The two best mornings every year to visit Old Delhi are 26 January and 15 August. If you live in Delhi, go to Old Delhi soon after the Prime Minister ends his address from Red Fort. Take the metro. Old Delhi is all shut down. Its streets, usually with no room to walk, are all yours. On 15 August people fly kites from their terraces, on 26 January they fly pigeons. Just wave at them and ask them to let you join, and they will, entertaining you with chai and stories.
Independent India turns 72 tomorrow. Patriotic songs and the booming voice of PM Narendra Modi from the ramparts of Red Fort will reverberate through your smartphones. There will be the customary verbal attack on Pakistan, the customary reiteration of false hopes and the announcement of a new scheme, a new project, kite-flying of another sort.
Yet, this is not an Independence Day full of hope. We might as well fly kites since that is all we will soon be able to do as India’s clouds turn dark and ominous.
This is not a happy or hopeful time to be Indian. You can pretend otherwise and the mammoth propaganda machinery of the government will help you live in la-la land. If you do fly kites, you won’t be able to ignore the dark clouds.
India’s economic slowdown is so severe now that even data fudging is not hiding it. It is so bad that corporates have started speaking up despite fear of government retribution. And it is so bad that the Modi government has only one option: to further damage India’s social fabric and erode democracy.
Also read: Partition unified India in 1947, nationalism of today is slowly disintegrating us
Falling in a ditch
Jealous of China’s turnaround at supersonic speed, Indians used to assure themselves that we are a democracy. India’s elephant-like slower but democratic pace of success was better. But are we really a democracy today?
In 2014, many Indians felt they needed a strongman at the helm for economic growth and progress, even if that meant overlooking his Hindutva ideology and not-so-great fondness for democratic values.
Instead of taking India out of ‘policy paralysis’, Narendra Modi has taken it into a ‘structural slowdown’. This is what falling in a ditch looks like – and no one can hear your cries for help.
Economy and democracy were never in contest, because we need both. But for those who thought we could have at least one, which one do you have today?
We have a media more loyal to our great leader than even Doordarshan. One manufacturing sector that was flourishing in India, cars, is grinding to a halt – 3.5 lakh jobs lost and counting. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah will soon ask many of us to prove our grandfathers were Indian. What part of this makes you full of hope this Independence Day?
Opposition leaders are in jail in Kashmir, reminiscent of the Emergency, and incomes have stagnated so starkly that consumers are thinking twice even before buying a Rs 5 biscuit. What exactly are we proud of today, democracy or progress?
Democracy is not elections alone. Democracy is also institutions and values. Democracy is a free press, not one tamed through bullying of media owners. Democracy is an upper house of Parliament that keeps the lower house’s excesses in check, but the BJP will make one opposition leader after another resign in the Rajya Sabha to make Parliament even more meaningless than it already is. Meanwhile, you would think that at least the BJP’s buddy Baba Ramdev’s business must be doing well. Nope.
Also read: From US to India, the world is unravelling. Do not delude yourself this is a temporary blip
NRC is the new Make in India
Fake news will make sure the BJP government’s supporters have no reason to doubt it. Everything is fine in Kashmir, the economy is doing well, and our leader is doing survival TV shows. India was supposed to benefit from the US-China trade war, but once again, it is Southeast Asia that will take away all the orders. Meanwhile, Modi and Amit Shah are busy ‘taking in’ MLAs in Sikkim. There should be no opposition left. One India, one party, one leader, one state, one collapsing economy.
The BJP can keep winning election after election. What’s the big deal in winning elections when there’s no opponent? It’s like winning a one-man race. Just that the economy doesn’t work like that.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets the BJP’s social media troll army, because that is how the economy will be managed. Meeting industry stakeholders comes later. As Arun Shourie famously said, this government’s management of the economy is all about headline management. The details hidden inside the interview with Shourie should have been alarming, but the Modi government is not alarmed.
In New India, entrepreneurs are joining farmers in committing suicide because of economic distress. The Modi government is planning an investor summit in Jammu & Kashmir to address the security challenge it has created by humiliating 8 million people into submission.
Also read: How Indian secularism could still be saved
There will soon be Ram Mandir and uniform civil code, says Ram Madhav. He might as well have added, “That is what we meant by Achhe Din!” The NRC is the new Make in India. Article 370 is the new Smart City scheme. Uniform Civil Code will be the new Skill India. The only consistency between Modi 1.0 and 2.0 will be lynching of Muslims and no, they won’t enact a law against lynching.
