Ranchi: Indian democracy is currently facing a crisis that is not only limited by the "recent wave of authoritarianism" but also the repression of opposition voices by the ruling BJP, development economist Jean Dreze said.
He said that under the present circumstances there is a possibility of rigging in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, Drèze said that five years ago, Arundhati Roy had described the 2019 elections as a race between a Ferrari and a few bicycles. "The metaphor is still valid. Today, thanks to the Supreme Court , We know that Ferrari is fueled by the corporate sector. Meanwhile, the bicycle is a symbol of the main opposition parties in the state like Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal and.Congress has been systematically targeted,'' he said.
"Leaders of these parties have endured persistent investigation and harassment by central agencies for years. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren finds himself behind bars, Lalu Prasad has faced intermittent imprisonment and Congress Rahul Gandhi has also narrowly escaped a similar fate. “Any politician who poses a threat to the BJP is at risk of harassment,” the Belgian-born economist said.
Asked if the BJP is certain to sweep the elections in the mineral-rich state, the development economist said many people in Jharkhand have good reasons to be unhappy with the saffron party."The cycles may not be in good condition, but this time they are working as a team. It can make a big difference. With the partial exception of 2019, there have been big surprises in all Lok Sabha elections since 2004 Exit polls often come out with inaccurate results. BJP is likely to win most of the seats in the state, but it may not get 11 out of 14 like in 2019.,
On Jharkhand's poverty and backwardness despite having about 40 percent of India's mineral resources, Dreze said the state operates within a contractor-dominated structure.
"Contractors exploit public funds in collusion with the bureaucrats and politicians who save them. Initially, I believed this phenomenon was limited to small towns, but it is indicative of a broader systemic problem. Minera Resources, Contract Raj, which is supposed to be a boon, perpetuates the problem, destroying any semblance of democracy.” The electoral process, far from addressing this issue, is complicit in it.Poor people have no business except for a short period of time during elections. This is why they have been served so badly by the state government, no matter who is the party in power. This is true to some extent in other states too, but Bihar and Jharkhand are ahead."
On the state's economy, Drèze said his most important recommendation would include an overhaul of the school education system, starting with teacher appointments.
“Shockingly, one-third of all government primary schools in Jharkhand operate with just one teacher, which is a gross violation of the Right to Education Act and is detrimental to children.Since 2017, no new teachers have been appointed, exacerbating the problem due to impending retirement. Without replacement of the workforce, the entire education system is like a ship adrift without a rudder and demands immediate intervention,” he said. The development economist also called for a concerted effort to revive the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). Made a proposal.
He said, “Jharkhand has the potential to become a beacon for employment guarantee given the abundant rural workforce in the state. I advocate a significant shift towards harnessing local resources for the benefit of the community rather than selling them off to corporate interests .,
"Jharkhand has huge potential for sustainable and equitable development of local produce including vegetables, fruits, fish, livestock and various forest products. Collectively, these measures can revolutionize the rural economy. However, their implementation requires political leadership This quality is sorely lacking." The current scenario," he said. On the shortcomings of democratic politics, Dreze said recent restrictions on democratic rights such as freedom of expression and dissent can certainly be reversed."However, the crisis of Indian democracy is not limited to the recent wave of authoritarianism. There is also an older failure that goes back much further. As D Ambedkar warned us long ago, democracy is incompatible with entrenched inequalities in the economy and society "The warnings were ignored, and now we are paying the price. I don't see how this failure can be addressed, beyond a point, without radical changes in economic and social life. One of the best-kept secrets of economics is that workers don't need bosses.They can run most of the enterprises themselves with the help of selected managers. This is the kind of radical economic transformation that will not be possible in a hurry, but we can at least work towards it," he said.
He said that under the present circumstances there is a possibility of rigging in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, Drèze said that five years ago, Arundhati Roy had described the 2019 elections as a race between a Ferrari and a few bicycles. "The metaphor is still valid. Today, thanks to the Supreme Court , We know that Ferrari is fueled by the corporate sector. Meanwhile, the bicycle is a symbol of the main opposition parties in the state like Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal and.Congress has been systematically targeted,'' he said.
"Leaders of these parties have endured persistent investigation and harassment by central agencies for years. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren finds himself behind bars, Lalu Prasad has faced intermittent imprisonment and Congress Rahul Gandhi has also narrowly escaped a similar fate. “Any politician who poses a threat to the BJP is at risk of harassment,” the Belgian-born economist said.
Asked if the BJP is certain to sweep the elections in the mineral-rich state, the development economist said many people in Jharkhand have good reasons to be unhappy with the saffron party."The cycles may not be in good condition, but this time they are working as a team. It can make a big difference. With the partial exception of 2019, there have been big surprises in all Lok Sabha elections since 2004 Exit polls often come out with inaccurate results. BJP is likely to win most of the seats in the state, but it may not get 11 out of 14 like in 2019.,
On Jharkhand's poverty and backwardness despite having about 40 percent of India's mineral resources, Dreze said the state operates within a contractor-dominated structure.
"Contractors exploit public funds in collusion with the bureaucrats and politicians who save them. Initially, I believed this phenomenon was limited to small towns, but it is indicative of a broader systemic problem. Minera Resources, Contract Raj, which is supposed to be a boon, perpetuates the problem, destroying any semblance of democracy.” The electoral process, far from addressing this issue, is complicit in it.Poor people have no business except for a short period of time during elections. This is why they have been served so badly by the state government, no matter who is the party in power. This is true to some extent in other states too, but Bihar and Jharkhand are ahead."
On the state's economy, Drèze said his most important recommendation would include an overhaul of the school education system, starting with teacher appointments.
“Shockingly, one-third of all government primary schools in Jharkhand operate with just one teacher, which is a gross violation of the Right to Education Act and is detrimental to children.Since 2017, no new teachers have been appointed, exacerbating the problem due to impending retirement. Without replacement of the workforce, the entire education system is like a ship adrift without a rudder and demands immediate intervention,” he said. The development economist also called for a concerted effort to revive the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). Made a proposal.
He said, “Jharkhand has the potential to become a beacon for employment guarantee given the abundant rural workforce in the state. I advocate a significant shift towards harnessing local resources for the benefit of the community rather than selling them off to corporate interests .,
"Jharkhand has huge potential for sustainable and equitable development of local produce including vegetables, fruits, fish, livestock and various forest products. Collectively, these measures can revolutionize the rural economy. However, their implementation requires political leadership This quality is sorely lacking." The current scenario," he said. On the shortcomings of democratic politics, Dreze said recent restrictions on democratic rights such as freedom of expression and dissent can certainly be reversed."However, the crisis of Indian democracy is not limited to the recent wave of authoritarianism. There is also an older failure that goes back much further. As D Ambedkar warned us long ago, democracy is incompatible with entrenched inequalities in the economy and society "The warnings were ignored, and now we are paying the price. I don't see how this failure can be addressed, beyond a point, without radical changes in economic and social life. One of the best-kept secrets of economics is that workers don't need bosses.They can run most of the enterprises themselves with the help of selected managers. This is the kind of radical economic transformation that will not be possible in a hurry, but we can at least work towards it," he said.
