In India, Social Justice vs. Autocracy

Honorable Dr Manmohan Singh ji,

Ghulam Nabi Azad ji,

Mallikarjun Kharge Ji,

Members of the CPP Executive,

Fellow MPs,

I will like to welcome you all at the meeting. The Congress Party helped in building the nation as this nation was constructed on the back of institutions as they were designed to be the voice of the people. Since RSS and the BJP have come to power, we have seen a systematic attack on every single one of our institutions. In modern India, these institutions were called temples of democracy and today RSS is intent in destroying every single one of them. Every single institution is being penetrated by their people and nature of institutions itself is being changed.

We are meeting here today at a time when the crisis of governance in India under the Shri Narendra Modi government—marked by corruption, total economic failure, incompetence and spread of social divisiveness—is at its peak. There is a rising tide of anger against the current ruling dispensation that calls upon all of us to work very hard to give the people of India the alternative they deserve—an alternative to the bogus promise of Modiji’s ‘Achche Din’.

Failed Government

In 2014, Narendra Modi Ji claimed if he was elected there would be:

· Creation of 2 crore jobs for youth a year;

· Doubling of farmer’s incomes

· Prosperity and growth for businesses

· The return of black money stored in Swiss banks

· 15 lakhs in the account of every Indian citizens

· Lowering of petrol prices

· Safety for women

· Justice for Dalits

In 2014 when he was elected, Modiji said India had been a slow ‘passenger train’ for seventy years after Independence and now under his guidance and rule the country would become a sleek and shining ‘Magical Train’ which is destined for ‘Achhe Din’. Give me your votes, said Modiji, and ‘I will take you on the best and most comfortable journey of your life’.

Four years of Modi Rule later, sadly, India today looks more like a train that is being driven to disaster by an autocratic, incompetent and arrogant driver, who does not care what happens to the passengers he is responsible for.

The People of India are demanding change. They will no longer be fooled by your Magical Train that is headed for a bad accident.

Attack on Farmers: Farmers around the country are agitating on the streets every day demanding better prices, loan waivers, infrastructure and other facilities. The much-hyped PM Fasal Bima Yojna turned out to be bonanza for Insurance companies who has amassed 13,000 Cr from farmers.

The MSP guarantee announced by the Modi government of providing 50% over costs has turned out to be a complete lie as it takes into account only paid out costs plus family labour’s imputed costs- which is significantly lower than the actual costs of production.

Farmers are being crushed by the huge burden of debt that the Modi Sarkar refuses to wipe out while it is happy giving debt waivers to large corporate houses who have looted Indian banks.

Unemployed youth—Youth are restless and discontent at the lack of opportunities to earn and live with dignity. Cabinet Ministers of this government are now publically saying there are no jobs.

The failure of Modiji to provide 2 Cr jobs a year would be laughable if not tragic consequences of his failure for Indian youth. Leave alone creating new jobs the reality is that existing jobs have been disappearing during his regime.

The unemployment rate in India has doubled between July 2017 and April 2018, whereas the number of jobs in the country in the last financial year 2017-18 also fell. According to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy the unemployment rate in the country almost doubled from 3.39% in July 2017 to 6.23% in March 2018, and is projected to reach even higher.

Attack on India’s Economy:

Wrong GST: Traders call in Gabbar Singh Tax. It has devastated their profit margins, markets, costs of operations, access to working capital and forced thousands of businesses to shut the shops. Our position is very clear. When we come to power, we will reform the current GST and simplify it.

DeMo- War on business: DeMo has wiped out two percent of India’s GDP, destroyed the informal labour sector and wiped out many businesses; it has led to job loss and has wiped out confidence in India’s economy.

And what is more Notebandi has neither curbed corruption, black money, counterfeit notes. Accordiing to the RBI the amount of currency notes in circulation in the Indian economy is 99% of what it was before demonetisation!

Few days ago the Indian rupee fell to its lowest point ever, past Rs 69 to the US dollar. Investors are stampeding out of India. Growth is declining. Bank credit to SMEs is negative in last 4 years.

Attack on Banking System: Gross NPAs have risen in the last four years from Rs 2.6 lakh crore to Rs 11 lakh crore and will rise more. Instead of getting the money back from the handful of industrialists who have looted over 8 lakh crores from the banks Modiji’s government is busy writing off these loans.

People like Nirav Modi have pocketed Rs 35,000 crore and run away from the country. Instead of catching this thieves like Nirav Modi or Vijay Mallya, Modi ji gave Mehul ‘Bhai’ Choksi a clean chit in Nov 2017, enabling him to obtain Antiguan citizenship. This ‘Bhai’ looted PNB of 13,000 Cr, before scooting from India.

Corrupt Govt—Rafale Scam: Corruption of Century

Modiji came to power on the claim that he would wipe out corruption in the country and provide a very clean government. The Rafale scam, involving over 1.3 lakh crores of public money and designed to bail out debt-ridden corporate cronies of Modiji is symbolic of the true ‘sanskar’ of this government—”Raam Naam Japna, Paraya Maal Apna”.

• Price of Planes Triples (3x)
• UPA: Rs. 526 crore per plane (Rs. 66,000 cr/126 planes)
• BJP: Rs. 1,670 crore per plane (Rs. 60,000 cr/36 planes)
• Offset Contract taken away from Experienced Govt. PSU HAL and given away to Anil Ambani Group
• Reliance Defence Ltd. Born Mere 10 Days Before Modi-Macron Agreement with Mere Rs. 5 Lac Share Capital

• Certificate of Incorporation: 28 March 2015

• Modi-Macron Announcement: 10 April 2015

Attack on the Weak:

Safety of Women/Children: ”Bahat hua beti par waar, ab ki baar Modi Sarkar” they said but we know what is the reality of rapes in India today. Reports of mass rape of little girls in Muzaffarpur, Bihar are horrifying. Lawmakers and leaders of BJP and NDA are protecting the culprits.

Women Reservation Bill: Bring it now in this session. Otherwise it will be just a piece of paper.

Lynching Culture: Anti-Social groups have no fear of law and police.

NRC Issue in Assam:

The most important and urgent issue before the nation today is the crisis created by the botched and insensitive implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh Ji to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985.

However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the centre and in the State of Assam has left millions of innocent citizens living in fear of being thrown out of their own land and country.

There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to 1,200 Cr, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis. It is the task of all members of the Congress party to help maintain peace and help all those against whom an injustice has been done in the draft NRC, no matter what their religion, caste, gender, linguistic group or political affiliation.

Our Responsibility:

The people of India are looking up to the Congress and its allied parties to help remove the Modi government and replace it with one which will listen to them, understand their problems and provide solutions that reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality in the country.

In other words, there is a great responsibility that is being placed on all of us today, to win this historic struggle between the forces of democracy and social justice versus those of autocracy and social hierarchy.

We have to ensure that the forces of hate, division and violence that are trampling upon the Constitution of India are prevented from coming back to power. We have to restore hope in the eyes of the Indian farmers and youth, about their right to dignified life and decent incomes. We have to give relief to ordinary families being crushed under the dual burden of household debt and rising prices of essential goods. We have to ensure the safety of Indian women. We have to ensure the protection of our Dalit brothers and sisters and that they get justice.