Nirendra Dev
Modi’s detractors in the Lutyens lobby, among sickularists and opposition parties, would not give him breathing space and time to deliver on tough things like second-generation reforms.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed happiness about the “futuristic reform initiative” after launching the digital payment solution e-RUPI on August 2.
He said e-RUPI is a symbol of how India is progressing by connecting people’s lives with technology.
In an era of sheer antagonism against him and his government, the observation carries new meaning.
The ‘New India’ as envisioned by PM Modi, needs the right mix of market reform and a good dosage of nationalistic politics.
It is truly a challenging time. Modi’s detractors in the Lutyens lobby, among sickularists and opposition parties, would not give him breathing space and time to deliver on tough things like second-generation reforms.
The politics have swayed things so much that the much-delayed farm reforms have been delayed further. But no one is concerned.
Now there is a more sinister design–sabotage the parliamentary proceeding itself.
Pegasus is perhaps more than a coincidence.
At the same time, efforts would be made to level the charge of “authoritarian tendencies” against the Prime Minister.
“Without economic reforms, any political platform would find it challenging to have growth and new sets of jobs in this era. Prime Minister Modi is aware of his detractors’ designs. Occasionally he does pull punches and gives a push to his modest reforms. They have been still too little and in some sectors too late. As the country’s ‘reformer-in-chief’, the Prime Minister has been on track notwithstanding a general tendency to describe reform strategies like GST as ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’.”
Those were tough days because all these actions were linked to his electoral popularity in his native state of Gujarat.
Modi’s war on cash began with the demonetisation in November 2016. It was also a step to give a message to poor people that his government cares.
A strong argument for the note ban move was that it was aimed at taking on financial crime and terrorism.
Even in the northeast, it yielded results wherein cash flow was more than oxygen for various militant outfits.
Many stakeholders are now upset, and hence there are attempts to lead states such as Mizoram and Assam to end up in armed conflicts.
Especially the manner it suddenly blew up, resulting in firing and leading to deaths of five Assam police personnel, shows that coming out is a set of well-planned formula.
Now, maturity has dawned on Mizoram and Assam states, and the respective leaderships have agreed to resolve the problems amicably.
Coming back to ‘paper money’ and PM’s Digital India vision, India is sustaining a cacophonous financial sector. Thus the enhanced digital currency could certainly lead to an increase in inefficiency.
This is a step that is seen as one of the means of setting right India’s finances.
The Prime Minister is optimistic that – the new e-RUPI is expected to be a revolutionary initiative towards ensuring a leak-proof delivery of welfare services.
“It can also be used for delivering services under schemes meant for providing drugs and nutritional support under Mother and Child welfare schemes.”
It may be thus advisable to share PM's positive thinking.
“It may not be erroneous to advocate the cause of a methodical and focused policy and carefully executed plans to tackle new emerging challenges. ”
Either Indian opposition parties are on board with him for larger national missions or should no longer matter to a regime that is so much at the receiving end of hatred of liberals.
The nation is always much bigger than that.
A BJP leader (and now a minister) recently said candidly that many cynics have invested heavily in the narratives of ‘Hindutva, no-democracy and fascism’ that they do not see how India was a few years ago.
His reference was to the 75 years of neglect of the health care system. The same analogy would apply to economic management.
The progress India has made after dismantling the Nehruvian socialist curtain and a pro-corruption and pro-nepotism era since 1991 is itself mind-boggling.
