Author: Staff Reporter

For many people in India, democracy means a majoritarian rule. Once a party or a coalition is elected, it acts as if it has the moral and legal right to do what it pleases! That is the crossroad where India is today with Narendra Modi in power disregarding the aspirations of the minorities and diminishing the power structures that provided political and social equilibrium in the last 7 decades or more.

India has not only survived through the growing pains of a democratic experiment but prospered as a nation under a Nehruvian vision and the constitutional umbrella engineered by the great B.R. Ambedkar. Together, they have built Institutions that guaranteed life and property of every Citizen regardless of their background or circumstances and provided an opportunity to climb up the ladder of success and economic prosperity. What we should have witnessed is a continuum of those policies and practices resulting in more openness and tolerance, and yet the opposite seems to have taken place.

Many liberal critics of the Modi regime sincerely believe that his administration is run by a political dogma inspired by the RSS ideology. His long association with that organization and penchant for appointing many of the chief ministerial candidates from that feared cadre may have given such an impression to the public. It is suspected that many of his illiberal policies and reluctance to err on the side of liberty and justice may be the direct result of his commitment to that ideology.

That ideology is based on a common thread promoted by the Sangh Parivar organizations and is called the ‘Hindu Nationalist agenda of BJP.’ The ultimate goal of the agenda is to transform the pluralistic and democratic India to a Hindu nation where the majority religion will have the pre-eminence and minorities relegated to subservient role probably being denied equal protection or opportunities, that too, to a substantial segment of the population.

What is happening to the soul of Indian democracy? After five years of BJP rule, lynching has become the national pastime, and the mobocracy rules the day. Attacks on innocent civilians continued even after India’s Supreme Court requested the government to enact new legislation to end an increase in mob violence and lynching that have reportedly killed over a hundred people accused of cattle theft or other bigoted reasoning.

For astute political observers, these are not isolated incidents, but rather a direct result of evolving national policies that have provided cover and credence to vicious gangs and thugs who are engaged in this type of violence in the name of religion. The mob is appeared to be succeeding every day in tearing up the secular fabric of a nation while the Government’s own actions tend to weaken the Institutions of democracy at every juncture.

Let us take a look at some of these developments in the last five years under the Modi administration that is having a transformational impact on the society and accomplishing their stated goals:

The weakening of Institutions:

1. Disrespecting Parliamentary Democracy:

The constitution framers created a democratic system wherein the legislature would make laws, the executive would implement laws and be accountable to parliament, and an independent judiciary would enforce and interpret the laws. They also put in systems of checks and balances among these three organs of the state. However, over the years, these three organs of the country have pushed the boundaries of their relationship with one another.

NDA has the majority in the Lok Sabha where they pass ordinary bills and then pass it on to Rajya Sabha as Money bills to circumvent their numerical impairment in that body. They also have shown utter disregard to deliberate on essential bills bypassing various parliamentary committees. It should also be noted that Lok Sabha passed the Finance bill of 2018 without even debate against the objections by the opposition.

2)    Running interference with Law Enforcement

             Agencies such as India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate of the Finance Ministry, the Income Tax authorities and even local police forces are often accused of doing Government’s bidding. The opposition has charged that their leaders have been frequently targeted for harassment which they consider as a political vendetta for expressing their opinions critical of the government.

3)    Assaulting on the Independence of Judiciary

India has witnessed an extraordinary news conference by four members of the Collegium revealing the skew in the allocation of work and lack of transparency by Dipak Misra, a former Chief Justice of India. According to the retired Justice Jasti Chelameswar, the second senior most judge at the time, “we tried to persuade the CJI to take steps but failed. Unless the Institution of Supreme Court is preserved, democracy won’t survive in the country”. There is indeed a cloud still casting a pall over the recent verdicts on Loya and Mecca Masjid cases.

4)    Weakening of RTI

Since the Narendra Modi government came to power, access to information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act has diminished greatly, according to the annual report of the Central Information Commission (CIC) for 2014-15. “Every Indian deserves to know the truth, and the BJP wants to hide the truth. The BJP believes the truth must be hidden from the people and they must not question people in power. The changes proposed to the RTI will make it a useless Act,” Rahul Gandhi said that on Twitter.

5)    Influencing the Election Commission

Shiv Sena, a member of the NDA coalition, has dubbed the election commission as a ‘Tawaif’ (Mistress) of a political party. Coming from an ally, it only amplifies the long-held suspicion by many that election commission has become a tool increasingly in the hands of the BJP government. “People are losing faith in the voting system,” Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut told ANI.

6. Muzzling of Freedom

     Freedom of Conscience is fundamental to all other liberties. It is innate and God-given. It is guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. However, it is open season on those who freely exercise it. President Ronald Reagan once spoke eloquently on the importance of maintaining the freedom we all cherish. He said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same”.

1. a)    Stifling of Individual thought and expression

Professor M.M Kalburgi and Govind Pansare were active in combating the organized mysticism and cultures of gullibility widespread at the “popular” level. Their professed independence and determined efforts to alert the common man from the hideous agenda of the so-called religious godmen cost their lives.