There is no light at the end of the tunnel. This economic slowdown is not cyclical, but structural. India needed millions of new jobs that won’t come, but will instead lose millions of jobs that it had. As people’s discontent rises, they will be given the Hindutva lollipop to stay calm. It is difficult to remember the last time when the India story looked so devoid of hope.
Views are personal.
Throughout the essay by Mr. Vij, I read every possible criticism thrown at the current government. All because of an economic slowdown that the automotive sector in India is currently seeing. There was no mention of the serious measures and stimuli the government is attempting to introduce. Off course, that is to be expected of the author since it is inconvenient to talk about such measures.
It was as inconvenient for the author to talk about, inter alia, successful inflation control, zero nepotism, zero scams, transparent processes, simplification of procedures & ease of doing business, increased transparency in governance, decisive policy making & implementation, and a visible increase in the accountability of government officials & bureaucrats.
India has seen economic slowdowns earlier and this will surely not be the last one. History tells us that economies world over move in cycles. Only a holistic review will enable a truly balanced assessment. Ask and a majority of Indians will tell you that they feel more safe, secure and proud as Indians than they ever did earlier. National pride is not just about the amount of money handling in one’s pockets but also about equality, fairness, transparency and respect for all. I would be happy to see Mr. Vij eat humble pie when we sees with time that India has been transformed under the current leadership into a strong, healthy, prosperous, robust, disciplined and compassionate nation which lives in harmony but brooks no nonsense and knows how to deal with our enemies with decisive firmness. I was never more proud to be an Indian that I am today. Jai Hind!!
According to many pressitutes , every thing is okay, if India is ruled by corrupt dynasty. And when the voters of India punish the corrupt dispension and out-vote them , they start weeping and chest-thumping. This writer is one among them. He is so colour –blind that he can not see the rainbow of growth enlightening the sky of India which was darkened by earst-while dynasty.
Thanks for your ‘analysis’. People respect your views when you also offer solutions; otherwise, you become part of the problem. What is your ‘final solution’ to solve India’s core problems?
– Stop elections and leave the country to intellectuals, such as yourself?
– Get rid of Modi and Shah because they are ‘conspiring’ against the country?
– Give the country back to UPA or other Mahaghatbandhans that cropped up and vanished?
– Follow USA (where income inequality has reached epic proportions) or UK ( which can’t decide which way it wants to go with EU) or China (less said the better).
WHAT IS YOUR F***ING SOLUTION, you moron?
What is your fu***ng point Bhaktard? That because the writer is not providing a solution the article is untrue, or that that justifies bigotry and jingoism, you epitomize the malaise ofIndia today…..’ there is no wrong or right, you are either with us or against us’. Effing binary simpleton, bottle cap!
No. Don’t agree with lynchings etc. but I am well read and intelligent enough to understand all this. So, now I have understood this, now what. Just understanding the problem and not doing about it amounts to the same thing. Give the voters some options and solutions. Left has gone extreme left and right has gone extreme right. Most people are in the center but where are the options???
I hear you Shivam. But this reality you wrote about is water off ducks backs. The people who voted for this govt is really not bothered about economy. They just want to mitigate their victim complex and jealousy ( of the more good looking and desirable Muslim men) by outsourcing their hatred to elected goons. And they have succeeded.
Today the people of India are paying the price for uncontrolled population growth. Politicians will not talk about it even if the situation goes from bad to worse. That is understandable. But why is the media silent on the threat to the nation from exploding population, a majority of whom will be in the “poor” category and perennially in need of subsidies and state support? India’s gargantuan population is the root cause of her problems. Even now it is not too late. The Govt can offer handsome incentives to couples to undergo sterilisation after one or two children on all India basis. Within a span of ten years, we would be reversing population growth.
First, stop with this “India’s population growth” narrative. Population explosion is happening in cow belt states. These states also dont contribute to the GDP much but live like parasites on the earnings of productive states like the South. So deal with these states or they will drag all of us down. Second, we had good economic growth during UPA despite burgeoning population. The growth stopped after Modi took over. So look at the root cause instead of trying to point fingers elsewhere.
Shivam, I think you need to get laid. Otherwise, go see a shrink.
Your claims in the article are so beautifully justified by the deluge of bile being spewed in the comments. I am so glad we have writers like you who do not mince any words in stating the truth about this country. It is very ironic that the same business sector that were so gunging ho about Modi and pumping crores and crores of rupees into the BJP coffers are now facing the brunt of this absolute inept regime. I feel exactly the same as you. It is a dark time for this country and if like-minded Indians, who share a common sense of basic decency don’t start pushing back, nothing much can happen. But decency seems to be such a rare commodity in the new India.
