– By Dr Rahul Kumar
As an ordinary person belonging to the middle class was looking forward to a budget which can really kick start the economy but Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman disappointed not only me but a million of ordinary citizens.
In the Parliament she went on speaking on three themes: Aspirational India, Economic development and a Caring society. No doubt, the Modi government has been working against these three themes since 2014. Let us deeply ponder over these themes on which she shouted repeatedly during the budget presentation in the Parliament. No doubt, it was the longest speech in the Indian history over the budget. This article does not analyze the Budget. This article discusses the common problems being faced by the common people of India.
Aspirational India
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman coined this word to tell the world that India is an aspirational country which wants to become a superpower but she forgets to tell the world or the Indians how it will become a super power. One can aspire to become whatever he or she wants but if one is not making sincere efforts in that direction nothing will be achieved. The story of India under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is like more talks less work. Since 2014, the Modi government and its Hindutva leaders began a new war in the country. Every day you walk up you get a new Headline in the mainstream newspaper highlighting a new agenda. The Modi agenda is to divide and rule the country. The Modi agenda is to brand all the secular forces anti-national. The Modi agenda is to close down JNU. The Modi agenda is to discriminate Muslims. The Modi agenda is to create social and cultural problems. The Modi agenda is to allow the goons of Hindutva forces to kill, rape poor, landless Dalits, Muslims & Christians. The Modi government has already made up mind to sell the country to the highest bidder. This is an aspirational India.
Economic Development
Who is getting rich day by day under Modi India, needs to be probed. The Modi government since 2014 has been using all available political power to give benefit to a handful of rich people. The tax benefit given to the corporate houses last years was to enrich them. In return, critics say that the BJP get huge amount of election funds. It is the duty of a representative government in a parliament democracy to give good, subsidized education and employment. The Modi government failed to keep promises. If these two most essential duties are not carried out by the Modi government then whose economic development Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is talking about.
Manufacturing sector and real estate sector have been facing a huge financial crunch. The majority of the builders across India are unable to offer possession to the buyers who have invested their hard earned savings in those housing projects. Buyers are defaulting since they do not have enough economic resources to pay the installment.
In the absence of jobs, youth of India are running from pillar to post. The youths of India are postponing their marriage because they are unemployed. Their parents are subject to various social taunts in the society. People are unable to pay a premium for Life Insurance Policy. People are unable to pay rent as a result of which there are more legal cases. Allocation for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee(MGNREGS) slashed by Rs 9,500 Crore. The compression in spending is a reflection of the extent of revenue shortfall this fiscal. PM Gram Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and BharatNet are going to suffer hugely due to shortage of funds.
Caring Society
India is not a caring society. The rise in the killing of older people in the society is increased manifold. Some are killed by their own family members and some are harassed by a corrupt officials. The legal cases are piling up in the Lower as well as High Courts in India. There is no solid mechanism with the help of which they can get some relief.
Older people face tremendous problem when a private and government owned liquor shop is opened up in the vicinity of their residential areas. Older people face tremendous problems when a human flesh racket is run under the nose of the Police.
Not a single government hospital provides a free pick and drop medical services. Older people who have no children face tremendous problems while going to the government hospital. Inside the government hospital they have to face touts who can break the long queue and concerned doctor can see them out of the queue. The situation in the government dispensary is the worst.
Let us talk about the government agencies like DDA in Delhi and HUDA in Haryana. It is the central government that runs DDA and HUDA is run by the state government of Haryana. When older people need to transfer their property in the name of their children they run from pillar to post on the wheel chair. DDA and HUDA are the most corrupt government agencies. Not only this, both the agencies are facing a large number of property cases. HUDA under the nose of the BJP government has crossed all limits when allotted plots were canceled. HUDA in some cases gave possession of the residential plot and permitted the owner to build but later on the lawsuit was filed by the farmers. The distressed plot owners in sector 57, Gurugram are running from pillar to post. The farmers have already taken compensation from the HUDA but still they have filed lawsuits. Whenever the distressed plot owners go and enquire about the status of their plot, no answer is given to them. The officials are rude to all of them. Of which caring society Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is talking about?
The list of accomplishments of the Modi government: Destruction of the Constitution of India; intensification of religious divide between Hindus and Muslims; the scope of corruption widened through digitized system; polarization of society, loss of trust in the international community; misuse of Ambedkar, Gandhi & Patel achievements.
It would have been better for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to resign than to present such a filibuster budget.
