the last ten years, India has emerged as the third largest exporter of Cara Beef in the world. Although Cara Beef (buffalo meat) belongs to the same cattle family as that of Cows, it isn’t considered holy by many Hindus. As a result, rising exports of buffalo meat hasn’t been a matter of concern. As per the graph below, beef exports from India witnessed consistent increase under Modi’s rule. 

  

Source: Agriculture and Processed food products development authority (APEDA)

According to APEDA, Buffaloes are strictly slaughtered using Halal, which is an Islamic practice. 

Although Buffaloes don't enjoy the same place as cows, they are deeply interconnected with Hindu culture. For example, a Buffalo is the vehicle of 'Yamraj' - the God of Death. In Southern India, many buffalo festivals such as Sadar (AP), Kambala (Karnataka) and Jallikatu (TN) are organised as a mark of respect to Gods for the good health of cattle.

Just like cows, Buffaloes have been a source of milk products such as milk, butter, white cheese and curd. As they play a pivotal role in providing nutrition to Indian children, slaughtering them for exports is a brutally un-Hindu act. 

Continuation of Right To Education (RTE) Act

On 4th August 2009, UPA government enacted RTE to enable free and compulsory education for children aged between 6 to 14 years. According to the Act, aided and unaided schools are legally bound to keep 25% of school seats reserved for children from economically weaker backgrounds. 

However, flaws in the ACT led to the exclusion of aided and unaided minority schools from the ambit of RTE. The minority institutions, therefore, escaped from stringent rules and procedures of RTE, which were to be followed by aided and unaided non-minority schools. This discrepancy alone has led to closure of Hindu run schools in our country over the last ten years. Apart from 25% reservation, other provisions of RTE added to the unviability of managing a school.  

While a minority school (Convent or a Madrassa),  could easily operate in a small building without complying with RTE standards, other private schools (administered by Hindus) were made to follow the rules diligently. Failure to comply results in closure or takeover by the state education department.

Based on data provided by National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), nearly 3,000 schools have been closed in 2015-16 due to non-compliance of RTE act. The closure of Hindu administered schools will facilitate growth of Convent Schools and Madrassas. 

RTE, therefore, has created such disparity in the education sector, which is counter-productive for the majority community. It is a UPA legacy, which has no relevance under a government that thrives on Hindu votes. 

Different states, Different rules

BJP adopts and follows different rules for different states, which gives an impression that party’s brand of Hindutva is opportunistic. For example, the party rakes up temple and cow slaughter issues in the Hindi belt, however, conveniently changes stand in states like Goa and Mizoram where the dominant population is Christian. 

For example, BJP has set up a missionary cell in Mizoram to pander to Christian sentiments. The displaced Bru tribes, who were the original hindus from Mizoram, are being settled in Tripura. Beef is openly served in Goa’s restaurants to cater to foreign tourists. Except cows, all sorts of cattle are slaughtered in Goa using Halal practices.

In the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, BJP government has introduced domicile act to ensure status quo in its demography. This is in sharp contrast to BJP's publicly stated position of integrating Kashmir with rest of India.

Revision of History Textbooks/Curriculum

Post independence, India’s history was distorted in the curriculum primarily to diminish the perception of India’s glorious civilizational past. The presentation of contents was disproportionately in favor of Mughals and British rule. The primary objective was to inculcate a sense of inferiority among Hindus regarding their own roots.

Unfortunately, BJP hasn't done much to rectify the existing distortions. The history books continue to sing glories of Mughal rule and do not offer a detailed account of Hindu rulers.  The history of great Hindu kingdoms of Cholas, Ahoms, Bhatti Rajputs, the Marathas, Maharana Pratap and sacrifices of Sikh Gurus have been awfully neglected.

The utter disregard of BJP government in this matter is producing another generation of Hindus with a sense of inferiority. As time is slipping by, a golden opportunity to rectify historical wrongs is being missed.

Rahul Gandhi - BJP's Dark Horse

Anti-corruption was a major plank of BJP's 2014 election pitch. It suited BJP's election agenda to speak openly against Congress scams. The strong anti-Congress sentiment due to 55 years of misrule also helped BJP to achieve record victories in 2014 and 2019.

Modi's rise to centre-stage increased hopes of nationalists that finally justice will be delivered. The suffering of common Indians will be redeemed and a new age will begin. Unfortunately it was not to be so ..

The party seems least bothered about bringing back black money stashed abroad. On corruption, it has not taken any definitive action against frauds perpetrated during the UPA era. In fact, the BJP government is exhibiting a high degree of indifference towards Congress scams. This particular attitude of the party is baffling to say the least, however, it does have a reason.

Easy picking that BJP has missed

In 2015, on Dr Swamy's complaint about Rahul Gandhi's British citizenship, parliament's ethics committee was ordered to investigate the matter. The ethics committee, headed by LK Advani, sought Rahul's response on the citizenship issue, however, his reply was ambiguous.

