There is a famous Roman saying, ‘If you can’t give them
bread, give them circuses” fits more on Modi than any other leader in the
democratic world.
Howdy Modi in Houston (USA) was another circus like on going circuses
in India since 2014; Ram Mandir, Cow Protection, Namami Gange, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Yoga Day, abolition of Article 370,
etc. by PM Modi to divert attention from
the rapidly sinking India; financially, industrially, militarily, morally and
ethically.
Modi has become master in the art of organizing multi million
dollar extravaganza circuses as a political leader. The 2 year long circus (Presidential
style campaign) prior to his becoming PM of India in 2014 costing over Rs.
30,000 crore called “Achey Din Aaney Wale Hai” "Abki
Baar Modi Sarkar" (Good
Days are coming because Modi government is coming!) With 185 shows in 295 constituencies; Modi promises “Sabka Saath
Sabhka Vikas” (Collective Efforts, inclusive Growth). In reality under Modi, the
share of the wealth of the richest 1% has increased to 73% in 2018, from 49% in
2014 and now they owns 85% of the nation’s wealth. In the name of “Achey Din Aaney Wale Hai” India
now stands 103rd from 55th in 2014 on the Global Hunger Index along with
Nigeria and has been categorized as a country with ‘serious’ levels of hunger.
Again this Circus was revived prior to 2019 elections under
the banner of unfulfilled promises “Sabka Saath Sabhka Vikas” made in 2014 with
a very heavy dash of Hindutva because of the massive job losses, hunger,
poverty, massive non performing loans with banks & closures of numerous
businesses under Modi’s 5 years of rule. All the government machinery,
corporate money, massive cash from dubious sources and 95% media were at Modi’s
disposal. Modi was instrumental in giving party ticket to
known communal, criminals, rapist, bomb makers and terrorist accused. Modi won the elections with a bigger
margin than 2014! According to ADR, Modi inducted 22 criminals in his
new cabinet of Ministers.
After winning again in 2019; Howdy Modi is
Modi’s first circus in a foreign country and 4th in USA since 2014.
Modi the star campaigner for himself & those who support him had a shock of
his life when he got a hard slap from US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer indirectly
rejecting his style of functioning and his vision for India. Modi who is used
to of bashing rather abusing Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and first PM
Jawahar Lal Nehru in his all political rallies; was forced to learn history of
India and how the foreigners look at India.
Steny Hoyer
said, “India, like America, is proud of its ancient traditions to secure a
future according to Gandhi’s teaching and Nehru’s vision of India as a secular
democracy where respect for pluralism and human rights safeguard every
individual.” He also recalled that Nehru on the eve of Independence had spoken
of Gandhi’s ambition “to wipe every tear from every eye” and that “as long as
there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.” "In
that sense, the work of our countries is not over."
A
shameless and self praising Modi after that spoke in 8-10 Indian languages, “All is well in India”. He is Promoting Transparency, Public
Participation & anti corruption by Gutting the Right To Information,
turning the CBI & ED into agencies that gives Free Ride to the politicians
& corporates that are on his side of the political divide!
As per
the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) of the National Sample Survey Office
(NSSO). The Worker Population Ratio in India from 49.9% in 2014 stands at a
record low of 46.8%. Employment Rate of 50.80% in 2012 and is now at
a record low of 46.80% in 2018. The unemployment is 6.1% with 31 million
unemployed is highest in 45 years.
Recent Gallup survey revealed
a big decline in the percentage of Indians who rate their lives positively
enough to rate it as "thriving" since Modi assumed office. “Beginning in 2015, rural Indians began reporting
increased difficulty paying for food.” More than one in four rural Indians
(28%) reported not having enough money to pay for food at some point that year
(compared with 18% of urban Indians who reported the same hardship).”
India Tops the
Global Charts in; Malnourishment, Blindness, Diabetes, Leprosy, Environmental
Pollution, Traffic Accidents and Suicides by Farmers. Lags behind; Bangladesh
in Human Development Index, Nigeria in Global Hunger Index, Sudan in Human
Capital Score, & Pakistan in GDP Growth Rate.
