The Nation today suffers an era of political instability. The breakdown of the relationship between the partners of the UPA and the Left are threatening to reduce the Central Government to a minority. The possibility of a mid term poll appears imminent. Policy disagreements between the UPA and its allies have paralysed the decision –making process in the government. The credibility of the leadership of the UPA has been shaken. Slanging matches between supporting parties, hurling accusations and even ministerial clashes have become the order of the day. The UPA Government is in power but it is devoid of any governance. The government is rudderless, directionless and merely sticking to office to complete a few extra days. The political environment is one on the eve of cracking up of the Raj. Each party which is a part of the UPA-Left combine is now positioning to strengthen itself in a possible election.
Policy decision making in matters relating to the economy are the worst sufferers. The momentum which the Indian economy gained in the NDA rule in last few years would have been strengthened further if policy decision making had continued. Unfortunately, the government is preoccupied with the primary task of managing its own survival. The government is a complete failure in a matter of controlling prices of essential commodities and in management of the farm economy. The intensity of farmers’ suicide continue unabated.
Faced with the imminent possibility of elections, the UPA Government is today concentrating not on serious governance and policy issues but trying to consolidate its vote banks by damaging the social fabric of the country. Each one of its decisions is intended to pursue the politics of minoritism intended to use the Muslims electorate as an instrument of political power. Infiltration into the country both on Western and Eastern borders has increased. Terrorism continues unabated; terrorist attacks have been happening mostly in States ruled by the Congress and other pseudo secular parties. This is primarily because the signal to the police administration in these States is to go slow on searches, intelligence and cracking up of terrorist modules. The UPA government has chosen the path of trying to tackle terrorism not from the standpoint of national security but with the desire of consolidating vote bank politics. It is disturbing that infiltration is on the increase. India can no longer claim to be free from Al-Qaida. Logistical support to terrorists by a section of the local population is freely available. Arms, ammunitions and explosives have increased the ability of the terrorists to strike at will at destinations chosen by them. The country is without an effective anti-terror law. An anti-terror law would have enabled the prosecuting agencies to detect terrorist activities more effectively and to convict terrorists under a tough regime. After repealing POTA the Union Government has withheld consent to laws which requires to deal with organized crimes in States such as Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is significant that terrorist attacks in BJP ruled States have been minimal essentially because of tough signaling and authority being given to police agencies to deal with terrorists modules. The ability of our intelligence agencies and security agencies to resolve terrorist crimes has been seriously eroded.
The attitude of the Central government while insisting on the demolition of the Ram Setu has shaken the faith of the people of India with regard to the UPA government’s intentions. The Ram Setu is a symbol of faith. Its references are found in history, mythology and religion. The UPA and its allies wanted to dismantle the Setu even when alternative alignments were possible essentially with the object of onslaughting the Hindu mind. The economists have been seriously questioning the viability of the project. Environmentalists have been disturbed with regard to the adverse impact of the demolition on the sea environment. Despite this the UPA government’s insistence on dismantling the Setu to create a channel is a highly condemnable decision intended to hurt the religious sentiments of a vast number of people in this country. The audacity of the UPA to inform the apex court both Lord Ram and Ram Setu are mythological fictions created a huge backlash in the popular mind. It is for the first time since the formation of the UPA government that the intensity of this backlash and its political costs and fallout shook and destabilized the UPA.
The Sachar Commission recommendations have been accepted by the UPA. The Sachar Committee is a charter for social divisiveness. The essence of Sachar Committee is to have job reservations based on religion, developmental priorities in the areas inhabited by one religious denomination and communal budgeting. The Prime Minister’s declaration that minorities, particularly Muslims have a first right to national resources is exhibit of this government’s intentions. The BJP is of the clear opinion that the recommendations of the Sachar Committee are constitutionally questionable. They are socially divisive and un-implementable. If on the ground development takes place essentially in areas occupied by one religious denomination and not the others, this divisiveness will create a backlash making the Sachar Committee recommendations un-implementable. The BJP urges the government to reject the Sachar Committee recommendations and work for development of all regions and poverty alleviation of poor across the country rather than of one religious denomination.
The UPA Government does not have a serious political thought on Kashmir . While Kashmir continues to bear the brunt of cross-border terrorism, the UPA and its friendly parties have come out with an unacceptable hypothesis that the constitutional linkage with the rest of the country must be further weakened. Article 370 was a symbol of separate status. The psyche generated by Article 370 and its 57 years journey has been one from separate status to separatism. And yet the UPA’s friends have not only the audacity of arguing for its continuation, they move steps forward and speak in terms of pre-1953 status, demilitarisation, autonomy and even self-rule. The problem of J&K is one of cross border terrorism, security, economic development and elimination of the regional discriminations. Inadequacy of power with the State Legislature or the State Government has never been complained of and yet instead of dealing with real problems of Jammu & Kashmir, the UPA and its friends are suggesting solutions which are worse than the disease. If their policies are to be accepted, the journey of separate status to separatism would indeed be complete.
The problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh into the territory of India continues unabated. Twice in the past two years has the Supreme Court of India rapped the government on its knuckles with regard to he IMDT Act and Foreigners Control Order. The UPA however has encouraged the infiltrators; it sees them as potential voters. Terrrorist activities have also strengthened in Bangladesh and through infiltrators. Together they provide large mass which is dangerous for national security. The involvement of the Huji which is an Al-Qaida front operating from Bangladesh in recent Hyderabad blasts is now becoming clearer. The illegal migration is having a serious demographic impact on the country. The BJP is of the opinion that the national register of citizens should be updated and the detection of foreigners should be based on the register. It is imperative that border fencing should be completed with utmost priority. The BJP believes that ISI is actively involved in the attacks on the Hindi speaking persons.
The UPA government has institutionalized corruption by it’s political supporters by misusing the premier investigative agency, the CBI. It has perfected the mechanism of getting the Law Ministery’s legal advise to be used as a binding on the CBI so as to scuttle investigations and prosecutions. Some recent examples of this are in the cases of Ottavio Quattrocchi, Amit Jogi, Shibo Soren and Laloo Prasad Yadav. This is nothing but a blatant subversion of institutions.
The brazen determination which the government has shown in completing the Indo-US Nuclear deal even when some of the terms are adverse to India ’s interest is amazing. The parliamentary majority is against the deal. The BJP oppose the deal essentially on the consideration that it was limiting India ’s nuclear options. The manner in which the Government of India ignored the majority parliamentary opinion with regard to the terms of the deal left no one in doubt that the UPA was not concerned with the prime interest of national security.
The fallout of the Nuclear deal is an open confrontation between the Congress Party on the one hand and the Left parties on the other. The hypocrisy of the Left is evident from the fact that whereas the Left is willing to proclaim and criticize, it is still unwilling to strike. However, it has become increasingly clear that the gap between the UPA and the Left has become irreparable.
The UPA government has become a cabinet of collective irresponsibility. Prime Ministerial authority is hardly respected. Ministers cobbling with each other in public has become the rule of the day. Ministerial statements against each other following the controversial affidavit of ASI before the Supreme Court in the Ram Setu case has shown that there is now a civil war within the durbar of the Congress itself. No one’s writ runs in the government. Having witnessed a national drift in the past three and a half years, the nation now looks forward to an alternative government. The failings of the UPA have now turned into a national aspiration. The country needs firstly a strong and determined leadership; secondly effective governance and thirdly, a top concern for national security. The inability of the UPA to cater to these concerns is now resulting in a national aspiration of the country looking towards BJP and NDA to fulfill these aspirations.
क्लिक करे लॉगिन
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