Namskar! At the very onset I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes to all on the occasion of Makar Sankrant. Sankrat symbolises transition, the beginning of Uttarayana, one of the distinct characteristics of our galaxy.India is undergoing a similar transition. In their unprecedented press conference, the Supreme Court judges appealed to the people of this country to save Democracy. The appealants are those who are expected to deliver justice to every common man and woman of this great democracy in the highest court of law. But even they have now appealed to the people of this country, the most powerful court of India. The world is watching these events as an angst of Indian democracy. At this time, we all have the responsibility to fight the decisive battle against this Manuwadi authoritarian regime. Starting today, this blog from me will be a small but determined part of this battle.Almost three and half years have passed since the people of this great country elected the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Next year, on this day, the election ball would have set rolling. But as a citizen of this nation, we must ask one critical question. What have we really achieved in the last three and half years? The manner in which Modiji’s call for ‘Acche Din’ was received by the people was astounding, but did the government subsequently show any respect towards the people’s sentiments?Last week, I happened to stumble upon a television interview of former Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha. He articulated in precise words, what not only me and my other colleagues within the NCP but millions of Indians have been feeling largely. He said, “Mandate of 2014 has been wasted completely.”In 2014, the country received its first government with absolute majority for the first time in the last 30 years. Following the murder of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi attained power with an unprecedented majority. It was this power which became the stepping stone for Rajivji’s vision to take India towards the 21st century, transforming it into a pragmatic powerhouse of the world. As a part of his vision he laid the foundation of the digital revolution in this country. Using this foundation, the Indian youth with their in-built hardworking capability and stubbornness projected India as an IT superpower to the world. This is called foresight and ingenious implementation of policies to fulfill the vision.What is in store for us today? Which vision did Modiji show with his massive public support of 2014? Which are the schemes that he introduced to propel India’s development?Let’s examine one of his schemes as an example. Make in India! The fact is that it has been nothing but only an announcement. I often visit Chakan industrial area in Pune district. Once upon a time, this area with bustling activity was well-known for the production of complex components for the automobile industry. Today, the deafening silence will take your breath away. Hundreds have lost their jobs. Medium scale industry, earlier working on double shifts, is closed. This is the real picture of Modiji’s Make in India. This is not Make in India, but ‘Brake’ in India. This government has applied brakes to India’s development.Agriculture is affected far worse than the industrial sector. Recently, I along with all my colleagues in the Nationalist Congress Party walked from Yavatmal to Nagpur, covering over 150 kilometers. This was a part of our ‘Halla Bol’ agitation against the government and its anti-people policies. Maharashtra has witnessed over 10,000 farmer suicides in the last 3 years. Sadly, Yavatmal tops the chart. Hundreds of citizens joined us at different stages of our protest. We witnessed the pink bollworm pest destroying the cotton crop and the state government’s absolute neglect. 37 farmers have lost their lives due to pesticides. This is horrible. And yet, no firm action has been taken against the responsible officers. We are seeing...
