KG Suresh
As the countdown begins for the first anniversary of the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government, there has been a deluge of ground reports, surveys, opinion polls, ratings, analyses etc on its performance.
The Opposition, on expected lines, would be coming up with charge-sheets and allegations dismissing the one-year tenure as dismal. From inflation to communalism, the Government would be attacked for its alleged acts of omission and commission, inability to deliver on promise, and what not. Some generous critics may opine that one year is too less to assess the performance of a government which had promised virtually a governance overhaul.
The fact remains that there has been change, which is visible to any discerning and impartial umpire. More than anything else, it is the restoration of the authority of the Prime Minister or the country’s leadership which has given a sense of conscious and subconscious confidence to the people at large, a trust that there is someone up there who is watching, somebody who will respond and somebody who has the capacity to rise up to the manifold challenges.
This proactive presence was not only visible abroad, as was the case during the massive evacuation operations in Yemen when Union Minister and former Army chief General V. K Singh was personally dispatched to oversee the operations but also back home when Ministers were asked not to conduct aerial surveys, unlike in the past, but visit the remotest and far-flung areas following the unseasonal rains and supervise relief for the affected farmers.
Again, unlike in the past when State Governments used to complain about step-motherly treatment they were meted out by successive Union Governments, the Centre did not waste a moment in responding to the needs of State Governments, whether during the floods in Kashmir, the hailstorm in parts of the country including Bihar, the recent earthquake or the power crisis in
Uttar Pradesh. Of course, political parties, particularly the regional ones, will continue to demand more, but even the harshest critics of the NDA Government will concede that Centre-State relations have improved over the last one year.
While government publicists and spokespersons will be coming out with statistics on GDP, inflation, industrial production etc, for the common man, more than anything else it is the social security schemes starting with the Jan Dhan Yojana rolled out by the government over the last one year, which gives them a ray of hope.
Pension for all, insurance for all and bank accounts for all were not perceived as practical even till the recent past. Yet, a red-tape-plagued bureaucracy is now rolling out the red carpet for the common man, with even state-owned banks inviting account holders through phone messages and calls to register for the ambitious social security schemes. Things are slowly changing.
Perhaps in independent India’s history, no other government has come out with as many innovative schemes and coinages such as the present one. Swachch Bharat, Housing for All, Per Drop, More Crop, Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, Namami Gange, Make in India, Digital India. Skill India, NITI Aayog, Smart Cities… It’s unprecedented, unrivalled.
The fact also remains that deluged by scams, India has got a respite as not a single corruption charge has been levelled or proved against the Government, though the Opposition has continued to make sweeping allegations of crony capitalism and preferential treatment to certain industrial houses.
On the internal security front, there have been some incidents, particularly of the Left-wing variety, but by and large the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East and rest of the country remained normal. Despite an initial escalation, the skirmishes on the border with Pakistan too have declined thanks to a tit-for-tat response from the Indian forces.
Perhaps the most visible achievements of the government has been on the foreign policy front, extending from India’s neighbourhood to the far East and the US. India’s stature in the comity of nations has gone up by several notches, while the country has shown magnanimity in the neighbourhood, whether it be helping the Maldives during the water crisis, Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating quake, or finalising the land deal with Bangladesh.
There have been setbacks in ties with Pakistan, but no one frankly expected any miracle overnight. Notwithstanding certain gestures shown including a ‘Saarc Yatra’ by the Foreign Secretary, the Government has not resumed dialogue with Pakistan in the absence of any concrete step on the latter’s part.
During his recent China visit, Prime Minister Modi spoke out his mind and did not mince words on the contentious border issue, unmindful of the Chinese red carpet welcome.
Except for some media reports and allegations made by certain vested interests, mostly unsubstantiated or proved wrong subsequently, there has been no flare-up on the communal front, as was apprehended in the initial days of the Modi Government. Yes, the appeasement policies, which were so sickening in the past regime, is no more in vogue. Gone are the days of Iftaar parties and cosmetic benefits to minorities.
Undoubtedly, much remains to be done. The journey of a thousand miles has only taken a few baby steps. Many of the programmes announced are yet to become visible at the ground level for the people at large. There are perceptions which are radically different from, or even contradictory to, reality. There is a feeling that there is more talk and less of action. There is a view that the Prime Minister will do well to spend more time back home.
There is a perspective that bureaucracy has become dominant. There are apprehensions that ideology may be compromised with for political convenience. There is a prediction that the Opposition may get stronger. There are doubts that loyalists may not be rewarded. The fears and apprehensions are not those of critics alone but also friends, admirers and well-wishers.
Yet, one year is too early to pass a verdict. The broad indications are positive but a lot more needs to be done. The communication gap must be bridged. Leaders and cadres will have to fan out to every nook and corner to ensure that the benefits reach the people they are meant for, that awareness is created about the schemes and programmes.
