Shiban Khaibri
It is heartening to note that India is shining among the developing countries. These are the considered views of the Managing Director of the World Bank. Again, International Monetary Fund has reported that India is “now” the fastest growing major economy of the world and having outpaced the economic giant China destined to be at around 6 to 7 % growth per annum in the next couple of years unless they review their growth model and strategies. Our economy is apparently looking to be back on track after the country witnessed near dormancy in economic growth especially between 2011 to 2014, with declining GDP and stagnant industrial growth and even negative, mostly as a result also of the policy deficit syndrome , a complete policy paralysis leading to a collapse of full investment cycle or chain. We became vulnerable to the International vagaries of global economy because of high inflation, slowing down of economic growth and mounting unemployment rate. We have, now, achieved a GDP growth of 7.4%, while as China’s has dipped to around 6.7% . Our industrial growth is up and stands at 9.3% , agriculture sector despite inclement weather conditions and in many parts severe drought conditions, has attained a 2.2% growth. Some respite in oil prices and fall in the import of gold have eased our trade deficit. Wholesale inflation is down in (-) negative zone and retail inflation too is showing a continuous containment at around 3.60%. Economic uncertainty has considerably dropped in the country ever since Modi government took over. Our macro economy has stabilized due to incremental economic reforms but while this healthy economic scenario should have raised the levels of positive hope among all the people, there are political humps in the way of Modi Government announcing more reforms and taking bold decisions with intent to boost growth, production and generate employment. What a travesty that most of our political leadership in the opposition is on a continuous path of creating conditions whereby the fair name and image of our country is getting clouded which has a bearing on international investment and back home it generates cynicism and frustration among the people.
The hype in respect of the farmers’ suicides is created by the Congress specially as also by their allies like JD(U) , TMC, RJD etc as if their suicides started taking place since 17 months of the NDA rule. This created hype not in respect of its prevalence but its inception, is more or less on the same lines as the so called Intolerance hype in our country which tarnished the image of this country and its tolerant and peace loving accommodating people. The aim under well planned strategy seemed to derail the process of inflow of foreign investment to boost production and create employment besides tarnishing the surging image of our Prime Minister internationally, the immediate one being to influence the voting pattern of the Bihar electorate where the NDA lost by a swing of just 8%. Bihar elections are discussed openly in Pakistan media attributing sudden friendship parleys of India with Pakistan to “the humiliating defeat” the present dispensation tasted there. Do we not see a sudden lull, a silence in the cacophony of Intolerance post Bihar results as compared to pre- voting period? Does it not cast doubts on any tangibility or genuineness of the existence of the apparition of Intolerance? There are numerous thinkers worldwide who abhor the charge of Intolerance in India and one of them is famous Saudi personality Khalaf-al- Harbi , a leading columnist and a thinker who believes,” India remains the oldest and the most important school to teach tolerance and peaceful co- existence regardless of the religious , social, political, or ethnical differences.” See his views which are acclaimed world over in the recent “Saudi Gazette”. He heaps praises on India being the most liberal and highly tolerant country in the world.
These days, we do not see garlands of onions or onions sent as “gifts” in empty sweets boxes to relatives as onions are sold damn cheap at Rs. 25 a kilo. Radish is sold at Rs. 8 a kilo in Delhi, Methi at Rs. 15 a kilo, not to speak of potatoes, tomatoes, Kadam, and even peas. Imagine at retail shop , one gets Mooli at Rs. 8 a kilo, what would the farmer be getting , anything between Rs. 2 to Rs. 3, the same being true of other items. Can he sustain himself, let alone even meet the input costs? There are possibly two options to him, either to leave farming and sell land for housing or other commercial purposes or commit suicide (Which is no solution). Who drives him towards that, obviously our ingrained prejudice against the farming community that we should get vegetables, cooking oil, pulses, spices etc at damn cheap rates, nearer to free of prices while our salary expected from the employer should be high. The tailor, the teacher, the Doctor, the Lawyer, the landlord, the mason, the carpenter, the plumber, the meat seller, and the drink seller must charge anything they like, we never question or cite their instances. 7th pay commission is alright which shall increase our take home salary considerably but vegetables, daal etc must be cheapest otherwise bear with the torture of Dharnas, protests, walk outs from legislatures and Parliament houses by the opposition parties which is true also of the present dispensation when in opposition. We cry pulses are costly, an increase of Rs. 10 to 20 per Kg; makes some opportunist political leaders taking to streets and crying “Poor denied even Daal” etc and whole of the world watches priorities of Indians confined to Daal or onions .Now the question is whether inflation has gone down comparatively from the levels of the years 2012, 13 and 2014 despite many areas having experienced droughts successively for two years. Whether various economic fundamentals and parameters have shown positive and encouraging results. Whether there has been a paradigm shift in the process of decisions taking and taking swiftly. Whether on black money, the government is pursuing a right policy and recovered Rs. 3770 crores though the amount is meager. Whether there has been any sort of scarcity of those commodities, the production of which has fallen due to natural and other reasons. If we feel positive answers to these mundane questions, then we are definitely doing better though there is a lot to be done. What is needed to be done is strengthening the process of decentralization so that areas dealing with social spending get more attention like health, education, sanitation and other basic services. Swatch Bharat Abhiyan is not an ordinary work but zeal with a vision to make India less prone to ailments and avoidable diseases. We need reforms not at the central level alone but almost all our states want reforms and the Land Acquisition Bill which the Congress Party and the Left vehemently opposed just to oppose Modi had positive “blessings” of many state governments most of them being Congress run but they had to toe the line of their high command in opposing it resulting in the government rescinding the ordinance. Had the Bill been passed, the pace of infrastructural development would have been visible enough to encourage more investments. When we make reforms needed to ease doing business in India, more money incomes and reduction of poverty level shall take place. This blasts the very oft used rhetoric that the present government was anti poor as it was a Suit Boot ki Sarkar which has no link with or meaning in developmental economics. Let there be competition between our states in putting into practice means of more development and go in for business and procedural reforms so that manufacturing, services and agricultural sectors move ahead.
If the government does not get the support of the all the opposition parties in getting important legislation passed to pave ways for reforms, the developmental pace will get slower which we cannot afford. It is shocking that under one pretext or the other, the Congress and two or three Parties together are disrupting Parliament and resulting in not only the wastage of public money but important bills like GST too getting stuck. Now after Intolerance, they chant Political vendetta. People are watching who is nursing vendetta against whom.
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