Politics, Election 2019, Economy: Whither India?

, February 20, 2018, 1 Comments

india-state-of-nation-politics-marketexpress-inThe India of 2019 may be drastically different from India of 2018. A general election is due in 2019 and the outcome of that election is totally uncertain.

It is possible that BJP may once again come back to power. It is also possible that a coalition government will come to power under Rahul Gandhi. Whoever comes to power it is going to be after a keen contest and both sides are going to put in a brave fight.

What is the state of the nation today? One thing which makes us sad relates to the communal tensions that are haunting the nation. Violence is being perpetrated against Muslims and the backward castes. Every now and then we hear about this. It is unfortunate that after having gained a huge majority in Lok Sabha in the last elections, the BJP government at the center is not able to treat the entire nation as its own.

The move to construct a Ram temple at Ayodhya is gaining momentum. There may be a verdict from the Supreme Court on the issue. The political atmosphere in the country may heat up after that. How will the transition in Ayodhya be managed, is going to be matter to watch. It can lead to communal tensions and also adversely affect the law and order situation. It would be good if the matter is finally settled once and for all.

There have been occasional instances of attack on intellectuals, writers, artists, film makers and so on. The country has not learned to tolerate the other side of the story. If you don’t like a film a move starts to ban it. If a writer is found to be writing on issues you don’t like, there are attempts to eliminate him. Intellectuals, writers, artists and film makers are frequently threatened with violence. The PM of the day, who people expect will intervene in such matters, maintains a silence as if nothing is happening.

A great deal of debate and discussion has occurred about the AADHAAR issue. While AADHAAR as a concept is good and can be expected to find a solution to several issues, its indiscriminate use in every field has given it the appearance of a monster. Used in a limited way for limited purposes it would have been welcomed by all. But over use of this tool even in matters unnecessary has given it the image of a villain. The Supreme Court, if it gives a good judgment can set things right. While still maintaining its right to exist, it can impose restriction on the type to uses AADHAAR can be subjected to.

The economic situation in the country is under control. But it won’t take time for things to go wrong. The banking sector is in a mess. The bad loans issue is a gigantic one. The issue has been aggravated by the latest Modi scam that originated in a PNB branch in Mumbai. By proposing legislation that can lead to insecurity in the minds of depositors in banks the government has given rise to an ugly controversy. People don’t feel secure about their fixed deposits in banks today as they used to be.

The price situation is under control but the agricultural sector is in distress. The promise of the Modi government to the youth on creating jobs is making no headway. Demonetization and the introduction of GST have put breaks on the rapid growth of the economy. As is the case with AADHAAR, the GST is also a good concept worth implementing. But bad implementation gave GST a bad colour and the opposition gave it the name Gabbar Singh Tax.

The newspapers in the country are full of stories of crime, murder, rape and so on. The incidences of violence against women have not come down after the Nirbhaya episode which led to wide spread protests and also led to introduction of new legislation. Of late there have also been several cases of atrocities against young school children. The health sector is also marred by stories on cases of misconduct by hospital authorities. Sometimes it is a case of hospitals overcharging; sometimes reports appear about deaths in hospitals, even of small children, due to neglect of hospital authorities.

The situation in the country is none too bright. People want change and improvement. Some people feel that a change in government is required at the center. They want a PM who speaks on important issues facing the country like communal tensions, intolerance in society, atrocities against dalits and minorities and so on. They are disillusioned by the silence of the PM on crucial issues. They want a PM who speaks on problems facing the nation and not only on goody-goody matters.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of MarketExpress – India’s first Global  Analysis & Sharing Platform or the organization(s) that the author represents in his personal capacity.