Deflected from issues, Modi govt took quantum jump in the wrong direction since 2014: Amartya Sen

Though Narendra Modi and co. are boasting of the development that took place in last four years, renowned Nobel Laurette and eminent economist Amartya Sen said that despite being the fastest-growing economy, the country has taken a “quantum jump in the wrong direction” since 2014. Adding on, Sen was of the opinion that due to moving backwards, the country is now second worst in the region (South-East Asia).

Sen was expressing his views in the national capital during the launch of ‘Bharat Aur Uske Virodhabhas’, the Hindi edition of  his book ‘An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradiction’ that he co-authored with development economist Jean Dreze. He said, “Things have gone pretty badly wrong… It has taken a quantum jump in the wrong direction since 2014. We are getting backwards in the fastest-growing economy.”

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He said in comparison to twenty years ago, among the six countries in this region — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan – India was the second best after Sri Lanka. He added, “Now, it is the second worst. Pakistan has managed to shield us from being the worst.”

According to the most respected economist worldwide, Modi government has also deflected from issues of inequalities, the caste system and the schedules tribes have been kept out. A whole group of people’s – those who clean lavatories or sewage with their hands – demands and needs has been neglected.

Targeting the present Central government, the 84-year-old economist said that during freedom struggle it was difficult to see that a political battle could be won by playing up the Hindu identity, but that has changed now, reports NDTV. 

Sen looked sad while speaking about Dalit’s condition in India and highlighted the recent report of a Dalit youth who was whipped for asking a salary hike from the manager of a petrol pump in Madhya Pradesh. He was of the opinion that (dalit) are going around without any kind of certainty about their next meal, healthcare or education.

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On the issue of Opposition’s unity, Sen said, “It is not a battle of one entity against the other (or) Mr Modi against Mr Rahul Gandhi, it is an issue of what India is. Which is why, at this time, the whole issue of Opposition unity is so important.”

Rhyming similar tune, development economist and activist Jean Dreze – co-author of ‘An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradiction’ – called the soon-to-be launched Ayushmann Bharat health scheme a “hoax” as it was actually not big as it was being claimed to be. According to French economist – settled in India – ‘even if the entire budget of Rs 2,000 crore for this scheme, it reaches to Rs 20 per person’.

Dreze was of the opinion that though the scheme is projected as health insurance for 50 crore people, but it is virtually nothing. Dreze is among the ones who helped draft the first version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).