To remain silent on China to mention Chhath: the politics of Prime Minister Modi’s speech decoded

Using the element of surprise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fired a shot in favor of the poor with an electoral twist on a day when the opposition was busy trying to corner him on the border with China and the plight of the masses due Covid-19 and economic distress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 16-minute speech, a day before the Unlock 2.0 guidelines came into effect, asking people not to loosen social distancing and hygiene measures because the lock restrictions are relaxed across the country.

He then asked the authorities to emulate Bulgaria where Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was fined 13,000 rupees for failing to wear a mask during a church visit on June 23.

Then came the main announcement of Prime Minister Modi’s address – he said the government had decided to extend the free ration scheme to 80 crores for another five months until the end of November.

PM’s shortest address since lockdown 1.0 was broadcast exactly when a meeting of major commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies was in progress and ex-Congressman Rahul Gandhi was on Twitter, posting verses and statements video asking the Prime Minister to explain his failures, advising him to deposit Rs 7,500 in each poor man’s account and to check the fuel prices.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF SPEECH CAUSES SPECIFIC RAIN

Since last night, when the PMO said PM Modi was going to speak to the nation at 4 p.m. Tuesday, speculation was everywhere – will he attack China with an exciting speech or announce a tightening of screws against Chinese business interests in India or even announce a coronavirus-related measure.

Respecting the delicate nature of the negotiations – coercive diplomatic and military policy, Prime Minister Modi did not address China or the very visible news of the blocking of 59 Chinese applications in India. Although he mentioned Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, there was no saber noise.

PM MODI EXTENDS THE FREE RATION PLAN

Announcing the extension of the free food grains program for the needy until November, Prime Minister Modi said, July marks the start of the holiday season, increasing demand and spending. Given all these things, it was decided to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to Diwali and Chhath Puja, that is to say until the end of November.

He added: The government will provide free rations to 80 crores of poor siblings for five months. Each family member will receive five kilograms of wheat or rice. In addition, each family will receive one kilogram of chana dal per month free of charge. Rs 90,000 crore will be spent on this extension. If we add the expenses of the last three months to this program, it comes down to around Rs 1.5 lakh crore. “

According to the government, this decision will add a layer of economic security to unemployed migrants and the poor who enroll in the MGNREGA program or to migrants who return to economic centers but who have not yet found employment.

The free food grains under the PMGKAY will exceed five kilograms of grains per month under the NFSA program. Prime Minister Modi pointed out that the number of people who would benefit from the ads is more than 2.5 times the population of the United States and 12 times the population of the United Kingdom.

To maintain the engagement of the large segment of the middle class and of farmers, he also said: “If the government is able to provide free rations to the needy and the poor, credit falls into two categories. hard-working farmers in our country. Second, the honest taxpayers of our country.

THE OPPOSITION SAYS THAT THE ADDRESS HAS NO SUBSTANCE

On the other hand, the opposition wanted the Prime Minister to record facts at odds with China. The Prime Minister is too afraid to speak of China in his national speech, accused Congress after the speech.

Targeting Prime Minister Modi, Congress said on Tuesday that his speech lacked substance and could have been another notification from the government.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi jibed the Prime Minister with an Urdu verse – “Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar, ye bataa ki kaafila kaise lutaa” – for not mentioning China in his speech.

Congress spokeswoman Supriya Shrinate accused Prime Minister Modi of managing the headlines and said Modi was not looking “the enemy” in the eye, which was expected of him after a bloody confrontation with the China in Ladakh on June 15.

“Our greatest expectation was that the Prime Minister will muster the courage and the will to look China in the eye and respond to the enemy. Take the enemy head on and make a very firm statement against what China is doing. But the Prime Minister once again avoided it, “she said.

Yielding to public protests, the Modi government has extended the supply of 5 kg of free grain to 80 crore people for the next five months. This is far from reaching the 10 kg required per month for 6 months for all those in need to prevent deaths from hunger, “said the secretary general of the CPI (M), Sitaram Yechury.

West Bengal MP and Indian Congress leader Trinamool Mahua Moitra also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 16-minute speech, saying he “ went around the Panda in the room ” and hadn’t spoken nothing useful.

PM MODI DANGLES BIHAR ELECTIONS BAIT

But the Prime Minister offered a political bait. In his speech, he listed the festivals that take place between July and November. He said that July 5 is Guru Purnima, then the month of Saawan begins. Then August 15 arrives, Raksha Bandhan, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam will follow. In addition, Kati Bihu, Navratri, Durga Puja arrive, then Dussera, Diwali and Chhath Puja.

The introduction of the Chhath Festival was a subtle and deliberate addition which emphasized that the extension of the free grain distribution program was a signal to more than 50 Lakh migrant workers, driven by the lack of jobs and fears of Covid-19, had undertaken long and difficult journeys. to their places of origin in Bihar.

Bihar is running for election later this year and the BJP has received reports on the ground about migrant workers’ dissatisfaction with the Center and the failure of Bihar governments to alleviate the crisis they were in faced.

Then his list of festivals also prompted leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM to accuse the Prime Minister of not having deliberately mentioned Eid-ul-Adha, a Muslim festival in late July.

The Prime Minister’s mention of the program “One nation, one ration card that will make a ration card eligible across the country has also been criticized.

Congressman Adil Singh Boparai told India Today TV: “The government has announced this scheme four times in the past three months. What is the point of the PM in mentioning a scheme that is not not ready in his speech to the nation?

WHY HAS THE GOVERNMENT EXTENDED THE FREE RATION PLAN?

While the government hopes the free food grain program can make good policy, it also makes good economic sense.

India is currently at the top of a huge stock of food grains.
The granaries of the nations on the first day of June this year had about 100 million tonnes of food grains. With the Kharif crop flowing in large quantities, the government lacks space to store essentials.

Only 40 million tonnes need to be kept as buffer stock in accordance with government guidelines, so that the redistribution of food grains to the needy allows optimal use of the products.