1. b)    Harassing of the Media

Media is dubbed as the fourth estate and has a vital role to play in a vibrant democracy. However, they are increasingly fearful of their existence if they do not toe the line of the Government. Many of these media outlets are bought out by the crony capitalists and have become the cheerleaders of the BJP agenda.

1. c)    Curbing dissent in Academia

Academia has become another favorite target of the Modi Government. BJP and its ilk have always hated Institutions like JNU where the free flow of ideas flourished, and lively debates on the pros and cons of contemporary issues were the order of the day. Today, the students and faculty in these revered institutions are intimidated, harassed and called anti-national for failing to toe their Hindutva agenda line and often charged with sedition.

1. d)    Diminishing Civil Society

Modi Government has been openly hostile to civil society groups. It repeatedly denounces human rights and environmental activism as “anti-national” – a phrase that carries connotations of treason. Their role is critical in a society especially because of the lack of ethics and morality of the current regime that is supremely indifferent to the plight of hundreds of millions of its citizens.

1. e)    Violating of the Religious Freedom

Religious freedom in India continued on a downward trend in 2017, said the United States Commission on International religious freedom’s annual report released recently. It said that although government statistics have indicated that communal violence has increased over the past two years, during the year, Hindu-nationalists groups sought to “saffronize” India through violence, intimidation, and harassment against non-Hindus and Hindu Dalits” although Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion through article 25 and 26. India is home to roughly 172 Million Muslims- the third largest Muslim population in the world. Since the ascendance of Modi as the Prime Minister, tensions between Muslims and Hindus have increased in many parts of the country. Modi’s rise has further pushed Muslims towards marginalization.

Christians, who constitute around 2% of the population, are also under severe stress with many of their places of worship under attack, with increased re-conversion efforts by Hindu fundamentalist organizations, removal of Christmas Day and Easter Day from the National Calendar and by the cancellation of FCRA of thousands of Christian charities effectively putting them out of business, the Saffron brigade is questioning the very Indian ness of every Christian in India.

1. f)    Policing Morality

A group of youths, mainly reportedly affiliated to Bajrang Dal allegedly stripped and attacked a Muslim youth in public in Mangalore for the simple reason that he was found to be with a Hindu girl. The man identified as Shakir claimed he was merely giving the girl a ride in his car on her request when he was attacked.

1. g)    Imposing Dietary restrictions

Since Mr. Modi rose to power, emboldened hard-line Hindu activists have assaulted cow traders and people suspected of eating beef, claiming to defend Hindu beliefs. Mohammed Aklaq of New Delhi was dragged down from his home and lynched to death for the suspicion that he had possessed beef in his refrigerator.

1. i)    Stifling Artistic expression

“Democracy is under threat in India with “artists, writers and rationalists” being attacked in some form or other, says acclaimed actress and filmmaker Nandita Das who feels conservatives and right-wing groups are increasingly becoming country’s moral police. Be it the debate around growing intolerance in India or the agitation around the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film “Padmavati” or the issue around “S Durga” or occasional calls to put a temporary ban on Pakistani talent  from working in the Hindi film industry – the conversation around the extent of creative freedom in India keeps coming back. Moreover, Nandita Das feels that there has been an attempt to silence creative voices.

Yogi Adityanath, the saffron-robed new chief minister of India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh said some time ago that its most famous monument, Taj Mahal, does not represent  “authentic Indian Culture” – presumably because the 17th-century tomb was built by a Muslim King for his Muslim wife. Minority groups, as well as secular-minded Hindus, are increasingly fearful that the country’s diversity is under threat. “We are turning into Pakistan,” said a society hostess in Delhi.

7)    Practicing Anti-Dalit policies

Since the ascension of BJP to power, there is one in a series of incidents that has revealed the mindset of a party, on the one hand, urging Dalits to unite under the flag of Hindutva but on the other, setting up a delimiter to what extent they can be included. First, the ban on the Ambedkar-Periyar Study circle of IIT Madras, then the burning alive of Dalit children in Haryana and finally General VK Singh allegedly referring to them as animals. The suicide note of Rohit Vemulla, a Dalit scholar, may have summed the heart-breaking sentiment felt across their community. “My birth is my fatal accident. I can never recover from my childhood loneliness -the unappreciated child from my past”.

8)   Implementing Zero tolerance in Kashmir

According to the Prem Shankar Jha “let us look at where Modi has taken India in the past five years. In Kashmir, he has let loose a regime of absolute terror based on the idea of zero tolerance for political dissent. Today there are no militants in Kashmir, only terrorists who are being hunted down and killed without even being given a chance to surrender. Modi says the Kashmiris are itching to be freed from them”.

The United Nations also have chimed in: “There is an urgent need to address past and ongoing human rights violations and abuses and deliver justice for all people in Kashmir, who for seven decades have suffered a conflict that has claimed or ruined numerous lives,” a report by the UN Human Rights Office published on Thursday says.

9. Treating Mythology as Science

Human Resource Administration is busy at work changing curriculum and rewriting history to fit the Sangh Parivar narrative. RSS, the radical organization that is behind this administration, has determined to create a theocratic state and the HRM is more than willing to affect those changes. Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India, is being made to disappear as well as an iconic figure in Indian history.

