Media comments are noteworthy!
They say fine to the PM’s long term vision. But the short-term is challenging. Two highlights of the PM’s speech were GST and demonetisation. Fine, fine. But then are there only two critical issues for sustained economic growth?
We believe that the government economist writers or input givers there are more challenging questions. What we have achieved so far, in three years. Sustained growth or hesitant growth?
Now for the other sectors, there is not only no clear road map, for education, health and social security etc. There is also no clear road map for other more critical challenges. How to combat corruption that has seeped into the system so seamlessly!
Only an institutional mechanism, LokPal, Lok Ayukta can solve or tackle the issues in a systematic manner. Also, the very many anti-corruption agencies?’
Are they free from blatant political interference? Let the public opinion pronounce on it. You see the recent very many raids by the CBI are seen to be targeted only on the Opposition leaders or the ones who might strengthen the Opposition unity.
This, the PM, must remove this misconception or the real motives behind the series of the raids. No, this won’t do for a mature democracy, the largest democracy in the world.
There is no point in playing with words as for the events like Quit India etc. Also, the RSS activities in Kerala are worrisome.
Please arrest the violence, the record of communal violence and those lost the lives are every blatant. Between January and May this year, points out the editorial in The Deccan Herald, 296 communal incidents! Data released by the Home Ministry in Parliament, these communal incidents cost 44 people dead and 900 others injured. Too much or too little?
So, there are reasons to worry why the PM didn’t say anything as to what the government would be doing. There are many other horrors, like the Gorakhpur children deaths, also in TN too there are reports from government doctors neglect at the Ambur government hospital, in Vellore district, because of doctors absent!
To add to the story is the TN government’s pleas to restore exemption from NEET exams. So, the Central Government and the top court were to be commended for not giving to political blackmail.
There are also issues of judicial independence and also judicial delays. What the common people think of the government’s achievements?
The media must be free to report and criticise. “I, me, myself” doesn’t make for a government. There is the media freedom and also the media fear!
Agriculture is a dear area where farmers’ have risen in protest, in Jaipur, Haryaya, Gujarat and in TN and also elsewhere. The land owning, middle level farming and dominant community, Jats, Patidars and TN farmers badly need freedoms to do their professions, buy, sell and invest and cultivate and start new agro-industrial ventures must be given the freedoms that keep up their social status in terms of the social hierarchy.
You can’t change the rural social transformation in a day. So, go slow but go in a realistic manner. The quota demand from Maharashtra gives an indication where the wind is blowing.
Be realistic and become socially tuned for a peaceful transition from a feudal economy to a largely urbanised agriculture sector. So too the many concessions and freedoms in the panchayat raj. Computerisation of land records and also the services of the lowest revenue officials can reduce corruption that in endemic in the system today.
So, modesty and self-effaced talk might convince more than any forced propaganda stick!