Leaning left, walking right

Prime Minister Modi had come to power wielding the trident of economic rejuvenation, anti-corruption and minimum-government-maximum-governance promise. Another promise was national security… He is in the saddle at probably the most crucial time in India’s tryst with destiny. He is fortunate in having a strong mandate to usher in the reforms needed for rejuvenating the entire system. He has the power and the opportunity. Will this Republic Day provide us with at least the glimpse of the turning point we have been looking forward to so eagerly?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise to power underscores the fact that India has travelled a long way from the days when the Indian National Congress was considered as the only genuinely national party. Although the Congress Raj is well and truly over, it would be unrealistic for its policies and programs to be consigned to history’s trashbin. Even if India’s Rightwing – long considered as the polity’s lunatic fringe – has now become the mainstream, there is no evidence yet of introduction of economic and political narratives radically different from – if not antithetical to – the Congress formulated narratives.

There were fears that Hindutva triumphalism would destabilize the already fractured Indian polity. Polarization became the new buzzword for every dissonant word uttered and extreme deeds done by a few. Misogyny raised its ugly head as did anti-minority violence – both verbal and physical. Fears were exacerbated when there was silence over stray acts of violence – whether these involved Ikhlaq, Mohsin Sheikh or some other person(s) from a minority community. However, the slide has been substantially halted. There has been progressively less talk of sending anti-nationals packing to Pakistan. Anti-minorities rhetoric is muted too, and Muslims are being actively wooed. In fact, the Government of India has signed an MOU with Saudi Arabia for setting up Islamic Banking in India – an unthinkable development only a couple of years back, given the present dispensation’s ideological moorings. One also discerns pro-active interest in welfare schemes benefiting the economically and socially vulnerable segments of the society. Lessons learnt from the Bihar polls fiasco? Apparently, the Modi regime has achieved a remarkable course correction.

However, some aberrations have lingered on. Jingoism took on new hues and deeper depth after Uri surgical strikes and demonetization. We witnessed a partisan version of patriotism becoming the leitmotif, as evidenced by the insults hurled upon such iconic personalities as Shyam Benegal and Om Puri by TV anchors during discussions on banning of Pakistani artistes. Such news media outlets miserably failed in discharging their responsibility towards shaping of healthy public opinion through unbiased reporting and balanced discussions and debates.

Surgical strikes and demonetization dominated the country’s political discourse in a manner that other major issues remained in the shadows. Most remarkably, discerning political observers have failed to notice the manner in which PM Modi has engineered the marriage of right wing politics with left wing economics. High profile TV anchors and experts populating various newsrooms have been consistently ignoring the fact that despite the continual increase in prosperity of some corporate behemoths, the government has been focusing upon the poor while formulating economic policies. Indeed, it is remarkable how the Modi government has been implementing schemes and fashioning and redesigning structures for last mile delivery of goods, services and related benefits and improving the lot of rural areas. The speed with which Jan Dhan Yojana has been implemented and tied up to Aadhaar and Internet, especially Mobile, shows the government’s eagerness at ensuring maximum connectivity and meaningful financial inclusion.

Let us recall that the Modi government’s Swachh Bharat, Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Start Up India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Mudra Bank etc. are continuation of the UPA’s policies and programs. Interestingly, the term ‘financial inclusion’ was first used in 2005 in the RBI’s monetary policy review. Soon, the UPA government adopted it as the centerpiece of its economic policy and encouraged banks to formulate schemes that would bring more people into the formal banking system. The present dispensation too recognized its great potential in revolutionizing the economy. Happily, BJP’s professed hatred for all things secular and socialist has not translated into abrogation of investments in the vital social sector, especially when such investments are in long gestation projects that will take time to bear fruit. It is noteworthy that almost all of these schemes are being adopted and implemented by institutions that are either owned or backed by the state. There is hardly any private sector initiative. This is a typical socialist scenario. Clearly, PM Narendra Modi is determined to fight off the impression that his is a party of essentially anti-poor, anti-democratic and anti-minorities rightwing bigots.

Strangely, our media has more or less ignored the Modi Government’s recalibration of its political priorities. One does not find many prime time discussions on the government’s economic and social policies, barring the triple talaq issue or entry of women into Hindu or Muslim shrines. What we get are endless speculative discussions on what’s happening in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu or some other states. Even the garbage of Delhi gets primetime treatment on national television channels! But, has there been any analysis of the cost, benefits and progress of various social and economic projects? Who really is interested in knowing whether Amar Singh is BJP’s Trojan horse in the Yadav citadel? And why keep harping on what Sakshi Maharaj or some other fringe politician has to say about Muslims? The poor would be interested in what the government is doing to improve their lot, the middle classes are worried about the dismal employment situation and deteriorating law and order scenario – especially where safety of women and children in schools or even on the roads is concerned. 

One of the great dangers of a rightist dispensation is the rise of cabals and cartels. This ought to be checked at the initial stages itself to prevent cronies from cornering the nation’s scarce resources and exploit them for the benefit of the few. PM Modi had come to power wielding the trident of economic rejuvenation, anti-corruption and minimum-government-maximum-governance promise. Another promise was national security. To make good his promises, it is vital that various institutions and structures of governance are strengthened. Whether it is the police, the judiciary, the banking system, the armed forces or other institutions of governance, there has been a marked decline in their effectiveness over the decades.

Since neither the government nor corporate houses can provide employment to all entering the job market every year, cogent policies to encourage and facilitate private entrepreneurship in small and medium enterprises will have to be imaginatively formulated and implemented. Further, the state must develop an efficient and powerful regulatory capacity for developing and maintaining competitive markets. This is essential to check both the spread of corruption and worsening of the unemployment situation. Moreover, market-based economics will have to be tempered with enough safeguards to ensure reduction, if not prevention, of economic disparities. Growth is vital, and so is equitable distribution of income and wealth.

Prime Minister Modi is in the saddle at probably the most crucial time in India’s tryst with destiny. He is fortunate in having a strong mandate to usher in the reforms needed for rejuvenating the entire system. He has the power and the opportunity. Will this Republic Day provide us with at least the glimpse of the turning point we have been looking forward to so eagerly? So far, we have had no reason to lose hope.