Shivam Vij must be inserting a clause in his journalistic assignments agreement that payment for the article would be made in spite of all the negative comments on poor quality analysis and/or biased opinions. That said, for sure Vij doesn’t read the comments because otherwise he would stop writing.
Wow what a positive article on the eve of Independence day. These naysayers and prophets of doom should spend some time in China Pakistan, Syria and experience the lively cultural and religious freedom. Frankly the new India does not give a rat’s a.r.s.e to your left liberal Hindu baiting propoganda.
Shivam Vij joins a select list of negative commentators on contemporary India, like Happymon Jacob and N.Ram of The Hindu, Soutik Biswas of BBC.
Shivamji if you continue with this negative tirad. Against IN, you might be getting branded as a India hater.
With most channels turning Door Darshan, it is time to shut down DD or merge with Republic TV whose contents are already used by DD.
congratulation Mr Viz for the Article
If I have to add anything , it is that the so called victims of Emergency 0f 1975 (which was wrong of course) has been doing the same things albeit so subtly that no well realizes(may be that is what they learnt, what not to do and how to do )
sometimes reminds of Germany just before world war 2
with identical set of people with exactly same qualities taking the country in exactly same direction
PS: Like the article also for the way all the issues were inter linked with such a nice and simple Satire
_ A First for me from you
thanks and regards
Well said!
Your view about the media being more loyal to the Government than even DD is absolutely false. It is the other way round. There is a concerted attempt being fed by Congress and such opposition parties to vilify and crucify Modi on patently false allegations. Congress, under Rahul had taken on a on a one point agenda of only maligning whatever Modi spoke or did. Worse, Rahul personally led an extremely abusive and mocking campaign against Modi. He may have toned it down a little after the 23rd May deluge, but his Congress leaders are still going on and on.. And the media NEVER questions their facts, or the lack of them.
This newspaper has so many India haters. Jyoti malhotra is another. Many of the sacked employees from NDTV joined this paper.
Mr vij.
Very one sided article. And you don’t seem to have any solutions. Even neutrals can’t digest your doomsday prophesizing.
Pls write more constructively.
Thanks
Let this author go and live in Pakistan for six months and realise first hand what freedom is.
Amazing on how selective choice of facts with a dribbling of malacious opinions to flavour content has been used by liberals to colour the thoughts of Indians. Name one economy that is growing these days and one country where rabid swearing is allowed even when the whores cry whorse
Shivam Vij- go see a Psychiatrist
He needs a wife.
please convey the same message to the RIGHT person also
Shivam- When we have ferocious opposition people like you, why do we need political parties in the opposition? Let them join BJP and you be the voice of millions of hopeless Indians who cant see anything other than dark clouds everywhere. Your article is a brilliant piece of how to write with upmost vengeance and put anything together to make a story. It is true that economy is in trouble, partly in line with other economies of the world but mostly due to lack of bold visionary steps to bring about structural reforms. But your wreaking vengeance will not help, as you can not bring any other alternative to Modi. So relax, enjoy 15th Aug, play real kites on your building terrace and leave Modi alone to do his job.
Mr. Vij. Now that you know what is wrong in this country, why don’t you suggest solutions for all that’s happening in this country.
For a human hope is everything, he lives for hope. You seem to lost all hope. If there is nothing working in this country, why is it only people of your ilk beating their breast.
As long as people like you find all wrong happening since 2014, there will be many feeling otherwise.
Why did he get voted, if everything was hunky dory for all eternity and suddenly universe collapsed on people like you.
People like you suffer from selective amnesia. Only wannabes and copy cat leftists, who ruminate on what few journalists and so called keepers of collective conscience of India regurgitate every now and then, think now this is end of world.
Do you even have a solution for anything you raise. You sound like sour puss and a die hard pessimist, whose whole life is sad.
Instead of wasting precious print, why don’t to start working on a small aspect which troubles you, have an expertise and try rectifying it, I guess all sane persons will join you. If intellectual masturbation is your only skill, you are better off with no hope.
Honestly, Indians are sick of these gloom/doomsters! Indian democracy is fine and evolving like any other democracy in the world .. it goes through different emotions at a given time .. writers like these are most un-democratic .. as democracy is about what people want. Today people want nationalistic agenda with appeasement politics thrown out. I am sure it will change in future and pendulum will swing back.. this is the beauty of democracy. Let it play.. I blame appeasement politics as much as BJP agenda with current mood of India .. believe in Democracy! It is un-democratic to start saying such things when your ideals are not in fashion..
