‘Dismantling India’: A grim account of 4 years of Modi government
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(From right to left) Social activist Shabnam Hashmi, former diplomat and senior write Ashok Bajpai, senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, economist Arun Kumar, human rights activists John Dayal and Leena Dabiru at the launch of the repor, ‘Dismantling India’
Titled ‘Dismantling India’ and put together by a team of distinguished experts, the study complains about the failing economy, rising unemployment, atrocities against minorities under the BJP govt
A damning report scrutinizing the performance of the Narendra Modi government in its first four years was released on Saturday.
In last four years of Modi government, there have been 214 reported cases of attack on civil society and freedom of expression, 228 cases of attack on education and reported news around and more than 400 cases of Hate and Targeted Violence against Muslims.
Titled Dismantling India and put together by a team of distinguished experts, the study complains about the failing economy, rising unemployment, atrocities against minorities and Dalits, surge in sectarian violence and the state of law and order among other important issues under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) government. The document also gives a detailed account of critical happenings that have taken place in the country since 2014.
This report is 355 pages 29 writers have written 25 articles touching different aspect of Indian Society, from culture, economy to gender issues , media, judiciary, foreign policy defence etc.
Speaking at the launch of the report at Delhi's Constitution Club, economist Arun Kumar said that workers in the informal sector had bored the brunt of current government's economic policies. "The farmers are in distress. There are not sufficient jobs being created, affecting employment numbers. Demonetisation and then the poor roll out of the GST did further damage to the economy," said Kumar.
Speaking on the recent spate of mob lynchings across the country, Harsh Mandar rightly noted, “There is an atmosphere of fear being created in the country. Anybody can get killed by a mob. But the majority community is not affected by it. It is just the minorities”
He noted that the Prime Minister hadn't answered a single question in Parliament on demonetisation. "On top of everything, constitutional institutions are facing an existential assault," he said.
"The society has been polarised and India is being converted into a hate republic," said social activist Harsh Mandar, adding that even children were being brainwashed on religious lines.
Speaking on the recent spate of mob lynchings across the country, Mandar rightly noted, "There is an atmosphere of fear being created in the country. Anybody can get killed by a mob. But the majority community is not affected by it. It is just the minorities."
"My identity has been reduced to just being a Muslim woman," decried erstwhile Planning Commission's member Saeeda Hameed. "I have always seen myself as an Indian first," she said. Hameed said that she had been jolted to the core by the spreading of venomous hate and sectarian violence.
She slammed the government on its foreign policy, saying that the government had failed to protect its age-old alliances with neighbours such as Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, who were now drifting in China's camp.
"The Prime Minister is directly responsible for India's disastrous foreign policy," she said.
Jurist Usha Ramanathan mentioned the grave irregularities in implementing Aadhaar to convey how the Centre was hell-bent upon securing business interests. The rights, safety and comforts of the common citizen have completely been set aside.
Kavita Krishnan of Communist Party of India (ML) threw light on the anti-woman, anti-democratic aspect of the Modi government. The way the BJP leaders came out in support of the accused in Kathua rape case clearly reveals the government’s stance. “The BJP government is busy in dividing people and spreading hatred,” said Krishnan.
Shabnam Hashmi, who is one of the people to have brought out this report, said the report exposed the false claims of the Modi government. “The report consists of data indicating that the country has been thrown in the pyre of hatred and destruction,” she said.
