Dr. Amartya Sen is at it again!
Though Le Monde claims to be a premier center-left newspaper in France, the centre part of it is limited to human anatomy. It never misses an opportunity to criticise the Indian government, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is unappealing to its editorial board. We too have left-leaning media aplenty in India, who, like parrots, gleefully echo such disparaging news, however self-inflicting it may be.
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, our annual winter visitor, recently opined that the present Indian government is one of the most appalling in the world. True, I do not have Dr. Sen’s worldview or knowledge, but I have seen what freedom of thought, speech, and expression mean while travelling around the world several times.
Even as I write this, an Iranian is executed for spying for the UK. Many protesters against Hijab rule have been imprisoned, and some have been executed. Thousands of people flee Africa and Latin America on perilous voyages to avoid starvation and discrimination. Fortunately, despite being one of the world’s two most populous countries, India has managed to feed everyone.If 80 crore Indians are being provided with free rations, the media immediately taunt and mock that so many people are poor in India, without appreciating the government’s efforts to help them sustain themselves in a basic manner.
The question is, what is an equitable democracy, according to Dr. Sen?He claims that Hindu Indians abhor Muslims, which is not only far from the truth but also mischievous. Average Indians do not have time to rile over such trivialities. He forgets that we have had three Muslim presidents in our nation. By constitution, they were the commanders-in-chief of the Indian armed forces. Can Sen give an example of a non-Muslim being the leader of a Muslim country?
The aberration that Dr. Sen talks about could exist in the Hindi belt, but he forgets the root of this cause—exploiting the minorities as a vote bank for nearly 65 years. Despite the Supreme Court banning the use of religion in electoral politics, there are several dozen outfits that survive on draconian caste, community, and religious diktats. By saying that India is “most appalling,” Dr. Sen seems to be expressing his pain at being thrown out because, despite his impressive qualifications, he didn’t give India anything of value.
In his interview in Calcutta, Dr. Sen also stated that Mamata Banerjee has the ability to become the Prime Minister of India. To achieve that status, her party must prove to be incorruptible and grow beyond the borders of West Bengal, both of which seem challenging. Mamata Banerjee’s friendship with leaders like Arvind Kejriwal or Stalin would quickly evaporate the moment she threw her hat into the ring for the PM’s post.
As for PM Modi, I’m no personal fan of anyone and only look for slips and faults in everyone, and the PM is no exception. However, no major scams have been heard against his government so far. Despite the regular digs and taunts by a section of the western media and slanted intellectuals like Dr. Sen, Modi has not done badly. Our defence forces are in their best spirits. We have repulsed China twice. Our global visibility and importance have increased, not as the most appalling country but as an important and rising global economic power. Modi has personally revitalised the North East, bringing it into the mainstream.
There still remain many severe challenges, and we are vulnerable with the huge population. In the last decade, India has grown and will continue to grow, not just because of Modi or the BJP, but because of its tolerant majority and the nation’s inclusivity and vibrant pluralism.
Jai Hind.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