GDP
from over 8% in 2014 has fallen to below 5% in real terms. According to RBI, GNPAs
of banks (bad loans) have gone up from Rs 2.63 lakh crore in March 31, 2014 to Rs 10.39 lakh crore as of
March 31, 2018. A nearly four-fold increase under Modi regime.
According to Modi, Still “All is well in India”!
Modi all
these years as PM of 1.35 Billion Indians has miserably failed to understand
that “Leaders are defined by what they do, not how much they talk and how well
they dress up”. After the euphoria, showmanship, theatrics and symbolism at
Howdy Modi; when Modi landed in New York for country’s business, despite
calling Trump his close buddy and acting like his campaign manager with
Indian’s money at Howdy Modi failed to get the Indo-US bilateral Trade deal
signed. India had been expecting reinstatement to the Generalized System of
Preferences, under which it gets better access to the US market, which was
revoked in June this year. This also never materialized, This means that nearly 2,000 products, including auto
products and textiles, and up to $5.6 billion in Indian exports can no longer
enter the United States duty-free. As a consolation prize; Trump crowned
Modi as Elvis Presley and Father of India knowing it too well
that Mahatama Gandhi is the Father of the Indian Nation since its birth.
Pathetically Modi accepted both the Titles awarded to him by his close buddy
Trump without raising any objections.
The worst is Modi
failed to get Trump’s statement that “Kashmir is India’s internal matter”.
Rather Trump made a statement that India and Pakistan should sought out Kashmir
issue amicably. Also he again retreated his past statement that if both leaders
of India and Pakistan agrees, “he is willing to mediate on the issue of
Kashmir.” That makes “Kashmir” bilateral issue rather than internal issue of
India. Saudi Arabia that was supporting India till Feb. 2019 on Kashmir,
supported the resolution of OIC that represent 57 states on 9-25-19 calling on India to “rescind” its actions revoking
Article 370 in criticizing the government’s actions there. In
2017 Saudi’s conferred the highest Civilian Award to Modi during his Riyadh
visit. In early 2019 Saudi Prince MSB called Modi his elder brother during his
visit to India! It’s the biggest
Diplomatic failure for Modi in the
international arena.
Modi must stop doing
circuses in foreign countries; a new rather vulgar trend he started in 2014 is
hurting India & NRI’s image in the world. Many Indian PM have visited USA many
times in the history, yet they keep expenditures in mind. After all the Indians
pay taxes for their expenditures. PM
Nehru’s visit to the US in Nov. 1949: without
any special PR campaign, NRI crowd management or hyped-up media publicity a large crowd of Americans not Indians only gathers at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison to listen to his speech. Now, 50,000 Indian / Indian origin dead souls gathered to
hear Narendra Modi’s blatant lies in a multi million dollar circus sponsored
by Modi’s Indian corporate friends & NRI rich supporters and Indian
taxpayers in Houston. Entire mainstream Indian media & blind followers of
Modi are calling it as a huge success and Modi’s greatest accomplishment. Modi & his supporters can not change the
history that Jawaharlal Nehru remains the only Indian Prime Minister to be
greeted on arrival at the airport by a US President —and it happened twice:
President Harry S Truman in 1949 & President John F Kennedy in 1961 both
received him off the plane.
Howdy Modi rather “Rowdy Modi” was not even Howdy India. Modi
has impaired vision of secular democracy
where respect for pluralism and human rights for every individual is safe
guarded by the state. He has failed miserably on this account. Even his vision
of Hinduism is impaired because Religious texts and History can not be read and
understood in dreams. By hosting Modi in
Houston; the
Indian-American organizers have insulted Houston; an inclusive city where every
4th person is an immigrant, with 145
languages, 70 countries menus & people from more than 100 countries are
living in peace and harmony. Majority of these financially successful
NRI’s still feel as they are 2nd grade citizens of America. The only
way they can have lime light to boost their ego is by posing with corrupt
leaders of India in USA and getting garbage civilian awards from India. The
same type of politicians in the first place forced them to leave India because
of their impaired vision of Democracy, Freedom and corruption free governance.
Dave Makkar
Social & Political
Activist
THE INDIAN PANORAMA NEWS
Sep. 27, 2019
New York, USA
