Misjudging a democratic victory by Amartya Sen is an insult to the Indian voter

 – Reapan Tikoo 

 

 

 

 It is Professor Sen’s lecture, which made it vivid for me that each individual has multiple identities. Surprisingly despite different identities, a majority of the citizens came together, and we voted for a better India.

 

The collective consciousness of ours, voted overwhelming for continuity of Narandera Modi’s policy for a diverse segments; Ujjwala, Awas, Toilets for all, Electricity for all, Make in India, Start-up India, MSME, Bank Accounts for poor, Mudra, no IT upto 5 lac income, no GST for income upto 40 lacs for small business, Ayushman, KISAN, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, GST, e-NAM and much more; every beneficiary and potential beneficiary, voted for Modi.

 

Those of us who don’t see National Security as election issue have no idea that a secure and peaceful India is the building block for our economic progress; we voted for a secure India. The other side offered no improvement in the quality of our lives; the Congress manifesto felt more European and less Indian; it was disconnected from reality and aspirational India.

 

Prof Sen wants we to believe that Gandhi-Tagore-Nehru vision of a united India, which had contributed to keeping India united for decades. This is out of context and is also incorrect. India’s soul was cut into two, with the partition in 1947; who understand this pain better than Dhaka born Sen.

 

Using the “Foreign Press” to make a point is pointless, for they usually are blind to the reality of India; this is also handover of our colonial past which takes foreign press seriously. Foreign Press isn’t taken seriously by us and most of us don’t read them; unless a NRI friend forwards a URL. Look at Time; like a chameleon it has changed its colour. To an outsider, India is just a market and a cheap labour destination. Anyone who is not giving access to this market is not their guy; with make in India and made in India, being the focus of the continued Government policy, this is not surprising.

 

Unfortunately what hurts is they want to create the other, within us. Muslims of India are equal citizens of India. Even to suggest anything, is insulting the soul of India. India is India, because Muslims among us, decided to live with us and not go to Pakistan in 1947; a country formed for Indian Muslims, then.

 

Crime has to be seen as a crime and not colour it with religion or anything else; law of the land will bring each criminal to book, irrespective of their religion.

 

Sen is offering belated consultancy to non-BJP Parties, to have an alliance among them; but the only agenda for all of them was defeating BJP, instead of improving the quality of our lives. It is itched in our memory that the Chandershekhar, Gowda, Gujaral, Manmohan collation Governments had exponential inflation due to poor Governance and lack of accountability; India can’t afford such Government, ever again. Modi Government had controlled inflation.

 

Let all accept the verdict of the people, even if it doesn’t confirm to ones prejudice. It is in public domain, who Prof. Sen likes and dislikes; even his lecture had this bias; he had dedicated slides to run down, then Gujarat model.

 

Sen is insulting India’s voter, who has chosen the best man for leading their country. India also needs a strong opposition; this is still available on the table and Sen can help in this direction. We have many State elections soon; if only Congress and other opposition parties can offer a better quality of life to us?