Remembering emergency to camouflage failures
India saw days of ‘emergency’ exactly 43 years ago, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. In the last four and a half decades after that, much water has flown under the bridge. Many people who lived through those ‘dark days’ have passed away. The new generation that came after those days, do not have any experience regarding how terrible those days were.
All of a sudden, Finance minister Arun Jaitley has been referring to ‘those’ days like they happened yesterday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the days of emergency are a blot on the history of India. Arun Jaitley has gone a step further, and has said Indira Gandhi was worse than Hitler. He probably does not know that it is not decency to speak about people who do not exist among us anymore.
Many other BJP leaders including Modi and Jaitley have been remembering the days of emergency, stating fundamental rights granted by democracy were being violated blatantly during those days. These skeletons of the past are being dug up to compensate for the failures of current dispensation, and divert the attention of the country from the problems for which they have not been able to find any solutions so far.
The country has revisited and criticized the days of emergency way too many times since India Gandhi invoked it over four decades ago. The country even served an electoral defeat to those who committed the crime, and subsequently brought them back to power too. Indira Gandhi imposed emergency and withdrew it too, all by herself. She sought people’s mandate after that. This is the history. To compare her with Hitler is intellectual bankruptcy that Arun Jaitley seems to be experiencing right now. Modi and Jaitley are followers of Savarkar and Golwalkar, who designed Hindutva ideology based on the fascist ideology created by Hitler, are saying Indira Gandhi is worse than Hitler. There cannot be bigger irony than this.
In reality, the country shouldn’t be invoking memories of whatever happened 43 years ago. The nation should actually be taking stock of whatever progress has been made in the last four years of BJP/NDA being in power. Have the pre-poll assurances by Modi to the people of this country have been met? How has the government performed in the office? People were made to believe ‘acche din’ will arrive with Modi being in the PM’s seat of this country. But thanks to neo-liberalisation policies, common people are reeling under many challenges those are threatening their existence. The promise to create 2 crore jobs annually has fallen flat along with the promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad.
More than anything else, the parliamentary democracy is on the brink of being compromised. Democratic institutions are being constantly under attack. People are suffering owing to the drastic demonetization decision that was taken by Modi. GST has posed very difficult challenge to small businessmen. People like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya have escaped the clutches of the government after swindling banks of thousands of crores. As a result of this banking sector is under threat. Agrarian crisis has pushed farmers to suicide. Gau Rakshaks are acting like quasi government and killing innocent people in broad day light too. University campuses are not witnessing unreasonable fights. ABVP goondas in those campuses are indulging in smearing black paint to the faces of their professors and taking out processions.
Autonomous bodies like Election Commission, CBI, Implementation agencies and even Supreme Court are witnessing massive interference by the government. As a result of all this, one cannot help but suspect if a cultural emergency has been imposed on the country.
The government led by Narendra Modi is harming the federal structure of this nation and its basic tenets. It is also trying all possible ways to topple state governments by using their ‘agents’.
For example, the central government is instigating IAS officers to create instability within AAP government in Delhi. Lt Governor in Delhi is doing whatever he can to ensure AAP government does not work and people vote them out of power. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the appointment of PM Modi since last three years but he has not been given any time for this. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu was also denied an appointment with Modi. However, the PM was kind enough to give some time to Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy. This was not done out of respect for the state, or a mind of duty or any affection for CM HDK. Instead, this was done to create ripples among the coalition government.
Pinarayi Vijayan or Naidu hadn’t sought the audience as private persons. Instead, they had taken their all-member committee to Delhi to discuss the issues and challenges faced by their governments. They were not given any audience. This is an insult to the federal system. This dictatorial attitude does not serve anybody well.
Vijayan wanted to discuss PDS and agricultural issues faced by his state. Today, except for Sangh Parivar bhakts who sing praises of BJP and Modi, no one else can live a comfortable life. Many intellectuals who have spoken against the establishment have been killed or punished. RTI activists are being hounded. Dalits, backward classes and minorities are living in fear. The secular fabric of the nation is under threat of turning into a land that follows the ideologies of Manu. All the pillars of democracy are being threatened. Since there are no great works that the government can speak to uphold its own merit, it is taking the support of invoking the memory of ‘dark days’ of emergency, and misguide people into something else.
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Fadnavis rides motorcycle to Vidhan Bhavan, says PM Modi asked only for 'small sacrifices'
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday rode a motorcycle to the Vidhan Bhavan here and later defended the Centre's austerity measures, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only "asked people to make small sacrifices".
He also criticised the Opposition for creating "unnecessary controversy" over the matter, adding that questioning the PM's foreign visits - aimed at strategic alliances and economic benefits - was "sheer foolishness".
Fadnavis arrived at the Vidhan Bhavan in South Mumbai on a motorbike from his residence 'Varsha', with BJP leader and minister Ashish Shelar accompanying him, to attend the swearing-in of new members of the legislative council.
The move comes as part of the measures after PM Modi's appeal to conserve fuel and foreign exchange in view of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has disrupted global energy supplies. India relies heavily on West Asia for crude oil and gas imports.
On Wednesday, CM Fadnavis announced a series of austerity measures, including halving the number of vehicles in the convoys of his cabinet colleagues, and cancelling foreign tours of ministers and officials.
Addressing reporters here on Thursday, Fadnavis said the state government had curtailed convoys, cancelled avoidable foreign tours and decided against holding large government events for the next six months.
Targeting the Opposition, the CM said similar austerity measures had been adopted by previous governments, including during the tenures of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao, as well as by former finance minister P Chidambaram in 2012.
"The Opposition needs to show some maturity. Countries across the world have taken even tougher decisions. The prime minister has only asked people to make small sacrifices while himself taking very tough decisions. Creating unnecessary controversy over this is not appropriate," he said.
Fadnavis said he travelled by motorcycle to send a message on fuel conservation, adding that symbolic actions by political leaders help spread awareness among people.
"When leaders act symbolically in this manner, the message reaches the people. That is why I came here on a motorcycle," he stressed.
The chief minister said all unnecessary foreign visits by officials and ministers had been stopped, and efforts were underway to reduce fuel consumption and save foreign exchange.
"We have reduced our convoys. Wherever petrol and diesel can be saved, wherever foreign exchange can be conserved, we are making every possible effort," he said.
Fadnavis said a major government event scheduled in Satara on Friday would, however, go ahead as it was planned in advance and expenditure had already been incurred.
He said around 25 lakh families would receive benefits valued at Rs 10,000 crore under the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana during the programme.
"After this event, however, no large government programmes will be organised over the next six months," he added.
The CM also dismissed criticism on social media over PM Modi's foreign visits, saying overseas trips aimed at strategic alliances and economic gains for the country should not be equated with avoidable travel.
"The appeal is only against unnecessary foreign travel. It does not mean businessmen should cancel important overseas deals. Criticising the prime minister's foreign visits is sheer foolishness," he said.
