- The BJP has made a mess in all directions
Every year, 26 January is celebrated by India as its Republic Day while it is observed by Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and all over the world, including their Pakistani brethren, as the Black Day in protest against Indian illegal occupation of Kashmir. This year, 26 January was also observed as Black Day by many Indians to protest against the recently introduced draconian laws of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) meant to target Muslims and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which excludes 1.9 million of north-eastern Assam state’s 33 million population, as well as rising inflation in the country. The controversial CAA promises to fast-track Indian citizenship for religious minorities from the three neighbouring Muslim-majority countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan— but not if they are Muslim. The law threatens India’s secular foundations by marginalizing its 200-million Muslim minority population.
Nearly six months have passed since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution and illegal annexation of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) into Indian Territory. IOK remains in a state of lockdown while the barbarous Indian security forces continue to wreak havoc on the hapless Kashmiris. More restrictions have been imposed in the wake of shortage of food and even medicines for the patients. In order to hide human rights violations, communication services (especially the internet) have been cut, thus delinking IOK from the world, and foreign journalists are not allowed to enter.
While demonstrations were held outside the Indian Embassy in various capitals of the world on 26 January, this year, besides the Kashmiri Diaspora, the protest rallies were joined by Sikhs as well as Hindus protesting the situation in India.
The country’s harmony has been wrecked. The worst governance, India has ever had in the last 70 years has led ordinary Indians to declare its own Republic Day as a Black Day
A number of international academics and litterateurs have subjected Narendra Modi and his brand of fascism to scathing criticism. In a hard-hitting opinion piece titled What We’re Seeing in India Is Symptoms Of Fascism, renowned social critic and political activist Noam Chomsky has dubbed the latest developments in India as symptoms of fascism.
Chomsky’s opinion—he is the author of over 100 books and generally recognized as one of the greatest living public intellectuals—matters. Chomsky was interviewed in October 2019 in Tucson, Arizona by Indian journalist Karthik Ramanathan—weeks after PM Modi rescinded Article 370 providing autonomy to Kashmir which remains in lockdown to date. The well-respected American linguist, known for his hard-hitting views on world issues, is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona. He taught at MIT for over 50 years and is a leading critic of US foreign policy and an inspiration for many generations worldwide.
When asked about his views on India building detention centres to house millions of Muslim citizens after labelling them illegal immigrants, the renowned scholar responded that Modi was following Donald Trump’s policies. Like the current US President blames the blacks, Hispanics and Muslims, similarly Modi is directing attention away to extreme Hindu nationalism. He faults the Muslims for taking India away from its true citizens— the Hindus— thus the Muslims must be eradicated.
Indians consider the Republic Day as Black Day because the economy has been dwindling, unemployment has hit unprecedented highs and ethnic minorities are being targeted barbarously. According to a list of economic indicators compiled by Hari Krishna Prahlad, India is now suffering from the “Highest Unemployment Rate” in 45 years as declared by NSSO Data. The Spectator Index terms India as the “5th Most Dangerous Country to Live in the World”. WHO Data declares that 22 out of 30 “Most Polluted Cities in the World” are now in India. The number of Indian soldiers killed is the highest in 30 years now, while according to Credit Suisse Report, India now has the “Highest Income Inequality in 80 years”. Thomas Reuters Survey indicates that India has become the “World’s Most Dangerous Country for Women” because of increased rape and molestation cases. Indian Army Data confirms that the number of Kashmiri youth joining militancy is the highest in ten years. WPI Data states that “Indians Farmers suffered Worst Price Crash in 18 years”. India Spend Data describes that the “Cow-related violence and Mob Lynchings on Record” are the highest after Modi became Prime Minister. India is now the world’s second-most “Unequal Country” according to Global Wealth Report. Market Data confirms that the Indian Rupee is now “Asia’s worst Performing Currency”. EPI 2018 discloses that India has become the world’s third worst country in environment protection. For the first time in the history of India, foreign funding and corruption have been legalized according to the Finance Bill 2017. The current PM is the least accountable Prime Minister in 70 years. For the first time in the history of India, CBI vs CBI, RBI vs Govt, SC vs Govt fights happened because Modi wanted control of all democratic Institutions.
For the first time in the history of India, four Supreme Court judges gave a press conference to say, “Democracy is in Danger”. India has slipped by 10 places in the EIU democracy index 2019, which is the worst ever since the inception of this index in 2006. Owing to “Erosion of civil liberties”. For the first time in the history of India, top-secret Defence documents were stolen from the Defence Ministry office.
If that were not enough, “Intolerance and Religious Extremism is highest in 70 years”. Indian “Media is now Worst in 70 years”. According to Global hunger report 2019, India has slipped to 102nd rank out of 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index; it is now behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. In a first, NCRB report had a criminal delay of two years. The crime report for 2017 was released quite recently with certain categories skewed. The IMF has raised concerns over the Indian government’s data reporting norms, delays, India’s tax revenue estimates and GDP growth targets. Such figure fudging amount to setting new precedents for any party which might rule India in future.
India has witnessed sheer exploitation of power and criminalization of politics in: Ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar’s case; Ex-BJP MP and minister Chinmayanand’s case; Malegaon blast terror accused Pragya Thakur became a BJP MP and was on the parliamentary defense panel; DSP Devindar Singh’s case, which is of no hope for obvious reasons; political persecution and vindictive victimization of IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt; electoral bonds and anonymity of funding. Incidentally, BJP had received a donation of Rs 100,000,000 from a firm, RKW Developers, that was being probed for terror funding by ED, as the BJP declared in its Election Commission filing.) The Election Commission itself is completely compromised, with a data discrepancy (347 seats) in the 2019 polls and with Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa and family getting grilled by ED thereafter.
The Indian PM’s birthday celebration was set to jeopardize the safety of 32,000 families in the Malwa and Nimar regions of Madhya Pradesh. India is now ranked very low on the global social mobility index at 76th out of 82 countries. 79th on fair wage economies, 77th in education quality and equity, 76th in Social protection, 73rd in healthcare. (World Economic Forum Report 2020).
The Kashmir clampdown has caused a whopping loss of over $2.4 billion. India is the Internet shutdown capital of the world- leading with 67 perent of the total world’s shutdowns. India’s drastic fall under Modi continues with the effects of demonetization, GST, cleaning Ganga, Rafale Scam aside. More importantly, the country’s harmony has been wrecked. The worst governance, India has ever had in the last 70 years has led ordinary Indians to declare its own Republic Day as a Black Day.