Conclusion: Democracy and Secularism in India under serious assault.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 has ushered in an unprecedented attack on India’s democracy and injected new elements of intolerance and authoritarianism into the lives of people living in the country. As per Jairus Banaji in an article in the Wire that very eloquently put it “behind the mask of a developmental regime promising rapid industrial expansion and millions of jobs for the mass of unemployed youth, we have seen instead a hideous explosion of the cultural politics of the extreme right, overt acclamations of a Hindu Rashtra, a wide-ranging takeover of educational and cultural institutions by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a rampant culture of violence targeting freedom of expression, freedom of religion, intellectual freedoms, and even the freedom of the young to love, a calculated drive to communalize voters in North India with hate campaigns that have led to the horrid lynching at Dadri and Udhampur, a shocking subversion of the judicial system through a concerted drive to secure the release of elements indicted on fake encounter and terrorism charges, fabrication of evidence to crush a handful of individuals who have campaigned for justice for the victims of the Gujarat violence, and of course the brazen murder of anti-superstition crusaders. The fabric of India’s democracy is today being torn to shreds. This is the first government in independent India where the RSS is overtly in command. We are further away from both Jawaharlal Nehru and BR Ambedkar than ever before: from Nehru’s contempt for the RSS as a harbinger of fascism to Ambedkar’s vision of a casteless India”.

A constitution exists to create a framework for the government to function and the constitution of India tries to keep the government inside that framework. That is what Nehru and Ambedkar intended as its authors. It is obvious to any independent observer that the current Modi regime has shown very little respect for that sacred document. Now it is time for the voters to decide whether they want to protect the Constitution that protects them! Martin Luther King once Jr. Said: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Let voters decide!

(Writer is the Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)

Religious tolerance may be washed away by a tidal wave of hate if Modi’s party cements grip on power in April election. Fears of India evolving into a Hindu theocratic nation loom large as the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks a second term by placating Hindu sentiment ahead of the April-May parliamentary election.

Secular and liberal political groups say the poll will be be crucial in forging the future identity of the country, which defined itself as a secular-democratic nation after British rule ended in 1947.

“Hindu pride is the platform on which voters are being courted, which is a big concern,” said Alok Verma, a rights activist in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The April 11 to May 19 elections will see 900 million eligible voters select 543 parliamentarians. The party with the most seats will govern the country for the next five years.

The BJP, in office since 2014, again finds itself pitted against the Congress party, its nemesis. But critics like Verma worry it is stoking religious intolerance and hate as a ploy to win over more Hindus.

They say the party’s track record suggests it has underperformed, but few people are discussing how unemployment has spiraled under its watch, or how the agrarian crisis continues to worsen, with debt-ridden farmers reportedly committing suicide at a rate of one every three hours on average.

“Unfortunately, such issues are not being [widely] discussed,” Verma said.

The BJP came to power promising more jobs and increased development for impoverished Indians with the slogan “Good days are ahead.”

“But five years down the line, anyone who questions the BJP’s failed promises is labeled ‘anti-national’ and ‘pro-Muslim’. This is disgraceful,” said Sheetal Nanda, a women’s rights activist in New Delhi.

Never before has the call from political parties to make India a Hindu nation been so strong, she said.

“If the BJP wins again, it will pursue a mandate to amend the constitution, make non-Hindus second-class citizens, and declare the country a Hindu heartland,” Nanda said.

New Delhi-based journalist and author Ashutosh Gupta said the BJP not only wants to change the charter and laws, but transform an entire civilization by establishing an upper-caste Hindu hegemony.

The party argues that, “Hindus were subjugated by Muslims and Christians for 1,200 years because Hindus were at that time non-violent and compassionate,” Ashutosh said.

“They have pitched for the adoption of violent methods to make the dream of a Hindu heartland a reality,” he added.

Hindu-centric ideology

Critics say the violence meted out against Christians and Muslims over the past five years proves that Hindu groups have been laying the tracks to make India subordinate to a Hindu-centric ideology.

Government data shows communal violence jumped 28 percent between 2014 and 2017 with around 3,000 incidents recorded during that period, claiming almost 400 lives and injuring 9,000 people.

Moreover, 90 percent of the religious hate crimes recorded over the last decade occurred since current Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP to power, according to the data assembled by Hate Crime Watch.

Hate crimes against minority groups are also believed to be rising as the election draws near.
Saheem Mir, an author and activist in Uttar Pradesh, cited the case of a Muslim father and son who were stopped on a road and attacked in this northern state on March 17.

“They were asked to chant slogans hailing Hindu gods and were forced to verbally abuse [Muslim-majority] Pakistan,” he said. “These elements are taking such extreme measures because they know no one is going to act against them.”

Hindu activists project Indian Muslims as supporters of Pakistan, India’s nuclear-armed neighbor and arch rival.

Others say that anyone who calls for enhanced dialogue to end India’s outstanding disputes with Pakistan is branded a traitor. Even cheering for Pakistan during a cricket match or expressing admiration for a Pakistani singer in a Bollywood movie puts people at risk of being tarred with a similar brush and denounced as “anti-national,” rights activists say.

