The purpose of this piece is not to critique demonetisation, nor is it to highlight the economic ripple waves caused by implementation of GST and definitely, the piece is not to showcase the lack of job creation that was promised.
Though a humble student of finance and economics, I am by no stretch of imagination an expert in the field and do not have the wisdom or credentials to point out solutions or even the root of the problems.
At its best, this can be a common man’s view of how the government’s policies have been affecting me, and people like me who do not think about politics beyond who to vote for during elections based on how badly we suffered and were humiliated in the past five years, irrespective of who is ruling.
For starters, I refuse to use Modi and government interchangeably. As powerful and popular as he might be, he is not omnipotent even within the framework of governance and is a part of the larger machinery. He too takes his decision based on what he is told and what he is led to believe. I acknowledge his intentions being in right direction and his desire to make this country great again (unintended reference to Mr Trump).
Intentions are great so long as they translate into the right action, producing the right result. Thought, Speech and Action being right will yield the right result, or so we are led to believe. The way he stormed to power was based on this. His thought and speech articulating his intention to make Gujarat the hub of development, which was followed by action along with some tangible markers of success, made him a household name. When he made similar promises that extended to the country, people bought it based on past performances.
Why India And Gujarat Are Not The Same
But and it is a big but, Gujarat and India are not the same. He might have been omnipotent within the state of Gujarat with respect to governance as has been many other chief ministers. Gujarat was unified by many factors and divided by few. Language unified Gujarat. Culture unified Gujarat. Industriousness unified Gujarat. All these brought the people together even if religion, class and caste divided them.
These unifying factors that led to Gujarat's success are missing when it extends to India. Other than the love for the country and possibly, cricket matches against Pakistan, there is little that unites India compared to the factors that divide it. Unity in diversity is what we are proud of.
Sadly, the current government failed to factor this in and are now trying to change the country instead of changing the model that did wonders for a state.
Should the Government Acknowledge Failed Implementation of Good Intentioned Policies?
Demonetisation and GST coming back to back, joining hands with lack of new jobs and rising prices has broken the back of the populace, except for the elites. In spite of ruling for three years and after Make in India, the only thing our MEA had to boast about in UNGA was us being an IT Super power which has very little to do with the current government.
To be fair, the government does have its share of successes with surgical strikes, handling terrorists, isolating and humiliating Pakistan and standing up to China. All these, however, are merely a matter of pride for the common man and does not lessen his daily burden in any direct manner.
The government needs acknowledge the voices of dissent from within and outside about its failed implementation of good intentioned policies and tell the countrymen the action it has taken to correct the course.
Gujarat Election – Predictable or Not?
The next election is predictable with little opposition to the prime minister in the political arena be it image-wise or his 56-inch-chest which can be backed up by the way he handled Pakistan and China.
Rahul Gandhi, being the only other viable option, has very little to offer as yet. The election, however, will not be a wave if the current government continues to ignore the voices of reason and fails to introspect. Being corruption-free alone will not set the agenda like the last time.
On the economic front, they should look at the previous regimes to see how the failure to control prices and create jobs cost their re-election. Not just the previous Congress regimes but their own as well.
Onion prices beat them once in the past. If they keep this up, this could be petroleum’s turn to do an onion on the government.
Especially in Gujarat where a certain prince who recently accepted his dynastic credentials as a factor, instead of merely ignoring it, let his feet touch the ground with his bullock cart yatra. Being better than the Congress is no longer enough; being corruption-free is no longer sufficient. What worked when they were in Opposition will not work when they are in power, for they are the ones who are supposed to have the answers and can no longer get through by merely questioning.
If the justification is that it takes time, the words do not match the action. The people gave Congress around six decades. The current generation, however, will not be so merciful and patient. Even if they cannot see the final result, they need and expect to see the government going in the right direction.
Without introspection, the common man would be pushed back into the arms of the Congress. On the plus side, we can have beef without any fear.
If the government intends to keep the ground it gained with the people, it needs to show some humility in acknowledging its failures and highlight the initiatives it has taken to fix its mistakes. Failing which, the impact will start to be seen in the upcoming state elections with the margins slowly closing between the ruling party and others.
(The writer is an IT professional . This is a personal blog and the opinions expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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