The ethics committee didn't take any action beyond this and comfortably sat on the issue. In 2017, Dr Swamy filed a written complaint on the same issue with MHA (then under Rajnath Singh). Despite the complaint, BJP’s response on the issue has been slack. 

Dr Swamy's written complaint consists of documentary evidence that proves Rahul Gandhi as a British citizen. As per Article 9 of the constitution, dual citizenship holders are not permitted to hold a public office and therefore, Rahul Gandhi's LS membership can be easily revoked. Nonetheless, he continues to be an LS member.

For corruption cases, BJP government hides its ‘INTENT’ under the garb of existing challenges in the judicial system. However, in Rahul Gandhi's citizenship case, BJP has lost face because the concerned issue doesn’t require judicial intervention. BJP is least bothered about the citizenship row, rather it is happy if Rahul Gandhi is the opposition. Why?

The answer is simple: 

Rahul Gandhi, as opposition, trivializes any form of credible criticism of the government. His mere presence helps BJP to escape responsibility for its actions. This is a win-win situation for BJP because it will facilitate Modi to rule for 10-15 years without accountability. However, it's a ‘Raw Deal’ for common people because they have to bear the burden of BJP’s mediocre performance.

Dear BJP, why shy away from taking Dr Swamy's help?

Dr Swamy is one political figure who stands tall among BJP's current leadership. Without holding a position, Dr Swamy has been lethal against enemies of the nation. He is an intellectual giant having knowledge across diverse subjects such as economics, law, foreign affairs, defense etc.

Despite his capabilities and contributions, BJP leadership has shied away from taking his help. BJP's current behaviour towards Dr Swamy has also perplexed many nationalists. Because his ideas and knowledge are significantly potent for nation's development.

In an environment when the govt is seriously strained to tackle Border issues, Covid-19 threat, internal anti-national elements and economy, it makes more sense for PM Modi to utilise Dr Swamy's talent.

With increasing belligerence of neighbors such as China, Pak & Nepal, growing Covid cases, mindless opposition to CAA and negative GDP growth, the govt is fighting multiple battles on different fronts. However, BJP's current cabinet has been mediocre in its performance and seems incapable of handling multiple level crisis.

The current environment is a tipping point for BJP, wherein, one more trigger can cause an unexpected downfall. The party needs to take radical measures to restore public confidence, else it will witness more pain in the future. 

BJP leadership needs to shed it's insecurities and place trust in Dr Swamy for the betterment of the nation. Any reluctance in this matter will delay the progress of the country.

BJP must Investigate SP Mookerjee's mysterious death

Shyama Prasad Mookerjee was a staunch nationalist and was a Minister in Nehru's cabinet. Later, SP Mookerjee left Congress due to ideological differences with Nehru. He created a nationalist party which came to be known as Bhartiya Jan Sangh (BJS). 

Although many Congress nationalists were aware about Nehru's treacherous ways, it was the undemocratic introduction of article 370 that pushed SP Mookerjee away from Congress. 

He was a fierce opponent of Article 370 and travelled across country to raise awareness among masses. His relentless campaign against article 370 created fear among Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah. 

Both Nehru and Abdullah perceived SP Mookerjee as a political thorn in their eyes and wanted to suppress his movement. Apart from the cousins, late Arun Jaitley's father-in-law, GL Dogra was highly critical of SP Mookerjee's views on article 370. He was a devoted follower of Sheikh Abdullah and a staunch Nehruvian. 

SP Mookerjee decided to visit J&K to oppose the undeclared balkanisation of India. During his visit to J&K, he was arrested by Police in Kathua and detained without trial. Vajpayee, as a journalist, had accompanied SP Mookerjee, however, he had escaped from the scene of arrest due to unknown reasons. 

On June 23 1953, SP Mookerjee died under mysterious circumstances while he was under detention of J&K police. Later, heart attack was given as a reason for his death.

It is clear that Nehru and Abdullah conspired to eliminate SP Mookerjee because he was igniting nationalistic sentiment on article 370 and emerging as a strong opposition to Congress. However, the role of other collaborators can't be ignored.

A thorough investigation into SP Mookerjee's death must be conducted to uncover truth for public knowledge. This will be an ideal tribute to his sacrifice for the integrity of country.

Does BJP really care about Anti-corruption?

Past

I still vividly remember the political environment from 2011 onwards when Congress was facing heat due to various corruption cases. During that time, many UPA scams erupted like a wild volcano. There was 2G scam, Coalgate, Agusta Westland chopper deal, CWG scam, Irrigation scam, Aircel-Maxis scam and many others. Congress was just not able to handle the heat generated due to these cases. 

Those days, Dr Swamy's legal activism created a pressure cooker situation for Congress. Apart from court activism, Dr Swamy's barbs at Congress worsened the situation for dynasts. His witty comments and cryptic messages created furore amongst nationalists. Dr Swamy actually dug out the entire history of Sonia Gandhi and placed it in public domain. Dr Swamy’s brutal exposure of Rahul Gandhi’s debilitated political acumen caused irreversible damage to his career. The blow was so lethal that the last scion of dynasty became a subject of mockery in India's political environment.

