Nothing to celebrate, much to worry about

The Modi government had started its first term on a strong mandate with the promise of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', but it didn't translate into policies

The completion of two years of the second term of the Narendra Modi government, in continuation of five years of its first term, is no occasion for celebration because the country is going through a multi-dimensional crisis. Much of the second term up to now has been lost to the pandemic which has disrupted personal and social life and devastated the economy. What stands out glaringly is the government’s failure to handle the crisis from the beginning in every respect, including the timing and suddenness of the first lockdown, the migrant labour exodus, the complacency after the first wave, the shortage of vaccines, medicines and oxygen and the faulty vaccination policy now. States were made to do the heavy lifting in the fight and the Centre has been found wanting in policies and actions. The Prime Minister is seen to have withdrawn from the frontlines when the going got tough.

The Modi government had started its first term on a strong mandate with the promise of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’’ It got a stronger mandate for its second term. Even in the first term, the promise was not translated into policies, though some good initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ujjwala scheme and a ‘Neighbourhood First’ foreign policy were launched. But the Hindutva agenda took over and was aggressively pursued during the second term. The abrogation of Article 370, which had popular support, was not rightly followed up, and Kashmir is still not normal. The ban on triple talaq, which also had wide support, was framed in such a way as to criminalise Muslim men for a civil law matter. The amended citizenship law is against the spirit of the Constitution. The Prime Minister himself laid the foundation stone for the Ayodhya Ram Temple which is being built, albeit after a Supreme Court ruling, on the site where a mosque had stood and was destroyed by a mob led by BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders.

Constitutional institutions like the Election Commission have come under pressure and central agencies have been used in the most blatant manner against opposition leaders and critics. Citizens’ rights and freedoms are under pressure and the most drastic provisions in the law are invoked to curb and punish dissent. The economy, which was in decline due to the continuing impact of authoritarian measures like demonetisation, is in the doldrums. Federal relations are under stress. Relations with other countries, including neighbours, have deteriorated and the country's global standing has suffered. This is not a creditable record warranting any sort of celebration. The Prime Minister may still have enough political capital to turn the situation around. The question this anniversary is whether he and his government have the wisdom and will to do so and undo the damage done till now.