Modi has completed his 100 days in office and the much awaited ‘Modi Magic’ has started appearing in the far away horizon, but in a totally different and unexpected dimension!
It is time to analyse a few of his greatest achievements. The Railway Budget - the most striking and surprising feat. It was widely believed that, Modi would be smart enough to move in a different direction in raising revenue of the loss incurring from the railway by acknowledging the major area of its colossal drain. It was expected that he would make the right move by putting a stop to the rampant malady of free travel, which is no secret, especially in the Northern and Eastern parts.
Based on his achievements in Gujarat, it was anticipated that he would implement strict measures to stop this massive loss to the railway sector that is caused by the astounding number of free travellers. It is widely known that free travel is the normal norm in these areas, and the so called ‘travelling ticket examiners’ employed to control this malady, are afraid to confront the hardcore thugs to avoid physical injury or even death. The smarter ones among them use it as a green pasture to exploit the meeker passenger to supplement their salaries at a multi-fold level.
Contrary to all expectations, the ‘hero’ in Modi has preferred to show a blind eye to this staggering malady of free travel, and instead resorted to the conventional and easier choice of his predecessors, by hiking the fares and thereby punishing the law abiding travellers.
The second point is the rampant corruption that still keeps flourishing in every area, despite all the rhetoric that was repeatedly heard during his election. The implementation of the genuine ‘Lokpal bill’ or the citizen’s Ombudsman Bill, has become a forgotten dream though all Indians are still eagerly waiting for Modi to speak about it. But the truth is that they are never going to hear it, considering the heavy responsibility that Modi bears, in protecting the many ministers in his own cabinet, who are decorating the various ministries with multiple criminal cases hanging around their necks.
The third point in which Modi impressed the neutral observer is his shrewdness for vindictiveness. Instead of focusing on constructive matters, he has been causing controversies by removing the recently appointed governors and replacing them with people of his personal choice.
And by doing so, he has invited one of the greatest threats to our nation.
From his 100 days of performance, seems like our great expectations are soon going to wither away; wonder whether we are approaching nothing but a mirage of manifold empty promises!
-The reader is an Indian training manager based in Ras Al Khaimah.