Especially from 2011 to 2013, Dr Swamy was all over the Indian political space. His interviews, public speeches, court battles, TV debates and Twitter interactions became a rage among the youth of India. The masses were waking up to a new reality as Dr Swamy’s ideas received grand reception. During the same time period, the leader of opposition from BJP was virtually sleeping over Congress scams. For all practical purposes, Congress didn't face meaningful criticism from BJP leaders like Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Advani. As a result, Congress could easily introduce many anti-Hindu acts during its tenure.

Dr Swamy's activism precipitated public anger to reach disproportionate levels. As a result, the public started baying for the end of Congress through slogans such as ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’. This sentiment manifested in the 2014 LS elections when Congress was comprehensively defeated by BJP. 

BJPs LS victory in 2014 was climactic because for the first time, Congress had bitten dust so badly. The expectations were high that Modi will usher in a golden era for India. His power-packed speeches exposing Congress (using Dr Swamy's anti-corruption fight) and 15 year track record as Gujarat CM made him look promising. However, this victory turned out to be anti-climax.

Present

After six years, BJP government has failed to deliver justice in corruption cases. Honest officers are shunted out or given non-serious responsibilities. For example, Mr Ashok Khemka, who exposed Vadra's land dealings in Haryana, is consistently transferred from one place to another. ED officer Rajeshwar Singh was hounded on fictitious grounds because he was seriously investigating Chidambaram's role in the Aircel-Maxis scam. Instead of promoting these officers, the govt suppressed their nationalistic endeavors. 

Moreover, crooked officers were promoted because of their affinity with a system that thrives on corruption. These pliable officers are like a double edged sword because their loyalty shifts according to the party in power. They are efficient agents of match fixing among political opponents.  

BJP effectively used investigating agencies prior to state elections and indulged in sporadic investigations just to gain electoral advantage over other parties. On the other hand, non-election time has been relatively peaceful for BJP's opponents. This is a happy agreement between BJP and Congress.

The party with a difference has adopted Congress template of governance to consolidate its hold across the country. Horse-trading, political blackmail, importing Congressmen and usurping control of state governments through unethical means have become common action points for BJP.

Amidst all this, the goal of ‘Corruption free India’ is dumped into the store room of BJP office. The rot continues to spread with the tacit support of political leaders having no desire to contain and reverse the alarming trend.

It is a misfortune of the country that nationalist agenda, so vigorously built by Dr Swamy, was first hijacked and then willfully diluted by opportunists. 

- Gaurav Bhatia

Emotions and Political Atyachaar!!

In a nation battered with lost pride due to 1,000 year of invasions and loot, being emotional is normal. However, emotions shall not camouflage logic and reality in a manner that distorts vision. Emotional Indians who perceived Congress to be largely responsible for the freedom movement, gave thumping victories to the party till 1990. However, our country suffered a great deal due to 55 years of Congress rule. Only after significant miseries, our electorate realised about Congress misdeeds.

Unfortunately, political narrative even today is dependent on emotions instead of governance & performance. Citizens are mere tools for electoral victories as they can be triggered with sentiments. This may be ideal for politicians, however, it doesn’t augur well for our nation. 

Politicians love to dramatize situations and tragedies. Exploiting mass feelings for personal benefits is a common phenomenon. In the face of negative public sentiment, unfortunate incidents become an opportunity for building a positive sentiment. Every crisis or tragedy is an image building exercise, while planning, detailing, objectives and strategies take a backseat. Rhetoric takes precedence over ground realities because winning elections is the only motive.

Elections have their own festival feeling for politicians. Grand rallies in small towns, Large hoardings across cities, Full page advertisements in print media, along with tall promises, 24/7 mud-slinging on TV channels and fallacious predictions of psephologists. People attend large rallies to listen and watch the sheer oratory and theatrics of politicians, hoping and wishing it to be true. Hope pushes people to vote and elect leaders. Hope is an antidote to real problems of citizens and in this sense, it has become a mirage. In reality, people don’t elect leaders, they elect HOPE.

Citizens have developed sharp differences resulting in strong likes and dislikes over crucial matters, which are perceived from a political lens. This results in heated debates, endless discussions and disinformation campaigns on different media platforms. Truth and reasoning has no place among citizens divided by sentiments. As a result, seeking accountability to build pressure and improve performance doesn’t seem to be a concern.

Social media platforms have also played a role in aggravating the sentiments of common citizens. Although SM platforms started out well for raising awareness among citizens, they now seem to be losing neutrality. Censoring and shadow banning of fact based hard-hitting content have become routine matters. On the contrary, these platforms have struggled to put a check on propaganda and fake news which dominate the mind-space of SM users. Increased propensity of users to accept information/news at face value has subdued reality. 

A mature electorate, which doesn’t get swayed by emotions while being focused on facts and performance, will usher a brighter future for the country, else, it will always be 'Emotions and Political Atyachaar'.