Month: January 2019

Vote2019

#MyVote2019 – ‘Modi Made False Promises’

By LokMarg Publishing


Sabka saath, sabka vikas.’ Has that happened? I see no change at the ground level.

In my opinion, the condition of the aam aadmi has remained the same, if not worsened, over the last five years. I feel disappointed by the current NDA government at the Centre because they had sold many a dream to the voters and had heightened their expectations. Nothing came out of these promises. Modi did generate a lot of hope among masses. And those dreams and hopes lie deserted today.

Corruption has become a hallmark of our everyday lives; there no jobs in the market and the youth are feeling increasingly dejected by the day. When I go to press the button on voting machine, these things will weigh on my mind and others. They will pay the price for these unkept promises dearly. Another major fault of this government was that it doesn’t look before it takes a leap. Demonetisation is a prime example.

It was announced and executed in such haste and without proper preparation, that till date even government managers have not been able to make any sense of it. And I feel it is the poor people who suffered the most due to demonetisation, though the middle class suffered a lot as well. However, for people who live a hand-to-mouth existence, even a day without work (which was spent in standing in line for their hard-earned money) means going without food.

And we all know the whole thing took more than a month to settle. Which means poor people lost many working days. And now the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) says nearly 99% of the scrapped notes have come back into the system. So where’s the black money now? Vanished into thin air? It was an empty exercise after all. Also, the government had said that it would crush terrorism, Naxalism, fake currency etc., but all that turned out to be overestimated as well.

WE are in a strange position. The farmers are not getting proper prices for their yield and common man says prices of commodities are rising. Where are the regulators? Also, as a retired person, I am not happy with the rise in petrol prices. The government is in a position to reduce the prices and should seriously think about it.

In 2019 we need a government with a vision, one that is humble enough to learn from the past and courageous enough to take decisions about the future with confidence. We need a government that understands agriculture and empathises with farmers, for agriculture is the backbone of our economy after all. Rahul Gandhi needs to be a bit more polished before he can be taken seriously by the people. (The narrator did not wish to share his photograph. LokMarg has used a representational image.)

Vote2019

#MyVote2019 – ‘Youth Connects With Modi’

By LokMarg Publishing


I am a member of various social media groups and keep abreast with political developments. I debate and take part in several political discussion on my Facebook account and on Twitter. I respect valid arguments of all kind and keep my sanity while placing my views on these forum. I consider myself an aware youth with respectable knowledge about political parties, leaders, policies, etc. Even though I am still studying, I have my views on jobs, infrastructure, road connectivity, safety, women empowerment etc.

These are the issues that I believe concern first-time voters like me. I am proud of our country’s growing ranking and image on global platform. This feeling of pride and recognition is what makes me look towards our current leadership with respect. My choice for the next prime minister is definitely Narendra Modi. I cannot see a better option at least till the time I get to cast my vote again (after five years).

The reason is: ever since I have started following the political course of our country, I have seen only two leaders – Manmohan Singh and Modi. I find Modi a far more energetic, interactive and effective leader of the two. Critics say it is about his media management but I counter that projection of your image is also a key factor for a leader. As Nehru said, a government not only be doing the right things but also must be seen as doing the right things.

When I look around myself, I see the change is taking place gradually. For example, I often hear my uncle (a government employee) murmuring that ever since Modi came to power, he has reach office on time, work more etc. But even he is a Modi supporter. I faced little difficulty due to GST or rising petrol prices as I am still dependent on my father.

However, I think, these issues are not permanent. When the dust settles down, they will eventually be of some benefit for us in the long run. Rahul Gandhi is hopeless; he will take at least 10-15 years to have the aura of Modi. My views are not based on the memes and jokes circulating on the social media – that is BJP media cell’s job – but what few speeches of his I have seen and heard.

He lacks depth. In spite of being younger than Modi, he does not connect with the youth today. In my view, there should be a live debate between political leaders running for a particular post, like they have in many western countries and also in some of our universities, on the eve of election. This will give the voter a clear chance to make up his mind, especially the young voter, and the country will give a decisive mandate.