Shivam vij, don’t project your visceral hatred for the ruling dispensation as a doomsday scenario.
Also, Are you qualified enough to make a blanket assessment that the economic slowdown is structural vs cyclical. Slowdown is a global phenomenon happening across the world currently. RBI economists says cyclical, even More prominent and proficient economists haven’t reached the conclusion. But you have.
It’s not Armageddon, calm down, don’t be so rabid, you’re frothing these days.
Cheers
It is possible to put up a brave face, claim that All is well. However, some of the most responsible people advising the government must realise how grim the situation has become. Some personnel and policy changes are required. That should start with the economic team. A decorative figurehead is an unaffordable luxury.
I am voting for Modi/BJP for the rest of my life.
Truth would be bitter so better hail Modi and say Modi is India, India is Modi. Please note new meaning of Defection is “smart” move. Election Commission in all probability would be rechristined as Defection Commission and every five years they would facilitate defection from one party to other instead of one nation one pool.
If Mrs.Gandhi had only worried about few hundreds of Sikhs in 1984 and not undertaken Operation Blue Star we will not be having the great Punjab and their brave people within India anymore. Same in 1971 if Mrs. Gandhi had not boldly fought the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 we would not be having Bangladesh today. Who cares now about the economic condition or secularism in those years?
About 1 billion Indians are just feeling relieved that finally a bold action has been taken in J&K after 72 years of continuous bleeding and about to celebrate their 72nd Independence Day peacefully and people like this author talk of doomsday for India.
Mixing happenings in economy, law & order, politics etc., into one kichadi article like this without analyzing the causation for those situations and just projecting a hopeless future for India does not show the author in good light and it surely affects the intellectual quotient of this magazines authors.
First bread, then the circus. Too much ideology, even in domains like the economy and foreign policy, which require pragmatism and an unemotional pursuit of the national interest and the material well being of ordinary citizens. Compare India’s near parity with China in 1978 with the over 4 : 1 asymmetry that prevails today. The hyphen now back with Pakistan. ASEAN far ahead, even Bangladesh edging past. SAARC a failed dream, some vague notions like BIMSTEC floating around. Not one complimentary article in the western media. Indians are a patient people, filled with fortitude and resilience. Those virtues are being put to the test.
This writer is a sad, depressed, lonely and disturbed person and needs help. Do you have an employee well-being programme, Shekhar Gupta?
The feeling is Mutual
regards
First, its not all doom and gloom. Yes there are valid concerns about the economy and farmer distress which need to be properly addressed by the government. But the Modi government is doing the right things to tackle the long standing Kashmir [Jammu+Ladakh] issues. Focus needs to move from talking points to implementation, especially on the manufacturing sector. Not much talk on ‘Make in India’ these days and the opposition are completely useless when it comes to highlighting these issues. To me, the most critical concern is that the opposition is hapless, which hands BJP+ a massive advantage. ‘Kidhar jayanege ye log’ – ‘Modi nahi to phir kaun’ etc. A strong and effective opposition is crucial to holding government accountable and keeping the heat on them, this is totally null and void now.
This guy is a virulent India hater. Nasty fellow.
India has significantly reduced poverty. India has peacefully conducted democratic elections, sent a mission to Mars.
Convince others why your left wing politics is better for everyone.
Mr Shekar Gupta
Fire this guy and give him hope.
Maybe all of India belongs on Mars….world would be better off without the ‘tards!
Even If I agree with all your views, i will vote only for BJP for next 10 years, because of one simple reason which a common man of India can understand.
If removing Article 370 and dividing Jammu & Kashmir state into two union territories is going to deteriorate the conditions in J & K and India, then Pakistan should be happy and should support this decision. But what is happening now ?
Team 1 : Pakistan is crying. Congress Party is crying, Communists are crying. Pseudo Secularists are crying.
Team 2 : All Indians are Smiling. RSS and BJP are smiling.
Now tell me, you want me to vote for Team 1 or Team 2
Vij Sahab – Your are churning out articles on an industrial scale. Please get out of your air-conditioned cabin and talk to ordinary people on street.
Can you prove the govt news is fake?why do you have to spew so much venom?
Will you not scold/beat your child if its fallen to bad company and failing to mend ways?what is wrong in maintaining curfew for those people who seemed to be strongly against Indians?