The BJP led NDA Government at the centre under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed in the last parliament session about ‘many achievements’ in the last four years rule. The claims such as eradication of corruption, controlling; black money, fee medical insurance for weaker sections, free cooking gas connection for “six crores houses in villages, built ten crores toiles, built more than three crores houses in rural areas, provide free electricity and water connection, more than thirty crores people belong to backward class and Dalits who had an opportunity to open bank accounts apart from other socio-economic and developmental programmes.

Whereas the failures outweigh in many areas including some of the foretold promises by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi take ‘demonetization’ which was claimed that 90% of the black money in the country reached in the banks and thus all the black money converted into white money. Through ‘demonetization’ who was the actual beneficiary either black money holder or banks or the central government? Why the centre has committed to provide crores of rupees to the public sector banks for its functioning?

At the time of coming to power at the centre Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured to the people that those Indians abroad who have black money in the foreign banks should be brought back to India, from that each person in the country will get rupees 15 lakhs in their bank accounts! But it has become hollow promise from our Prime Minister.

The GST implementation resulted closing of many small scale business establishments and also loss of wealth and employment opportunities in unorganized sectors.

Regarding employment, Prime Minister assured two crores of jobs every year but that also turned into a hollow promise for the last five years central rule. According to the ‘centre for monitoring Indian economy’ a research agency in their report states that in the year 2017, 40.79 crores of people had employment but in the year 2018 it was reduced into 39.76 crores!

According to the ‘Inequality Report’ by ‘Oxfam’ at the world economic forum in Davos said, “India added 18 new billionaires, taking the total 119, and their total wealth was higher than that the country’s 2018-19 budget, which was Rs.24,422 billion.”

Further the report says, “The India’s top 10% of the population holds 77.4% of the total national wealth. Their wealth grew by Rs.2,200 crore a day.”

In the agrarian sector, the farmers have grievously suffered due to Govt’s inaction, resulted frequent farmer agitations and subsequently hundreds of farmers forced into suicides.

In the social sector is concerned, ‘divisive forces’ have gained maximum strength’ under the BJP-ruled government at the centre and the states, which threaten the secular and democratic polity of the nation.

The nation has already witnessed several incidents of atrocities against the Dalits and the religious minorities in the name of religious conversion and cow protection. The law enforcing authorities are hesitant to take timely action against those divisive forces because of their political link.

All these must convince all the secular and democratic forces of the need to unite in the larger interests of the nation and to defeat the communal forces in the forthcoming general elections.

Thomas Mulackel
Bengaluru