India’s current government is led by the Bharatiya Janta Party or the BJP. It is also the country’s largest national party. It was formed in 1980, though its origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was founded in 1951. The Jana Sangh was closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization that continues to play a significant role in shaping the BJP’s ideology.
The party first came to power at the center in 1996, but its government lasted only 13 days. It returned to power in 1998, forming a coalition under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. His tenure saw India conducting nuclear tests in 1998, economic reforms, and a focus on infrastructure development. However, the BJP lost power in 2004 to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The BJP made a historic comeback in 2014 by securing 282 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, with Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister. Major policy changes include the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 that criminalized triple talaq in India.
The government’s handling of several protests and crises has faced widespread scrutiny. The 2020–2021 farmer protests, which were sparked by the controversial farm laws that were later repealed, drew significant public attention, with criticism directed at the use of force and the management of the situation. Similarly, the government’s response to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests raised concerns over its handling of dissent, particularly the use of force. The BJP’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic also attracted criticism, especially regarding the lack of transparency around the death toll, shortages of medical resources like oxygen cylinders, and inadequate preparedness during the second wave.
Additionally, the ongoing inter-tribe conflict in Manipur, which erupted in 2023, has faced criticism for the government’s perceived failure to take adequate action, with accusations of poor crisis management and insufficient intervention in addressing the escalating violence.
1. Agricultural expert Devinder Sharma has said the truth. Our successive governments’ policies and programmes for farmers benefit belonging to top layer (roughly 15 % to 20 %) of rural households. 2. Many critics of BJP and NDA have said that decision as regards payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP) is just a political announcement, and farmers may not get anything from that decision. Is it true? 3. Is NDA government in any way different than UPA government when it comes to implementation of policies and programmes for farmers in our country? This is the most important question to be asked in context what Devinder Sharma says regarding MSP. 4. For discussion on subject of welfare of farmers I wish to refer to findings of a government agency–National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). A 2013 NSSO report says that farmers owning up to 1 hectare of land constitute 69.4% of total agricultural households in our country. This report says that these households’ monthly consumption expenditure is higher than their earnings from all sources, which means they are chronically in debt. Many rely on moneylenders, rich farmers and landlords to advance them the money needed for cultivation and they are often forced to sell their produce to these financiers at lower than market prices. In short, almost 70% of farming households are unlikely to be beneficiaries of the MSP hike. What these households require is job opportunities in lean season so that they can augment income. Unfortunately not one Central government till date, including PM Narendra Modi led NDA government has shown readiness to correctly interpret findings of NSSO and do something for 70 % of rural households. Farmers’ organisations too are least concerned about these households. This is the bitter truth and reality.