In fact, India’s secular character will be permanently laid to rest if the BJP retains its grip on power, according to a recent paper by two research scholars who specialize in political science at the University of Kashmir.

“With the BJP government at the center, the secular tradition of India is under immense threat. If the threat isn’t quelled at various levels, the idea of unity in diversity — one that the nation has always prided itself on — will soon be in tatters,” according to the co-authors of the paper, Anayat Ul Lah Mugloo and Manzoor Ahmad Padder.

“If communal forces are not halted, India — regarded as the largest democracy in the world — will fall prey to what Joseph Schumpeter called ‘creative destruction’, which roughly entails the dismantling of age-old traditions by new ideologies — except that there would be nothing creative in the destruction of the inclusive idea of India.”

Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference in India (CBCI), told ucanews.com that people should vote for candidates and parties who respect the constitution, treat all citizens as equals, and protect minorities.

“Communities cannot live in hatred of one another. The danger of sowing hatred is that once it’s sown, it gets out of control and nobody can tame it,” he said.

“That’s why it’s so important the people who govern us shouldn’t stay quiet when they witness such acts,” he added.

According to the 2011 census, 80 percent or 960 million of India’s 1.2 billion people are Hindus. Muslims make up 14.2 percent of the population (170 million) followed by Christians with 2.3 percent (28 million).

At a hurriedly scheduled meeting at the residence of Mr and Mrs. Ravi Chopra and Mrs. Shalu Chopra in New York on Sunday March 31, 2019, a large number of NRIs registered their strong support behind Rahul Gandhi and registered to become members of the Indian Congress Party, USA.  Particularly noteworthy was the largest number of the women who were present and who were inspired by the entry into politics of Shmt. Priyanka Gandhi ji.  They loudly hailed chants and slogans of Victory to Rahul Gandhi, Victory of the people of India and Victory to their motherland.

Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President, Mr. Harbachan Singh Secretary General, Mr. Ravi Chopra Chairman Finance Committee and Mrs. Shalu Chopra Chairperson of the Women’s Committee of the Indian Overseas Congress USA praised the enthusiasm and determination of the people to bring down the Modi Government through the democratic electoral process and place Rahul Gandhi to lead the Government in the upcoming elections.  Each woman leader was introduced and honored with their respective new appointments by Ms. Shalu Chopra and who vouched to jointly work hard under the Women’s Committee Chair.

Speaker after speaker recounted the failings of the Modi government in their administration and promises.  They vehemently declared their total opposition to Modi government governing any further.  Many speakers highlighted the outstanding achievements of the Congress Party that brought honor and pride to India amongst the comity of nations and expressed their absolute confidence in the Victory of Rahul Gandhi in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Instead of answering to the broken promises made by them to the voters, the Modi government chose to make unfounded and false accusations on Congress party leaders by, for example, misinterpreting their statements out of context and trying to create a sense of unpatriotic behavior on their part”, said Harbachan Singh.  However, the people did not buy the insinuations ascribed to the Congress Party leaders.  The attempts failed miserably to constrain and contain the rapidly growing robust strength of party supporters and followers.

Mr. Mohinder Sing Gilzian, Mr. Ravi Chopra and other senior leaders voiced strong confidence in Dr. Sam Pitroda, Mr. Himanshu Vyas, Mr. Madhu Yashki and above all on Mr. Rahul Gandhi in their great leadership role that each one of them were playing and expressed utmost confidence that Rahul Gandhi will be the new Prime Minister of India.

The event was covered by the media and the Executive Board Members, Chapter heads and senior officials of IOC, USA gave press comments au milieu the upbeat utterances of the supporters urging total backing of the  Rahul Gandhi’s candidacy.

The political atmosphere in India has remained edgy in the last few years. Numerous people have been arrested in the past for posting comments critical of the ruling government. News reports of arrests for insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi have popped up with an alarming regularity.

The arrests include students, teachers, businessmen, auto-rickshaw drivers, activists and members of police and paramilitary forces. Living in such environment has made many livid, outraging over lack of freedom of expression, especially in terms of political views.

As many as 55 per cent of surveyed English internet users stated that they are scared of expressing political opinions online, according to a survey by Reuters released Monday. They said that they are concerned that open political expression on social media could land them into trouble with the authorities.

Out of English-speakers in India, 41 per cent respondents who claimed to support the BJP said that they trust “most news most of the time”. Thirty-six per cent of UPA supporters (including former UPA) and 26 per cent of non-partisans trust news most of the time, according to India Digital News Report, published by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

The report is “based on data from a survey of English-speaking, online news users in India”.

The issues of fake news, misinformation and online political manipulation are of grave concern in both India and the US, Americans and English-speaking Indians vastly differ on who should be held responsible.

Roughly 57 per cent of English-speaking Indians are concerned with deciphering what is real and what is fake on the internet. Additionally, 64 per cent Indians believed that the government should solve the misinformation problem. Approximately, 70 per cent Indians placed the onus on publishers and platforms.

