Following months of aggressive and diligent campaigning promising 'Achche Din', Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party deservedly came to power in 2014. Now, with the successful completion of more than half of his tenure, the PM has several reasons to celebrate. Modi, in just three years, has scrapped what seems like a thousand laws, amended some, and outrightly passed fresh ones- particularly those reflecting the country's long-time itch for economic change.
The Goods and Services Tax, Real Estate Regulation Act, Benami Transactions Prohibition Act, Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets Act, brand new laws for recovery of debt, insolvency and bankruptcy, the list is long, and rather impressive. While the former-RSS pracharak initially did face difficulties in the Upper House, facing an iron-clad opposition coalition of the Congress, Trinamool, Left, SP and BSP, months of hard bargaining and parliamentary stratagem of terming certain legislations as money bills, began to bear fruits.
The BJP, better known as 'Brand Modi' is now an ambitious party- speeding up business, pushing globalisation, harsh curbing of corruption, all this and more. Modi promised several economic reforms, including ease of doing business, inflation control, fiscal deficit, trade deficit, job creation, manufacturing revival, most of which have been accomplished. After coming to power, he launched his first flagship programme called the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana- India's largest-ever financial inclusion drive. Its mission was to ensure access to financial services, including savings accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, and pension - all at an affordable cost. After this came the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojna, an ambitious project aiming to provide 'Housing For All' by 2022. Designed solely for the rural masses, the scheme will provide affordable houses to 40 million people living below the poverty line. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana was launched in 2015, to ensure 24/7 electricity supply to farmers and rural households. The NDA currently boasts 12,022 electrified villages.
He also addressed employment creation with key initiatives such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', and 'Start-up India'- all of which have made lot of sound overseas. His biggest reform is the Goods and Services Tax. Touted to be the most important reform to be undertaken since Independence, the GST will subsume all indirect taxes to create one rate and integrate the country into a single market. Once kick-started, it will replace at least 17 state and federal taxes and bring them under a single unified tax structure. There are other social initiatives too, like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana', 'Swachch Bharat', and 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana'. Most of his initiatives are for the betterment of women, and the poor.
His most aggressive economic move, however, remains last year's demonetisation of large currency notes. The public scrammed to their nearest ATMs, in a bid to withdraw as much cash possible to survive over the uncertain future.
Modi addressed the country on the evening of November 8, announcing the scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. He called it a step to root-out black money and fake currency in the system. What followed was months of utter chaos. With no currency circulating in the market, people pointed their fingers at the leader they elected. However, BJP had more than a singular agenda. It called it a boost towards digitisation. A step to make more online financial transactions. In six months, the government successfully profiled people by differentiating actual flow of money and undeclared money.
NaMo certainly rode to power riding on the 'Nationalist' horse. His image as a hardcore Hindutva nationalist has bugged not only the opposition, but also been the trump (and only) card played by his Left-wing criticisers. The PM, unfazed, continues to practice nationalism, giving it an image makeover, sliding it into the country ever so delicately, the public unknowingly began adhering to its principles. He made no bones about his belief in Hindutva, and in fact, took it to an international level. Modi returned India's long-lost glory. Bringing yoga and Sanskrit back to life on a global platform, making his temple visits a much-needed fodder for social media. What boosted it was his open yet dignified hostility towards Pakistan and Islamic terror.
The populist figure's shadow is such, it has turned his opposition into adversaries. The country now remains divided by a paper-thin line called nationalism. However, what constitutes it, nobody knows. Those unsupportive of Modi-led BJP are now sceptics, 'people who have no respect or love for their country'. Seculars. Even as gau-rakshaks continue their violent take-down on Dalits and Muslims, Modi remains silent. Triggering yet another debate- Is India walking towards a culture of majoritarianism? Our PM, meanwhile, thrives in his unapologetic nationalism.
