2022 Witnessed Modi Regime’s Desecularisation Of State And Attack On Federalism

By Prakash Karat

A glance again on the 12 months 2022, which is ending this Saturday, reveals that it has been a 12 months during which the Indian economic system struggled to return out of the deep trough it was plunged into within the years 2020 and 2021.  Rising inflation, rising unemployment, industrial stagnation and ever-widening inequalities in earnings and wealth had been the seen options.

In direction of the top of the 12 months, the determine of unemployed reached over 5 crore and for a lot of the 12 months, retail inflation was above 7 per cent.  This was accompanied by stagnation in industrial development with the Index of Industrial Manufacturing (IIP) in October 2022 being 4 per cent lower than the earlier October.

The Modi authorities’s drive for privatisation of public sector items continued with a serious step being the IPO for the Life Insurance coverage Company which diluted the federal government’s stake within the large insurance coverage firm. The federal government additionally dropped at parliament a invoice to privatise electrical energy distribution within the nation which is able to cripple the state-run distribution corporations.  The write-offs of financial institution loans for giant corporates continued with Rs 10.01 lakh crore being written off.

It’s these insurance policies of the federal government which have resulted within the deepening of inequalities.  The highest one per cent of the inhabitants owned 40.6 per cent of the full wealth of the nation in 2021, as in comparison with 32 per cent in 2000.  A graphic instance of this obscene focus of wealth is that Gautam Adani emerged in 2022 because the third richest individual on the earth and essentially the most richest individual in Asia with a internet value of $ 133 billion.

It was additionally a 12 months which noticed the relentless drive of the Hindutva forces to reshape the Indian State and polity.  The prime minister himself presided over renovation of temple premises just like the Kashi Vishwanath hall and varied different spiritual ceremonies.  The efforts to consolidate the pan-Hindu consciousness resulted within the persevering with “othering” of Muslims. There have been fixed efforts to focus on the minorities throughout spiritual festivals like Ram Navami and the newly-manufactured Hanuman Jayanthi processions.  Any protests by Muslims in opposition to these assaults led to their being arrested and their homes being demolished as in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The seventy fifth anniversary of India’s independence was utilised to undertaking the thought of a `New India’ which is nothing however the thought of a Hindu majoritarian State.  There was speak of freedom from “centuries of international assaults” and liberation from the “colonial mindset”.  What it meant is liberation from centuries of Muslim rule and the colonial mindset doesn’t pertain to the interval of British rule, however goes again to Muslim rule.

Aside from the de-secularisation of the State, the 12 months noticed a stepping up of the assaults on federalism and rights of states.  Governors of non-BJP dominated states had been utilised openly to intrude in issues falling inside the ambit of the state governments.  The put up of chancellor of state universities was used to nominate chosen folks as vice chancellors and to intrude within the affairs of state-run universities.  The centre devised new means to deprive the states of their due share of assets of their proper to borrow funds.

After having tamed the Election Fee and different establishments, the final two months within the 12 months noticed concerted assaults on the upper judiciary by none lower than the regulation minister himself.  The stand of the Supreme Courtroom in defending private liberties and rights of residents irked the authoritarian rulers who proceed to trample upon the civil liberties and democratic rights of anybody who categorical public dissent or spoke out in opposition to Hindutva politics.

The 12 months noticed elections to seven state assemblies – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, Goa, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.  The BJP received 5 out of the seven state assemblies, although they misplaced in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. It was additionally defeated within the Delhi municipal company election.  What the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat elections portend is a warning.  Regardless of widespread discontent with rising costs, unemployment, agrarian misery and poverty, the deep communal polarisation and a pan-Hindu consolidation helps the BJP to beat all these issues electorally.

This underlines the need to mix the struggles in defence of the livelihood of the folks, battle in opposition to privatisation and anti-working class, anti-farmer insurance policies with a well-liked and concerted marketing campaign in opposition to the Hindutva ideology.

The 12 months noticed rising resistance of the working class and different sections of the working folks.  The 2-day common strike known as by the central commerce unions on March 28-29 was an enormous success drawing in additional employees and workers within the strike motion.  The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is continuous its battle for a authorized assure for minimal help value primarily based on the Swaminathan Fee formulation of C2+50 per cent.  After the disruption of the pandemic years, college students and lecturers are ready for a protracted battle in opposition to the New Schooling Coverage and different onslaughts on schooling.

One of many necessary points for a national battle would be the Electrical energy (Modification) Invoice which, if adopted, will show disastrous for the frequent individuals who eat electrical energy, together with farmers and for the lakhs of employees and engineers within the energy sector.

2023 would be the essential 12 months earlier than the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It ought to be a 12 months during which all of the Left, democratic and secular forces pool their assets to battle the folks’s battles and unitedly counter the political and ideological offensive of the Hindutva-corporate regime.  (IPA Service)

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