Close to 45 per cent of respondents said they are concerned, “when facts are spun or twisted to push a particular agenda,” and with “poor journalism.”

A report in Indian Express stated that at least seven state government school teachers have been suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government for questioning Pulwama terror attack to praising Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and criticising the effectiveness of Balakot airstrike by India. Lately, India is increasingly jailing its young citizens for posting content online that “offends” politicians.

In 2017 and 2018, at least 50 people were arrested across India for social media posts, according to a report by Mint.

INA-NY CALLS FOR ESSAY SUBMISSIONS FROM INDIAN NURSES

Indian Nurses Association of New York (INA-NY) which represents and serves as a professional body of nurses and nursing students of Indian origin and heritage in New York state, calls upon all nurses of Indian origin to submit essays for its annual essay contest on the theme, “Nurses:  A Voice to Lead – Health for All”.

            Essay must be limited to two pages, typed in double space using font size 12 and must not contain any personal identifiers.  The contestant must attach a cover page with full name, credentials, address, phone number and email address.  The essay with the cover page is to be emailed  to Dr. Solymole Kuruvilla, chair of the awards and scholarships committee at kuruvil3@aol.com by May 12, 2019. The first and second prize winners will be awarded at the INA-NY Nurses’ Day celebrations at the Cotillion Restaurant in Jericho, NY on May 18, 2019.

Paul D Panakal

7831 266 Street

Floral Park, NY 11004

347 330 0783

516 732 2520

Mohinder Singh Gilzian took charge as the new President of Indian Overseas Congress, USA (IOC), in a function held on March 17, 2019, at Jericho Palace in Long Island, NY. In a colorful ceremony attended by IOC officials and Congress loyalists from the Tristate area, the gavel was handed over from the outgoing President Shudh Prakash Singh, according to a press release.

About 200 people gathered together and felicitated Mohinder Singh Gilzian on his assumption of duties as the President. Dr. Surinder Malhotra, the first President of INOC, lauded the appointment of Gilzian and urged for unity in moving forward while focusing on its mission. He stressed the importance of promoting the strategic partnership between India and the U.S.

George Abraham, the vice-chairman, described Gilzian as a dedicated Congressman who earned the right to be president through hard work and sheer determination.

“He is as genuine a human being you may encounter anywhere,” said Abraham while throwing his support fully behind the newly appointed President.

Harbachan Singh, the Secretary-General toasted Gilzian’s appointment by Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Overseas Congress department and offered gratitude and good wishes to Shudh Prakash Singh who is leaving the post.

Gilzian in his address expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Rahul Gandhi, President of AICC, Sam Pitroda, Global Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and Himanshu Vyas, Secretary, AICC in charge of the Overseas Congress department. He also paid tribute to past presidents Dr. Surinder Malhotra, George Abraham and Shudh Prakash Singh for their dedication and service to the organization.

Gilzian went on to explain his vision for the organization and said “Now that the responsibility has been passed on to me, I will continue our focus in strengthening the organization.”

“As President, I will listen and ensure transparency where your views will be respected. We will be enrolling new members especially those with leadership quality to strengthen and expand our reach to the Diaspora. One of our missions is to promote a strong bilateral relationship between the US and India and we will do our utmost in that regard,” he said.

“The upcoming elections in India are very critical, and we are planning to send teams of volunteers so that we can make a difference. We will also strive to create a strong social media presence to challenge the misinformation campaign that is waged by the opposition. John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech said the following: ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country,” he said.

“At this critical time let us also ask what we can do for the Congress Party to save democracy in India. It appears that the Modi government has neither respect for the Constitution nor do they honor the independence of its institutions that served the Indian democracy well over the last 70 years,” he said.

“In 2018, four Supreme Court judges held a press conference to air their concern that democracy is in danger. Top officers of CBI or other enforcement agencies are sent on leave if they are to raise any allegation of corruption on the part of this government. India is no longer considered in the top 10 destinations for foreign direct investment,” he said.

“The unemployment in the country is at a 45 year high at 7.4% in December 2018. The youth in the country between the ages of 15 and 29 are facing a very tough time finding jobs. Congress party stood for every section of the society and stressed on bottom-up development. Our country is indeed in a crisis, and as NRIs, we need to step up, be united and defeat this regime in this upcoming election. It is essential that as NRIs who are living in every part of the world, we fight all forms of bigotry and hatred and bring the country back where the government can focus on development and prosperity for all its citizens,” he said.

Felicitation ceremonies began with the presentation of flowers by Lona Abraham followed by various chapter heads and Committees’ Chairs and other supporters who took turns to congratulate Mohinder Singh and honored him with shawls and flowers.  Everyone gathered pledged their full support and vowed to work in unity and harmony going forward to help the Congress Party.

