Writers' Protest and Hubris.
" Writers", says Keki N.Daruwalla, Poet & Author of many books, " don't have bricks, regrettably", and goes on throwing bricks made of words on the new government headed by Narendra Modi which is power only for the last 18 months. The words can wound more than the swords. And Daruwalla knows it.
He tells the government that there is a big task before the BJP and its parivar - that they are the guardians of the social fabric of the country, they have to build bridges between Hindus & Muslims, RSS and the Christians, Dalits & higher castes, believers and unbelievers. And then concludes " It is a tall order." Has the Congress which ruled India for 60 years has done the 'big task' ? He does not tell us. We all know the open secret. Congress has failed miserably. It is more interested more in the dynasty than development, and building bridges. It is good in dividing people and ruling the country. It is a past master in one community against the other.
Daruwalla refers to the murder of intellectuals and a Muslim because presumed to have consumed beef, which he says, " a planned premeditated murder if ever there was one." Now there is no need to investigate. I do not know whether he did the same when he was the police officer - coming to the conclusion based on newspaper reports.
He also states that the writers protest would have stopped if some minister had assured them that strict action would be taken. He was a police officer and would know that law & order is the state subject, and all this happened in the states ruled by the Congress, SP and Congress-NCP. He also knows that there is no functional autonomy to the police officials to nip such criminal acts in the bud. The police should be given power, manpower, equipment, and should be held responsible for law & order situation within their jurisdiction. I wish he and others had made strong case for this change.
However, all these intellectuals are holding the Modi regime for all these problems. Modi has come to power with a development agenda which he believes would help solve most of the problems of the country - discrimination based on caste and religion. That is how the telecom, scooter, car and other problems created by the socialist economy ( or scarcity economy) of the country were solved. He has initiated many programmes for the poor such as Jan Dhan ( some 15 cr. poor have a bank account now), pension and health insurance, Mudra Bank ( finance for the vegetable and fruit sellers, and other small businesses). His programmes such as 'Make in India' , 'Digital India' and 'Swachh Bharat' would create employment and wealth for the common people and change the face of India in a few years.
Modi has to be given five years to implement his policy of empowerment of the poor. He changed the face of Gujarat in 10 years. There is 24-hours of power and water in every village. Semi-arid state of Gujarat had agricultural growth of about 10 percent for 10 years. He can do the same for India.
I can understand the Congress and its friendly parties opposing the new government as his development agenda may put them in the dustbin of history. They have cheated the poor in these 60 years. Why should the intellectuals oppose the new government unless they are in league with the Congress ? Are they comrades-in-arm ? We, all those who voted for development, asking this question. His open essay does not answer this.
I was under the impression that intellectuals are very sensitive people and hear the wailings of 400 million people who are below the poverty line - which is around Rs.30 per capita - formulated by the Planning Commission. These millions heard the slogan 'garibi hatao' 45 years ago by Mrs.Indira Gandhi of the Congress. It has not fulfilled it all these years. Here is a man who has the experience of development, and promises skills and jobs, goes round the world to get investment to create employment. They don't want to give him the time to do his job. Who is full of hubris ? Modi or Congress ? Modi or Intellectuals ?
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/writers-protest-living-in-a-tragic-land-in-a-tragic-time
