The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): BJP’s election manifesto for 2024 Lok Sabha polls is presentation of a romantic view of India’s future. It is a camouflage grandiloquence and guarantees given fall short of any specific commitment. It talked about “good governance” and left its meaning to be understood by imagination, and enumerated achievements in the last 10 years under prime minister Narendra Modi presenting a rosy picture of development in a bid to remove the trace of hard times people underwent in this period.
The very title of the manifesto is “Modi ki Guarantee 2024” with the chief slogan of the party on the cover page is “Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar”. Such a beginning of the manifesto smacks vanity of a person who goes on giving guarantees without any commitment of fulfilling them legally, and hence not reliable, and not enforceable. His “guarantees” are not even “warrantees” in legal parlance. The best one can say these mere promissory if we leniently comment, that may or may not be honoured by the promisor, and are mere “jumlas” if we critically comment as the opposition parties are commenting.
Nevertheless, Modi’s guarantees are given in 24 out of 25 chapters, and tiles of these chapters include “Modi ki Guarantee” (Modi’s Guarantee) while leaving their meaning to the imagination of the people. These are therefore vague, they only imply, not commit specifically, just to avoid embarrassment in case of failure, as in the past when government failed in generating employment in specific 2 crore numbers yearly, doubling farmers’ income by 2022, $5 trillion economy by 2025, and so on.
BJP’s election manifesto is just advertising for Modi, which uses “Modi” word 67 times in a document of 76 pages. It is a revelation of the fact how PM Narendra Modi has effected more centralization of power even within his own party, reducing a party’s manifesto to mere advertising brochure of PM Narendra Modi. It belies the claim of democracy within the party, that Modi has completely subjugated. The document is entirely the voice of Modi, barring two customary voices –one in the form of President’s Note by J P Nadda, and the other in the form of Sankalp Patra Note Raj Nath Singh.
The very title of remaining one chapter “10 Years of Good Governance and Vikas” (development) itself is boastful, and it enumerates the select achievements under Modi rule. The boastfulness actually begins with Shri Narendra Modi’s Letter to the Nation, in which he claims such a false thing as 25 crore people going out of poverty during his tenure, which no one can understand because the number of poor under the Food Security Act of 2013 and the Pradhan Mantri Gharib Kalyan Ann Yojna in 2024 remains the same at around 80 crore.
Lies are camouflaged in his words, and in the entire Document, of which the number of poor is a proof. PM Modi, in his letter to the nation, addresses as “Mere Priya Parivarjan” (my beloved family members). It is left for the imagination of the people to understand what the term really meant. During his last 10 years of rule, and even before, the numerous statements he had made which revealed many within the nation have not been his “beloved” and “family members”. He has been making communal statements, his actions have been ruthless against political and ideological adversaries. Governance at times have become tyrannical, but BJP’s manifesto calls it good governance.
PM Narendra Modi has said that their Sankalp Patra is more than just a collection of promises. The meaning is clear that BJP’s manifesto is really a “collection of promises” but not limited in itself to mere promises. He adds, it “outlines the collective aspirations and goals” of our nation, by our nation, and for our nation”. Thus, even in Modi’s assessment BJP’s manifesto is – Collection of promises plus outlines of collective aspirations and goals.”What will then be the status of “Modi’s Guarantees”? The very word “guarantee” loses its meaning.
PM Modi lied in his letter to the nation when he said, “As you have seen in the last ten years, it is Modi’s Guarantee that every promise made is fulfilled.” Has anyone listened him giving guarantees before 2023? As for the promises given earlier, people have already witnessed all are not fulfilled.
BJP President JP Nadda, talks about “Antyodaya” (rise of the most unprivileged) in his note as Party’s guiding light since its foundation, though the last 10 years of the Modi’s rule has seen rise of the capitalism – in which only 20 companies gaining 60 per cent of national wealth and 70 per cent of the national income. Where are the poor? 80 crore of them still depend on free foodgrains, over 97 crore can’t afford healthy food, and about 8 crore migrant workers are not given foodgrains on subsidized rate what to talk about given them free. It is clear that the BJP’s manifesto conceals frightening facts of people’s miseries and relies on only slogans, and talking big. Nadda has said, “the General Election 2024 will be crucial in defining the course of our country.”