Prominent leaders who spoke from the rostrum included Dr. Dayan Naik, Chandu Patel, Dr. Jayesh Patel, Tejinder Gill, Sher Madra, Leela Maret, Phuman Singh, Charan Singh,  Ramesh Chandra, Kulbir Singh, Devendra Vora, Kalathil Varghese, Ravi Chopra, Shalu Chopra, Malini Shah, Rajeswara Reddy, Zinda Singh, John Joseph, Koshy Oommen, Satish Sharma, Harry Singh, Sravanth Poreddy, Lalit Malhotra, Rajesh Alahdad, Druva Chowddhary, Pradeep Samala, Sukhjender Singh Pappy Badesha, Amar Singh Gulshan, Mohammed Jameel, Butter and Gurbinder Talwandi. In closing, Rajender Dichpally, General Secretary, expressed the vote of thanks.

India is indeed facing a critical election in the coming weeks and the question on everyone’s mind is whether this will be a referendum on Modi’s accomplishments in the last five years of his governance! If it is one, he apparently has not only failed to deliver his campaign promises on the economic front but also damaged the institutions he has sworn in to protect and preserve.

Corruption:

One of the biggest accusations against UPA government by BJP was that it was immersed in corruption. Although coalition politics was partly to blame for that fiasco, Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister was beyond reproach in this regard, and he has led a nation with integrity and honor. Although the opposition and the media were quite harsh in their judgment of his tenure,  the history will be much kinder to him.

However, the Rafale deal looks like the mother of all scams. As reports indicate, “the scam caused a slew of collateral damages: heavy loss to the exchequer, undermining of a national institution like Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, compromise on national security, and unfair favoritism to Anil Ambani enabling him to make undue profits.”  How Anil Ambani who has failed with Reliance Communications was chosen to build an advanced jet aircraft bypassing an established Institution like HAL is beyond anybody’s comprehension!

The Modi Government has also dropped key conditions for anti-corruption penalties and an escrow account for payments days before the Rafale deal was signed. The PMO’s office appeared to have overruled strong objections by the Defence Ministry during the negotiations casting serious doubts on the integrity of this deal between India and France. The Government not only failed to make full disclosure on the details of the negotiations but also actively misled the Supreme Court. It is to be noted that though BJP came to power on the anti-corruption plank their failure to appoint a Lokpal is another glaring omission that should not go unnoticed.

Demonetization:

On November 8, 2016, Modi Government unleashed the most reckless demonetization policy upon the nation. The devastating effect of this policy reverberated throughout the land costing 140 of its citizens their dear lives and plunging the GDP from 8.01% to 6.5%. According to CMIE’s surveys, 3.5 million jobs were lost during the final quarter of 2016-17. Small business took the brunt of the hit and business was down by as much as 50% for small traders.

The farmers, especially small and marginal who largely depended on cash to buy seeds, fertilizers and to pay for sowing, borrowing water for irrigation remained worst affected and could not complete the crop-related activities. Many people in the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder lost their life savings and the poor traders went without business and so their families without essential food items. However, the rich and the privileged faced no problems and were given a gift-wrapped opportunity to convert all their black money into white money.

Jobs:

When Modi was running for election in 2014, he promised 2 crore jobs every year. What is the situation today? In 2017-18, the country’s unemployment situation worsened as the rate stood at 6.1 %, a 45-year high.  Joblessness was recorded at 7.8% in urban areas and 5.3% in rural areas. The Center for Monitoring Indian Economy says that 11 million jobs were also lost in the 2017-18 period. According to the NSSO, the joblessness among youth was at a higher level compared to the previous years and much higher compared to that in the overall population.

The youth of the country feel betrayed, and their hopes dashed as the Modi government appeared to have no road map for job creation. Half of India’s working-age population, for the first time, is not contributing to any economic activity according to the National Sample Survey office’s latest job-survey. “In a country of over 1.2 billion people, India is creating about 450 jobs per 24 hours while China is creating 50,000 jobs in the same 24 hours. Our Prime Minister doesn’t think this is a problem, “said Rahul Gandhi, Congress President addressing a rally.

Farmer’s Plight:

The Indian farmer appeared to have suffered the most under Modi administration as this important sector took the brunt of the effect of the brutal demonetization policy as the agricultural growth was sluggish at 1.9 % which is half of what was during the previous UPA government. Farmer’s suicide went up so much during Modi rule, the government stopped printing the suicide figures from February 2017. The BJP reneged on implementing its promise in the manifesto for 2014 elections that it would evolve the National Agricultural Market to give farmers the best price, cost + 50%, for their products.

The Modi Government has also earned the dubious distinction of being the first government ever to tax agriculture. Modi Government has imposed 5% GST on fertilizers, 12% GST on tractor/agriculture implements, 18% GST on pesticide, 18% GST on tire, tube, transmission parts and 18% on cold storage equipment. While the Government has written off Rs. 2.4 lakh crore bad loans for crony capitalists, it is not generous with small and marginal farmers to get rid of their debts.

GST:

“It is Gujarat Sabotage Tax,” Modi said of the GST in 2011 when the UPA government introduced it in the Parliament. However, it became an ideal tax scheme only when he became the Prime Minister. Although it was a much-needed reform the messy implementation and clumsy rollout sent panic waves among the business class that was not ready for the change in taxation. One year after GST rollout, small business was reporting drop in sales and struggling with the high cost of compliance.