Vote2019

#MyVote2019 – ‘Modi Backers Get Violent’

By LokMarg Publishing


Modiji is a hard-working man but does he realise that his supporters are a violent lot. And his coming to power has given them a licence to target Muslims. I will give you a recent example. There was an election rally of (former) chief minister Shivraj Singh two months back in Morena. Young men came roaring on bikes, raised slogans of Modi jindabad and created an atmosphere of fear among us street vendors. This happens each time there is a BJP-VHP function.

Police also becomes helpless when these men come in large groups, with BJP flags on their bikes, and cause trouble. All kind of men come to my stall for snacks. Many of them are passionate about Modi’s leadership. They just cannot listen anything against him. This kind of unconditional passion can easily turn into fanatical behaviour. Is Modiji not aware of this, I doubt. Now that elections are approaching, I worry if political groups will stir up communal sentiments once again.

I have two sons and a daughter. I want them to study and get a good position in society. This is what every father of any faith would want – a peaceful and respectful life for his children. But every time I see media reports of lynching and violence over cow slaughter, I fear for the safety of my own family. Modiji is the topmost leader of the country, shouldn’t he spare a thought about our fears and concerns? Rahulji abhi young hain (Rahul Gandhi is still young).

He carries no malice but he will take more time to challenge Modi in terms of vote catching. Politics is full of shrewd and cunning people. If you want to survive in this field, Rahulji will have to learn their tricks. Last time I went to vote, they said my name was not on the rolls. I showed them my election card, they said the ward does not carry my name.

My entire family’s name wasn’t there. I returned without casting my vote. We are poor people, we are not like service people who get an off from work on polling day. We have to make preparations for the evening for our daily bread. We cannot spend long hours for inclusion of our names on the rolls. Mostly, this work is done by political volunteers.

Hopefully, I will be able to cast my vote this time. Part of my family lives in Itawah, Uttar Pradesh. They are traditional supporters of Samajwadi Party. But here, they have no presence. So the choice falls back on the Congress. I pray for the well-being of my country and for this I do not think that the BJP is the right choice to be elected to power.

Vote2019

#MyVote2019 – 'Modi Made Govt Staff Work'

By LokMarg Publishing


  I have been in government service for a decade and half. I have witnessed the callous attitude of state employees, rampant corruption and indiscipline very closely. One thing that I can tell you with conviction that the (Narendra) Modi government has genuinely tried to bring about a change in sarkari work culture during its (nearly) five years of rule.

In my own department, I would notice the lower level staff never came on time and left at their own will. During winter, the offices will go empty after barely an hour of work, as most of the staff, from Section Officer to Chaprasi (peon), will spread out on the lawns under the sun. Those associated with employees’ welfare groups were the worst to handle with. I remember some of them would dare even IAS-level officers to take any action against them.

Things gradually began to change after Modi Sarkar came to power and in October, 2104 our office was equipped with biometric attendance machines. Last year, even the state government offices followed this practice after Yogi (Adityanath) became UP chief minister. I guess more than the machine, it was the message – Modi means business – that went down at every level. Har dawa kadvi hoti hai par asar karti hai (medicinal pill may be bitter, but gives positive results in the long term).

Initially, a lot of babus were skeptical in our office too. They said this will not last. But many of us, including me, welcomed it. I am not saying our department performance has improved drastically but earlier the errant moved without any fear of action. They were shameless. I saw people asking for chadava (bribe money) as if they were demanding legitimate wages. Now, babus have been advised to even follow social media to ensure that any negative feedback does not reach the higher-ups.

Every time, our family finds some work stuck in a government office, my son advises me to put the name of department and official concerned on Twitter. So, in a way, the machinery is becoming responsive. Today, the work-shirker know they are on the wrong and may get penalized. There has been inquiry ordered against several babus I know. Now, the bribe is asked in hush tones. The corrupt has fear of government in mind.

This is no mean achievement, in my opinion. And I give Modi ji 100 per cent credit for this. Another change is the cleanliness in our offices. When I had joined work, we used to carry our own dusting cloths with us to clean our chairs and tables. The safai staff would just not budge. Swachh Bharat mission has given us a big relief.

There are random ‘safai audit’ and the errant staff is warned. Besides, there is a behavioural change among the staff about cleanliness and hygiene. I know it will take several decades for our government employees to come clean. The system will not change with just one Modi. But at least there has been a step towards that direction. My vote goes to Modi ji. He definitely deserves a second term.