Y V SHARMA
India, our great nation, is in the midst of keenly contested general elections for the Lok Sabha right now. The results will determine the direction of the country not only for the near future, but also for the run-up to the centenary celebrations of the country’s independence in 2047 & well beyond.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dived headlong into the election campaign for his party to ensure that it wins the elections. Modi is breaking all barriers of human endurance & is visible in road shows, addressing hugely attended political gatherings, notwithstanding the rising summer temperatures. He is facing dust & grime of the countryside as also giving interviews to various TV channels. He is doing it with an ease that is unprecedented.
His interaction with the TV channels during the election campaign has been highly informative. He has addressed several questions floating in the minds of the people as well as outlined his vision for the future of the country. His focus on several difficult issues facing the world & the country is heart-warming and in sharp contrast to the position adopted by the opposition leaders. The opposition parties are focused on removing the PM & the BJP from the government. However, they have failed to provide any alternative roadmap for the country. At times whenever they have tried to draw some roadmap, it is only focused on dividing the civilizational ethos of the country, rather than consolidating it.
One such example is the opposition views about caste census & their related slogans on the issue. They have been saying that the resources of the country shall be divided amongst the people based upon their population. That is not all though as the Congress election manifesto says it will ensure the “minorities” receive opportunities in “public work contracts”. Rahul Gandhi spoke about his intentions that had potential of dividing the Hindus.
In sharp contrast, PM Modi has taken a position that his concept of India of 2047 is that of a developed nation incorporating the concept of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas”. He does not want to see divisions among people on the basis of caste, culture, language & and religious. He does not want these divisions and segments of society being used as captive vote banks. Modi is clear that during his third tenure as PM, India is going to become third largest economy in the world, a steep rise from the 15th position when he took over in 2014.
One more point that the PM has made regularly is regarding “one nation, one election”. He has said that for the wellbeing of the country, it is important that it is not always in the election mode. That keeps positive energies of the country continuously being dissipated. He said that it is his conviction that the country should have elections only once in five years. That way, the energies of the nation are focused on its development for four & a half years and only six months are devoted to elections. During these six months, political parties rough it out in the electoral field providing their programmes & perspectives to the electorate to garner votes.
The PM was asked about the perception game being played by the opposition parties who time & again throw the gauntlet of his perceived closeness to industrialists, the Adanis & Ambanis. The PM has been very candid in his response. He said that he is not close to any of the industrialists, but he respects the wealth creators of the country. He said that he not only respects the wealth creators but also the common man & the labourers alike who sweat it out for giving shape to the dreams of the country into a reality. He said that he has an equal respect for the managers of such organizations too who use their intellect to give shape to the aspirations & dreams of the countrymen & implement them on the ground.
He said that for him the wealth creator, the management & the labourers are equally worthy of worship. Modi said he has no hesitation in recognizing & respecting the talents, be it in the field of industry, sports, science & technology, or any other field. He said that it is this commitment of his that has brought out about 25 crore of fellow Indians from poverty line.
The PM said that his commitment towards zero tolerance towards corruption will not change, irrespective of what the opposition parties say. He said that the people of the country are witness to the tumbling out of unaccounted currency notes, worth hundreds & thousands of crores of rupees, from the homes & almirahs of politicians of opposition parties & their supporters. As such, raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) & CBI are necessary.
The most candid part of the PM in recent times has been on Kashmir. It is a fact that around 40% of registered voters participated in the elections to the Parliamentary seat of Srinagar. This was the highest turnout of voters in Srinagar in several decades. In Baramulla Lok Sabha segment, the voting percentage was above 59%, never ever witnessed right since 1967. There was no bandh call nor any stone pelting. The Prime Minister said that it is because of the policies of his government that there is a perceptible change in the situation on the ground.
The touchstone of improvement in situation would be a comparison in numbers of youth who died during the period 2004 & 2014 during the UPA rule & the 2014 – 2024 period during the NDA rule. He said that it is the prayers of the mothers of these youth, who are striving for development of J&K in particular & the country in general, during the NDA rule, that are more valuable to him than disruptions in internet etc. He said that his government is committed to restoring statehood to J&K but that depends upon the situations that evolve & not necessarily the political position. To prove his point, he gave an analogy that if you don’t sow your wheat seeds in an agricultural field at the right time then the chances are that you may lose the seeds as well. Thus, he said that appropriate steps shall be taken at an appropriate time.
He said that by taking requisite & innovative steps, his government has been able to stop the youth from treading on the wrong & dangerous path.
The PM was very worried about the drug problem in Punjab & was highly appreciative of the valour of the Sikh community. He said that his government has ensured women empowerment & women led development in the country. He said that when the Egyptian President witnessed women contingents at the Republic Day parade passing by the saluting dais, he said that if this is not women empowerment then what else is!!
The Lok Sabha elections are now on their way to coming to a close. BJP in general & PM Modi have taken steps to ensure that the message of the party reaches far & wide. He has also tried to showcase the record of their 10 years of service to the nation before the electorate. The government’s steadfast role during the COVID pandemic & at times of confrontation with China & Pakistan is there for everyone to see.
Although, every party is trying its best, yet Modi government is sure to get great majority a third time when the results are announced on June 4.
(The author is spokesperson of BJP in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.)