BJP government’s agenda must shift towards development and away from corporate-friendly reforms and incentives and selling off public sector institutions. Moreover, rising of ‘Sensex’ is not an indicator of country’s well-being, not in our country. Of nearly 136 crore population we have, only about 3.7 per cent invest in equities, compared to about 12.7 per cent in China, according to stock depository data in March this year. And, for the record, in the U.S.A., about 55 per cent of the population owns stocks either individually or through a mutual fund.
Modi’s government must abandon the narrow political dogma and expediency of catering to their corporate cronies and market movers.
Instead, it should focus on prudence, austerity and rejuvenating rural economy. Because it constitutes nearly half of our national income. As per the 2011 Census, 68.8 per cent of the country’s population and 72.4 per cent of workforce resided in rural India. Despite the rise of urbanisation, more than half of India’s population is projected to be rural even in 2050. Thus, growth and development of rural economy and population are a key to overall growth and inclusive development of the country.
The next important question is whether we are prepared to seize the future under his government. Do we have the policies and the physical infrastructure in place to satisfy this new, geometrically expanding demand for digitization in virtually all that we do? The answer, regrettably, is an emphatic no. We are constricted by the lack of universal access to new technologies, especially to our vast rural population.
Internet penetration rate in India was around 45 percent in January this year with around 63 crore people having access to it. Which means 55 per cent of our country’s population failed to receive advantages of digitisation. In contrast, 65.2 per cent of Chinese, 90 per cent of Americans, 75 per cent Brazilians, and 50 per cent Nigerians have access to internet as per https://datareportal.com. Moreover, internet penetration in our rural areas is exactly half that of the urban India.
Progress isn’t so much a straight line of relentless propagandist drumbeat and the shibboleth that the BJP does. It is not obliterating heritage and history. It is a complex jigsaw puzzle – finding the right fit and making the right choice in the interest of the nation. Choices made during crises shape the future of any nation. In India, what will remain critical is the need for responsible collective action by all citizens of India and all opposition parties together as opposed to the pseudo-jingoistic opportunism of a particular political party and its handful of corporate cronies.
There’s no going back to the status quo ante.
(IPA Service)
Views are personal
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