Can 2019 elections resolve the ongoing issues at hand? 

Five years of pseudo developmental claims still remains Centre stage for the ongoing election campaigns. Demonetization, GST, rising intolerance, divisive politics based on religion, jingoism, and the latest episode of election rhetoric over the Pulwama terror attack. All the quoted incidents questions India’s developmental agenda that was supposedly laid down after the 2014 elections.

But as an Indian citizen, I fail to accept that how similar election rhetoric can be the manifestos of BJP or Congress like the Nyay Scheme or the fund disbursement schemes to solve the agrarian crisis, when the crisis has risen manifold in nature post GST and demonetization that too of a higher magnitude. We can’t forget the top echelons resignations of statisticians, economists and RBI governors.

The much hyped GDP figures applauded by the various foreign agencies after Modi government came into power are now being questioned by the very same agencies like IMF, ADB. Recently, IMF chief economist Ms. Gita Gopinath questioned the GDP growth calculation done by Indian government. She is consulting Indian counterparts in RBI for the same. Similarly, ADB and other agencies have predicted slower growth after demonetization and GST implementation. Other watchdogs have posed similar predictions.

The issues reflects a valid questions to be posed to the government’s intentions vs actions.

It seems India was in a deep sleep as I may envision it as entire building has collapsed we are going for small repairs. To top it all, the development debate was easily flushed down the gutter in the name of national security and the episodes that ensued there after i.e ‘Surgical Strike’ and aftermath of ‘Pulwama’ terror attacks. Indians ae very vulnerable when it comes to national security agenda – we get emotional and can do anything for our motherland which is good to some extent but there is a thin line between Jingoism and nationalism. But the outcome has similar difference as existed between Gandhi or other any liberal leader and Hitler.

I believe, there has to be alignment between actions and intentions or vice versa otherwise India will be at same juncture as it was few years ago anticipating viable ‘Change’. 2014 election results did prove the power of a democratic society after Mr. Modi clean sweep in election effortlessly claiming victory over Congress. It all started with full vigor and enthusiam but I don’t remember exactly when India’s “Development” path turned out “Demonical”. Was it demonetization, GST or the series of lynching cases or a cumulative effect of all.

If one analyses the entire journey of Modi’s Government, the tenure of five years can be well bracketed into the issues that crept in and in a hurry to provide solutionsit can be vehemently claimed that development was left far behind and after five long years we just see Mr. Modionce again brandishing one’s image as a motivated individual still aspiring for the same change that he was claiming to bring in 2014 elections. India has again woke up from a deep sleep just seeing that we are at the same juncture as we were five years ago only with fewer scams (known to us) during this regime. However, we don’t have any white paper to prove or disapprove of scams under this regime.

Indians have a major drawback to lose out their ‘Rationality’ in the name of ‘Nationality’ which is detrimental for a growing economy like India. We are the largest democracy and we ought to be behave responsibly as the world is looking at us.