Fastracked to end-game – scorecard of Modi government

This is the 9th year of Modi government in India. I don’t say it is BJP government because people didn’t vote for BJP, they voted for Modi and that is how India has been run in last 9 years. In the 9th year there is a lot of news about Modi government’s accomplishments, no doubt funded by people who want to create a positive pro-government vibe in the election year.

Interestingly, as a “high-caste” male from the middle-class, the primary improvements that the government has made in and around my life can be counted on my index finger:

1. Great infrastructure work. I mean, simply superb. There is water loggage and occasional flyover falls down and hundreds of people have died, but life is cheap – very very cheap – in India. This is all, of course, due to Nitin Gadkari’s tremendous effort and will.
2. Wonderful impact on international stage. Modi government, especially under Jai Shankar, has truly represented India in foreign relationship. No longer what we say publicly internationally is decided by “intellectuals” who just know better than everyone. The wish of people is represented, and people of India are deeply unhappy with rest of the world – starting from little acknowledgment of contribution of India in betterment of the world from Buddha to Gandhi to the soldiers who fought in WW1 and WW2 – to promotion of Pakistan and China. Indians find the western powers extremely selfish and racists.
3. … which brings us to the awakening among Hindus that there are people who consider sacrifice as a weakness and they are in power, and they will remain in power if those capable of sacrifice don’t play the power game. Like always, the Indians are waking up to the call of art:
   क्षमा, दया, तप, त्याग, मनोबल
   सबका लिया सहारा
   पर नर व्याघ्र सुयोधन तुमसे
   कहो, कहाँ, कब हारा?क्षमाशील हो रिपु-समक्ष
   तुम हुये विनत जितना ही
   दुष्ट कौरवों ने तुमको
   कायर समझा उतना ही।अत्याचार सहन करने का
   कुफल यही होता है
   पौरुष का आतंक मनुज
   कोमल होकर खोता है।
   – रामधारी सिंह “दिनकर”

But that’s it. These are the new directions that the government has steered India towards. Then there are gears who Modi government has oiled:

1. UPI – it is great, but it was already in pipeline. It is not clear when it was going to be implemented or how many were going to use it. There could be hundred excuses I am sure why it would not run. But a couple of things worked in favor of the government – demonetization and absolute barbaric destruction of competition against Reliance Jio network.
2. More IIT colleges were opened…. I am not sure what else.

Now let us list the areas where government has failed to work. Wish it was a small list:

1. Keeping judiciary’s structure intact and corrupt. Allowing judiciary pass make politically risky judgements without taking the name of government – in short, co-opting the corruption for political gain.
2. Working with dangerous and corrupt leaders. Instead of improving the situation of country by indiscriminately going after corrupt politicians, BJP has dropped cases against own those who joined the party. They have consolidated corruption under their umbrella and for what? One day Modi and BJP will lose and the same corrupt politicians will join the winning side again. What exactly is it that they have gained when they already have total majority in center?
3. No reform in IPC or any of the laws. I get that this and judicial reform was never going to be easy but they should have at least attempted it. Instead, the police remains tool for those lawless that are above the law.
4. No focus on equality. BJP has kept the social structures that have held this country back from progress and only caved in against an organized opposition – which only comes from those who hate BJP enough to organize around the idea of opposition. Net result is that marginalized supporters of BJP remain marginalized while well-organized opposers sometimes get to eat their cake. History has proven this to be a disastrous policy which may help BJP or its opposition in future but will eat the country from within.

And then there are issues where BJP has actively harmed the country:

1. Obsession with centralization of power. Modi has trust issues and works with very small team. It has become apparent to me that he is not good at delegation. To achieve result Modi has compromised those parts of the system that may be difficult to bring back. Focus on winning election and taking centralized decisions has let to BJP losing power in many different states. It is not possible for large parts of the country to improve if a small part is successfully able to resist central government – for example Farm laws that had limited opposition beside Punjab just fizzled out instead of making it a state matter.
2. Constantly hiding behind fault lines of the society. Seriously. If a spurned lover kills a woman it is not an issue of his religion.
3. Going after free speech, attacking comedians, protecting open threats to life, filing fake cases on opponents not just to exact revenge or stop them from saying something, but to set precedent via co-opted judiciary.

I am sure I am missing more. My god I wish Rahul Gandhi just retired and somebody who is not an abject communist who will use divide and conquer for power, who will not sell this country to a foreign power, who will not go to war with China.