Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest edition of the 'Mann Ki Baat' fell short of facts, just like his political speeches are often guilty of. However, the only difference here was this the elected Prime Minister's official address to the nation, which is expected to have a semblance of credibility and respect for facts. On the occasion of the ‘Constitution Day’, PM Modi invoked the memory of Dr. BR. Ambedkar, but the plight of Dalits and Adivasis in Gujarat exposes the PM's mere lip-service. Atrocities against Dalits in Gujarat have risen by 31% between 2015 & 2016 alone, making the state stand among five worst states for Dalits. The Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) Budget allocation stands at a mere 2.67% of the total budget, lowest allocation to SCSP since 2010-2011. Mr. Modi also urged the countrymen to respect the ideals of the Constitution. But such a statement only reveals the double-standards of the PM and his administration. According to reports, 97% of lynching murders by cow vigilantes have come after 2014. Religious minorities are under seize as they consisted 86% of the 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents. There is an absolute disconnect between what the PM preaches and what the acolytes associated with the BJP practice. It is almost like a case of Mr. Modi playing the "good cop, bad cop" act, to keep the media in good humour.
Further, on one hand, the PM celebrated the Naval command’s legendary contributions in 1971 & the liberation of Goa, while on the other hand, grievances of armed forces personnel remain ignored, the longstanding appeal for reforms in the Sahayak system continue to go unheard. Instead, having diluted the spirit of the OROP through poor implementation, demands of ex-servicemen for annual review, the base year change and release of Reddy Commission Report on OROP seems to be stuck in a limbo. If this wasn’t enough, the Defence Minister has our soldiers cleaning roads and guarding high profile weddings.
Coming to agriculture, there is no better mirror than the rise in farmer suicides in Gujarat and the country as a whole. The number has increased by a shocking 42% between 2014 and 2015, revealing the severe agricultural distress, rising debts and falling incomes of the small farmers, a far cry from fulfilling the promise “doubling farmers income”. Data released by National Crime Records Bureau states that 80% of farmer suicides are due to debt from banks. Mr. Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ speeches which glorify the agricultural situation of the country is nothing short of blatant treachery.
PM Modi also went on to praise the accolades achieved by the differently abled of the country. Their recent achievements in sports and other activities are nothing short of remarkable. However, the common products used by them, such as braille paper, wheelchairs find no exemptions under the tax policy(GST) of the Modi government. Furthermore, not one episode of “Mann Ki Baat” goes without the PM celebrating the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan”. However, the reality is different. The failures of the SBA can be seen across the board: from the World Bank canceling their loans to the majority of people still defecating in open to the shoddily constructed ‘out of service’ toilets built under it. As things stand, the promise of making India open defecation free by 2019 looks farfetched.