ANIRBAN GANGULY
In a little over 24 hours since he called for a feedback, over 5 lakh people responded to PM Narendra Modi’s call and proffered their views on the move of demonetisation. In a truly participative exercise, a “Jan ki Baat” in the true sense, Prime Minister Modi reached out to the people directly and asked them to discuss his effort at eradicating black money and corruption through this move. The respondents overwhelmingly supported the move saying that it was necessary for comprehensively tackling corruption at various levels and for making the economy robust and resilient in the long run. The vast majority of the people of India have this earthy sense of purpose and know when a step is taking in earnest for their well-being. This direct outreach has demonstrated the faith that people at large have in the Prime Minister and in his move to cleanse the economy. People are willing to put up with inconveniences and roundly support the effort. With the Prime Minister’s Office closely monitoring the situation and development, the responsiveness of the government to the situation and to suggestions is distinctly visible on the ground, leading to positive responses to the challenges.
Interestingly or ironically, those political parties and leaders who have made great capital in the name of fighting corruption and who have in the past, periodically called for cleansing public life and earned various sobriquets and laurels are the one who are howling most and loudest against this onslaught on black money and that too in the name of the “common people.” Take the case of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for example, she has been rabble rousing the streets of Delhi ever since the announcement of demonetisation was made. Ms. Banerjee professes to speak up for the “common people” while throwing up her irrational tantrums and ire at the Prime Minister who has himself said that this move was aimed at empowering the marginalised.
It would be useful to recall that as Chief Minister , Mamata Banerjee presided over the Saradha Chit Fund scam, a scam of gigantic proportions involving about Rs. 2460 crores. A number of her political and social associates were involved in the Saradha issue and were in the know. The Saradha Chit fund scam left a trail of deaths and robbed the poor of their hard earned savings. Ms. Banerjee did not take to the streets then, choosing to remain silent or distancing herself from it all. She did not take out processions in support of the poor or the “common people” in whose name she has built a career in politics. Having often cried out against corruption, it is strange to see her today vocally oppose a historic move that is aimed at curbing and eventually eradicating the corroding malady of black money. Ms. Banerjee never issued any statement expressing support or concern for those family whose earning members committed suicide unable to bear the loss of their savings because of the Saradha Scam.
Even at the level of governance Ms. Banerjee has been acutely insensitive to the plight of the tea garden workers. Conservative estimates point out that over 70 recorded starvation deaths have already occurred in the tea gardens of north Bengal in her tenure and each time she has either chosen to ignore or argue herself and her administration out of it. Starvation, penury, malnutrition and lack of access to medical facilities have led to these deaths and yet despite being in power now for over five years she has done precious little to alleviate the suffering and to improve the status of the tea garden workers. The Left Front rule in West Bengal has also been equally disastrous and “common people” have suffered most – with the breakdown of rural infrastructure, industry, healthcare and education.
While some propagate their concern for the poor because of political reasons or simply because it is fashionable to do so, Prime Minister Modi’s government has consistently and constantly striven for the empowerment and inclusion of the marginalised. In fact its governance and policy focus has been to realise that objective.
Professing to work for the empowerment and uplift of the poor while opposing policies and efforts that actually ensure their empowerment is not only not ethical politics, it is not wise politics either. Those who overlook that are in the long run, as they say, politically rejected or politically dead…
(The writer is columnist.)