Filing returns became a huge headache for small businesses as they have to rely on professionals, and that  became an additional financial burden for them. Compliance process was further slowed down as the Information technology took a long time to resolve cumbersome registration and audit processes. In addition, GST moved the power center so much away from the States as it started impacting the relationship in a Federal power-sharing structure.

National Security:

Mr. Modi’s stint as Prime Minister will be also be known for weaker national security, a rise in militant attacks and higher tolls in the army and civilian deaths. The dastardly Pulwama attack by the militants resulted in the death of 44 Security personnel.  Under Modi’s watch, 498 soldiers and 278 civilians were killed as we saw an uptick in terrorist activities in Kashmir and across the LOC. In the case of Pulwama, how did a suicide bomber acquire 300Kgs of RDX and permitted to enter the most secure Jammu-Srinagar National highway despite the ‘standard operating procedure’ for sanitizing the convoy stretch? Undoubtedly, it is a massive intelligence failure that needs to be further looked into.

And also it is shameful in a manner in which the BJP and Narendra Modi government tried to gain political capital over the Pulwama tragedy accusing those expressing skepticism of the outcome of the surgical strikes as anti-nationalists. It is their leader Yeddyurappa who made the statement that this counterattack will fetch BJP 22 seats in Karnataka.  While taking the patriot cover behind the army, the government’s allocation in the 2018-19 Budget was just 1.58 percent of the GDP, lowest since 1962. A parliamentary standing committee under Major General B C Khanduri exposed the neglect of the armed forces saying 68% of the equipment was vintage and there was no money for the purchase of emergency weapons.

Intolerance and Communal frenzy:

Communal differences and religious intolerance reached a new height during the regime of Narendra Modi with Hindu nationalists are having a free run in killing, assaulting and intimidating people of other faiths. Modi never uttered a word decrying the dangerous breed of cow vigilantes who have killed at least 118 Muslims and Dalits during his governance. The Modi regime, on assuming power, made cow an instrument of political warfare and men from the fringes sprang up from all over.  Lynching became a national pastime as there were instances were BJP leaders were openly garlanding the lynchers.

India witnessed an alarming rise in violence against Dalits after Narendra Modi took over. The national Crime record Bureau registered a six to eight times upsurge in the rate of crimes committed against Dalits in the last five years. Dalits who supported BJP in the last election felt let down by the Modi regime as the policies were blatantly against them. Several decisions and utterances of the government especially the way UGC changed the formula for calculating reserved posts reinforced the lack of trust among Dalits. The suicide of research scholar Rohit Vemula was a final stroke that led to a widespread feeling of alienation among Dalits, and students in particular.

Institutions:

India’s democracy survived and thrived because of the resilience of its venerable Institutions. However, Narendra Modi was quite successful in demolishing these entities that formed the pillars of democracy. Today, we see these Institutions like Judiciary, Parliament, Cabinet, Planning Commission, Reserve Bank, Election Commission and Law Enforcement System being undermined. The world had witnessed a rare event when four Supreme Court judges held a press conference to warn against undermining judiciary while stating that the very system of democracy itself could be in danger.

It is alleged by the opposition that CBI is being misused by Modi to intimidate political opponents in the same way in which the Gestapo was used by the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. Narendra Modi was singularly responsible for the shameful drama that unfolded at various venues under the title ‘CBI vs CBI’,  pitting the two top officials against each other. CBI’s credibility has touched an all-time low under Modi government and increasingly being perceived as a political arm of the ruling party.

Saffron Splurge:

While skimping on funds to aid the flood victims in Kerala, Modi lives a larger than life story traveling the world over spending a whopping 2000 crores of Rupees. With the 2989 crores spent on building a Sardar Patel Statue, India could have built two IIT campuses or launched 6 Mars missions. The project shows the vanity of the office as these funds could have been put into much better use in areas where funds are desperately needed.  On the other side of the spectrum, many of the flagship projects envisaged by the Modi government, purportedly to help the poor flopped due to lack understanding of the people’s needs or not appropriating sufficient funds.

The Big Bank Loot:

While many of the proposed government schemes were lacking in funds, the Modi regime closed their eyes on the bank looting scam by the crony capitalists who defrauded the PNBs and some even fled the country. The scam involves 19000 bank fraud cases involving 90000 crores of Rupees of its funds. Going by the records, it is clear that NPA (Bad debt) of nationalized banks went up from 2.83 lakh crore from May 2014 to 12 Lakh crore in March 2018. What has been swallowed by sharks like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vikram Kothari and many others is actually people’s money.

It is essential for every voter in India to take a good look at the Modi’s record as the Chowkidar of the nation and vote their conscience. If this record meets their standard of achievement, India’s future may be bleak, and the wellbeing of its democracy may even be in danger! However, the coming election is also an opportunity to turn the tables on those who not only broke their promises but also unsettled the nation with so much deception and misgovernance.

(Compiled by George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)

Ever since the attack in Pulwama by a suicide bomber killing 42 of India’s security personnel, the country has been on the edge fearing an all-out war with Pakistan.  Any civilized person could see the barbarity of this dastardly terrorist act only with disgust and rage. However, a confrontation between these two nuclear powers is neither in the interest of these two nations nor does it bode well for the future of this turbulent region. Pakistan has been waging a proxy war with India over the Kashmir issue from the time of Independence, and a final solution to this crisis is not within sight.

