Shiban Khaibri
Not in the absolute economic and commercial sense but in the sense of a stitched political rhetoric – the claptrap on Demonetization, has concluded thanks to the poll results in UP, Uttrakhand and other places even where local body elections were held say in Chandigarh, Panchayat elections in Odisha, Maharashtra civic polls and the like. The emphasis is on Uttar Pradesh with a population of 23 crore or 16.5% of India’s total population. If it is said that it was , besides other flag ship schemes like Jan Dhan Yojna and others, a referendum on demonetization, the main plank to take on Modi by the combined opposition , it won’t be any exaggeration. It may be recalled that in a state like West Bengal, the Chief Minister “supervised and arranged” distinctly exhibiting of banners in the cities and elsewhere reading, “Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao” when all efforts yielded no results to have the revolutionary economic reform “rolled out” as if it were some sort of railway fair or freight increase exercise. We have trails of the series of boisterous protests over demonetization by Congress led opposition and how special stories of “tremendous hardships and difficulties even to the extent of the peoples’ inability to purchase daily basic items of use ” were specially tailored to expect a repeat of the fate of the earlier bold economic step of Acquisition of Land (Bill) .
We in India, have traditionally a peculiar type of utility or satisfaction characteristics emanating from economic activities distinct from what it is in Western European and other countries where they measure the levels of enjoyment and satisfaction and we in India measure contentment. Though out of context but relevant to mention , a popular song from the famous movie of Late Raj Kapoor goes, “Ziyada ki nahi laalach hum ko, Thoday main guzara kartay hain” proves my point as also how the people braved hardships and queuing for long hours without food just for getting some paltry amount of cash. Whether young, old, men or women admitted the gross inconveniences but in the next breath, praised the move. We saw, on the contrary, many housewives expressing happiness that they could make a saving by deferring and adjusting in matters of kitchen and allied expenditures. While those who stood in queues, someone from the crowds offered tea, biscuits and water, even vegetables to tide over the temporary phase of hardships which demonetization brought in its wake. On the contrary, with intent to mislead the public, Congress termed the move as “organized loot and legalized plunder” forgetting that the peoples’ memory was not that short about series of scams and financial bungling they witnessed during the last regime. People felt that demonetization gave loud and clear a message of moral cleansing , ie; to refrain from indulging in transactions in black money, containing of hoarding ill-gotten money in cash or in yellow metal accompanied by owning be-nami properties, discouraging jumping the tax net through illegal means and thwarting of running a parallel economy. Most of the farmers did not complain of hardships due to non availability of hard cash for sowing purposes or getting urea etc in time as tried by the select opposition parties to force these “hardships” down their psyche. Statistics reveal that as compared to last year, the sowing had upped by 8% during the same period . A very effective opposition is a guarantee of a healthy democracy but criticizing simply because that would settle political scores, went to the detriment of the people. And the people understood it.
Every reform, mainly economic followed by political in descending order, is laced with hardships and difficulties which are of short term nature and using that aspect as a political tool to destroy or attempt to rescind the reform in itself, is fraught with ramifications of vast dimensions, especially when the motive is to show political one-upmanship. The Congress led opposition erred here and made an investment not only of no dividends but of suffering heavy losses. This is one aspect of the UP elections. Do not, on the other hand hunt for picking gains with optimistic political cymbals in Punjab polls, the gains for Congress there appear to be due to varied reasons but when analyzed politically, it brings more messages of imminent increasingly diminishing returns cumulatively for the Party if it did not take drastic steps not in structural changes and local level cadre overhaul as is very often suggested by the core leadership but in national perspective shunning conventional political discourse on vote bank, terrorism and religion, secularism, approach towards the majority community and their religo- cultural aspirations, support to moves like in JNU, Jadavpur, Ramjas and DU academic institutions and last but not the least, to oppose every move taken by the government to the extent of stalling Parliamentary proceedings. Indian voter is getting politically much mature to either frighten him on assumed “dangers” to secularism or confluence of our varied cultures and faiths getting “coloured” in a particular hue by the present dispensation at the centre or project to him or her in disparagingly poor and insidious form, whatever better performance comparatively performed by the Government is felt around. That has boomeranged this time resulting in a total rout of Congress and BSP and a much plummeted performance by the Samajwadi Party in the UP elections.
It is ridiculous and laughable that drubbings in the elections are parked at imaginary “tampering” of EVMs and the premise to substantiate the “fears” is as to how Muslims could vote for the BJP. At the outset, the counter question is why they should not? It is a travesty that almost all political parties are seen jousting in showing “concern” for Muslims only at the time of voting seasons or in debates and speeches on TV Channels or in august houses of Parliament and beyond that , the concern becomes highly inelastic . Congress ruled the country for decades since independence and the ” favour” they did to Indian Muslims is claiming an irrevocable right to have their votes and keep on “looking to their interests” by resorting to measures post Shah Banoo case, encouraging mushroom growth of Mudrassas and not imparting education in science, commerce, technology and other fields to make them join the mainstream in the real sense of the term. At best, some attempts in few parts of the country were made to grant reservation to them to create more social confusions. That out of 134 Muslim dominated UP assembly constituencies, the BJP won as many as 101 seats which speaks for the myth of “conventional vote bank” getting deflated to the levels of disbelief by the self appointed guardians of vote banks.
Regarding EVMs having been “tampered” , it is notable that while most of those countries where democracy is not as much flourished , they aspire to own Indian model or highly praise its consistent passage down seven decades with more deeper roots and a brighter future, our Election Commission which is independent , impartial , most powerful and most reliable in transparency is held in highest esteem throughout the civilized countries , it is derisively ridiculous to find some of our own political leaders suspecting the genuineness of its voting machines. Almost all parties which were humbled by the voters, now jointly and severely resort to the rant of EVMs “managed or tampered with” which is tantamount to heaping insult on our election process. Even some leaders of the BJP too have done it in the past. It is , however, without prejudice to have tangible isolated instances, if any, probed in whatever manner desirable but to suggest shifting back to ballot papers means a regressive step which obviously cannot be afforded in a vast country like India.
A new slogan of “New India”, the main theme of Modi’s recent speech encompasses the overall development of the country with emphasis on providing ample opportunities for the poor to contribute their mite in nation building and in the process progress to better their present lot instead of giving them freebies or sops occasionally. It also means fulfilling the aspirations of the women. A very challenging task is waiting to be attended to by the new government in UP and all out efforts are expected in terms of performance and deliverance than seen or felt by the people hitherto. Any type of displaying of braggadocio by any elected leader of the new government would only prove as hogwash in the light of eminent threat from certain elements to disturb the communal peace. Such trends have been seen in a village of Bareilly where some typed letters were found pasted outside three four houses which gave leaders like Aazam Khan play to the gallery unbecoming of a matured leader. Such types of mischief of whatever nature must be dealt with sternly as communal peace is one of the touchstones of the new government to prove its intentions of tangibly translating PM’s article of political faith of “Sab Ka Saath, Sab ka Vikaas.”
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