WHAT kind of India did we dream of? The vision statement (read manifesto) of political parties is a dream-selling document, but the answer to the above question is blurred by the lust of political masters to capture power by any means. India has become the most venerable market in the world. Manmohanomics has changed the dynamics of the economy. Three decades ago, agriculture was a major contributor to India’s GDP. The current standing is: agriculture 17.2 per cent, industry 29.1 per cent and services 53.7 per cent. The economy is not going to remain static, as the entire world is waiting for the election results. It has to change, but change for whom, for India or the world? Even the service sector, the main contributor to the GDP, is facing a crisis. China designed its economic policies for citizens and not for the world to plunder its resources, whereas India is designing policies that provide scope to the forces of the world market to exploit. India is facing its 16th election since Independence, yet health, education, literacy and housing are still core issues. No political party is willing to highlight these issues as they will not fetch votes. Political parties are talking about development, but without specifying what kind of development. Do they mean grabbing land (the fastest money-spinner) of poor farmers in the garb of the Land Acquisition Act and handing it over to the multinationals to fulfil their greed? Or, is the development geared only for those waiting to plunder the 400-million middle class market of India? ‘Development’ now smacks of scandal. Any development that does not create a job market for the youth will be a farce. Political parties assure they will create the jobs, but do not say how. Do they think Indians live in a fool’s paradise? Why are all the political parties silent on the non-performing assets of the banking industry? Because most of the donors to their coffers are part of the non-performing assets. Diverting attention from the core issue is their speciality. That is why political parties still fight elections on the issue of secularism vs communalism, Hindu vs Muslim, upper caste vs lower caste, rich vs poor and so on. It is with the tacit consent of the political leadership, because when they come to power they don’t carry any baggage. When political parties come to power after camouflaging the issues, they are at liberty to design the economic roadmap according to the fancy of those at their helm. As a result, India and its citizens are ignored and global forces take over the administration through their pawns. The last 10 years are a case in point of this economic mismanagement. India has become a nation of few, run by few.
These issues are more relevant today than in the 1950s. Why? Because at that point in time, the people had faith in the leadership and hope in the future. Today, they have neither. The reason is the sidetracking of the mandate which our forefathers (the constituent assembly) left for future generations to implement. We have failed to establish the rule of law in its true sense. Governance has continued in feudalistic mode in its new outfit, i.e. democracy. India is passing through a transitional phase. Approximately 1,600 political parties and around 10,000 people in these political outfits are in the electoral fray. The desire to rule the population of a nation is the biggest opiate, a never-ending intoxication. Historians have analysed that political power is the resolute gamechanger of society. Politics inveigles, intoxicates and makes people crazy. And, as this is the month of April, they will make April fools of most Indians. The choice is yours.
ANIL TYAGI
editor@gfilesindia.com