Some would argue that this is the time of war and everyone should keep their apprehensions about its conduct or any other questions they may have close to their chest.  However, a massive intelligence failure of this magnitude over the Pulwama tragedy should not be missed. How did a young man in his twenties, who was already on the radar of the Security personnel, come to possess, pack & conceal, and then drive 300KG worth of explosives towards a military convoy undetected? Reports from the region suggest that a police advisory was already in effect a week before this, stating that the Central Reserve Police Force deployment would be targeted. Where is the accountability on these massive security lapses?

A recent New York Times report paints a scathing image of India’s vintage military equipment and its impact on military readiness. “India’s armed forces are in alarming shape. If intense warfare broke out tomorrow, India could supply its troops with only 10 days of ammunition according to government estimates. And 68 percent of the army’s equipment is so old. It is officially considered ‘vintage’”.  A swollen bureaucracy together with lack of funding obviously rendered these procurement and training processes anything but cumbersome.

Nevertheless, India was left with no choice but to retaliate. Pakistan has been aiding and abetting Jaesh-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar despite the pressure from the U.N. and other international bodies. The Air Force was tasked to strike these terror targets in Balakot region: an order that was carried out despite bad weather conditions. The Indian Military has been known for its professionalism and respect for civilian leadership in a democratic setup. Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa refused to give a casualty count saying “”IAF doesn’t count the number of dead” and the “casualty figure in an air strike on Balakot camp will be given by the government,” referring to the air strike it had carried out on February 26, 2019.

However, what we have witnessed following the strike from the Government and the BJP leaders would not only sully the image of India but also the nation’s credibility through overt politicization of this conflict, as the country is preparing itself for a critical election. First, the leaked information from sources to the media put the casualty count at 300 to 350. Western intelligence sources and the International press immediately cast severe doubt on these numbers, and some reports directly from the ground characterized the damages as minimal.

However, in public speeches, Amit Shah, the President of the ruling party BJP, talked about 250 terrorists being wiped out. Other BJP leaders like BS Yeddyurappa said that his party would win 22 seats in Karnataka after the strike. It is as if BJP leaders are relishing these moments of war and salivating about the prospects of riding to victory in the fog of a protracted fight between these nations. It boggles one’s mind to believe that after the Pulwama attack, the terrorists associated with Jaesh-e-Mohammed just gathered together to sleep in one place, making an easy target of themselves for the IAF!

Anyone who questioned the veracity of these BJP leaders’ claims is called an anti-nationalist and accused of doing Pakistan’s bidding. “At a time when our army is engaged in crushing terrorism, inside the country and outside, some people within the country are trying to break their morale, which is cheering our enemy,” Modi said at an election rally. “I want to know from Congress and its partners why they are making statements that are benefiting the enemies”, he added. Modi is apparently absent from the capital in managing the conflict. Instead, he is entirely taking advantage of the ongoing battle on his campaign trail, vilifying the opposition and questioning their patriotism for political advantage.

Another shameful spectacle that is unfolding in India today is the blatant display of jingoism by the media and their networks to propel a wider war.  Instead of bringing together the nation at a time of crisis, some of these news channels are creating divisions, promoting hate and sowing discord. They broadcast manufactured news; shamelessly appropriate nationalism; and designate a segment as enemy allies. Many of them have become vassals of special interests mostly controlled by crony capitalists aligned with the ruling party.

It is also sad to hear that there is an atmosphere of fear and intimidation created for Kashmiri students across the country, as Sangh Parivar forces target them for revenge attacks. “It is no secret that the Bajrang Dal and the student wing of the Sangh were foremost in fomenting trouble against Kashmiri students in various parts of India. This was done keeping in mind the upcoming general election”, Omar Abdulla, former Chief Minister of Kashmir said. “It is obvious that BJP sees an advantage in these types of environments. It helps them paper over Modi’s mistakes like demonetization, joblessness, India’s poor economic growth and the distress faced by the country’s agricultural sector” he added.

We collectively admire the bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces. They are fighting to keep all Indians safe and protect the sovereignty of the nation from terrorists and a country that provides haven to them. Moreover, they are fighting to safeguard our democratic traditions and way of life. As Sashi Kumar, a commentator eloquently put it recently, “they are not fighting for this or that political party; they are not fighting for the electoral gains of the ruling party or of the opposition. However, they are if anything fighting the religious fundamentalism of one kind but not to replace it with the rampant religious fundamentalism of another kind, even of the majoritarian variety”.

The BJP’s strategy appears to be clear and straightforward: playing up Hindu nationalism; linking Kashmiri youth and Jihadi terrorists supported by an enemy, Pakistan; and providing ‘red meat’ to a large segment of the voting public, who are so disappointed with Modi’s failure to deliver his campaign promises. However, this is all at the risk of endangering India’s democratic and pluralistic values, and accelerating animosity between two armed nuclear neighbors, which may even put them on a path to potential disaster!

(The writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and current Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)