Chairperson of the Manifesto Committee Rajnath Singh has taken pride in presenting “Modi Ki Guarantee 2024 Sankalp Patra” and hoped that “this document captures the essence of the aspirations of the 140 crore Bharatiyas”. He said, “This Sankalp Patra is the PM Modi’s guarantee that we will work tirelessly to realise your dreams and aspirations.” Here also it is left to the imagination of the people to understand.
There is only one general chapter that does not mentions Modi’s Guarantee. Under this chapter “10 Years of Good Governance and Vikas” the first claim made was that “the last 10 years presented a Unique Model of Inclusive growth to the world”, which does not reflect the reality on the ground level where inequality has been rising sharply. If wealth and earnings have been concentrated on few hands, how it is inclusive? No one can really understand what the BJP’s manifesto means.
In this chapter, benefits given to poor families, is mentioned at the top. It talks about enabling Nari Shakti (women power), new opportunities to the youth, and reliefs given to farmers. Under the head “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” it talks about giving constitutional status National Commission for Backward Classes, obviously to pre-empt the impact of Opposition’s promise to have Caste Census and giving respective shares in fruits of development to 90 per cent of backward communities. BJP manifestos says that it gave 60 per cent of shares by giving ministerial posts to OBC, SC, and ST communities. It also talked about giving 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections of forward classes.
When some particular communities are being branded as breeding terrorists, it is important to note that BJP’s manifesto claims about “zero major terror attacks in any city since 2014” under the head “Surakshit Bharat”. It mentioned revoking of Article 370 and 52 per cent reduction in Left-Wing Extremism, and 71 per cent reduction in insurgency in the North east.
Construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is mentioned under the subtitle “Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi” (Both Heritage and Development) along with renovation of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ujjain Mahakal Temple, and Kedarnath Temple among others. It signalled Hindutva as against secular democratic ethos of the country to consolidate Hindu votes. These are some to the indirect reference to communal politics of the party, since what a secular government has to do with religious activities, especially of the majority community?
BJP’s manifesto also talked about economic development, social welfare, and India’s rising stature on the Global Stage, merely as a camouflage to conceal frightening realities of hardship of the people, and then goes with Modi ki Guarantees in every chapter. It included guarantees for poor for free foodgrains, but does not give them guarantee of decent work. Should the people must be reduced to beggarly existence, with only this or other welfare schemes mentioned in the manifesto? Given decent jobs, people can live much better, why this guarantee is missing?
There are many guarantees for the middle-class, and assurance of giving them all opportunities for better living, better jobs, better education, better healthcare, and so on. There is a guarantee for enabling women power as equal partner and stakeholder in societies progress, but no specific guarantee of 50 per cent of opportunities. All are vague.
Similar is the case with guarantee for youth. It talks about National Education Policy, but not National Employment Policy. It talks about ensuring employment policy but no guarantee for decent jobs to all hands, as PM Modi has given promise during 2014 election campaigns, but failed. Other section given guarantees are –senior citizens, farmers, fishermen, workforce, MSMEs, small traders, among other.
BJP’s manifesto also gives guarantee for well defended India, both internally and externally, but is such a language that may be provoking for the enemies of the country within and without. The document talked about surgical strike or action against terrorism, but fortunately in less barbaric language than we have recently heard BJP leaders using, such as “ghar me ghus kar mara, and marenge”(killed them on their turf, and do the same in future). How it is wrong can be understood in the background that India has been recently alleged and criticized for plotting assassination in other countries.
The manifesto also gives guarantee for CAA and UCC to consolidate of Hindutva politics and Hindu majority votes in its favour, apart from developing religious cultural sites, holistic development of Ayodhya, preservation and study of Bharatiya Manuscripts, establishing Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh, strengthening Swadesh Darshan Programme etc.
Under good governance, Modi’s guarantee includes combatting corruption, and portraits opposition as corrupt. It means, suppression of opposition leaders and political parties is to continue. PM Modi has said in his letter to the nation that they will “further intensify” “battle against corruption”. BJP’s ultimate guarantee is developed India by 2047, which in itself is not “guarantee” in legal parlance but only a hoodwinking of electorate, as it is merely an expression of aspiration and a goal as PM Modi has himself stated in his letter published in the BJP’s manifesto. (IPA Service)
By Dr. Gyan Pathak