‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ has become so common a phrase that the government itself is using it to divert the attention of the people from its other failures. For instance, Union minister Arun Jaitley has been propagating for long that there is no unemployment. On the contrary the number of unemployed has gone up and the number of employed has got reduced. Jaitley created the theory that with the rise in the number of subscribers to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) scheme, there is rise in the number of new jobs created. This is humbug. In fact it is this government which made EPF scheme compulsory for those companies employing even ten people. Those employees who have become now members are in fact old ones who have opted for the EPF under compulsion. There is no new employment involved.

The fact is that during the four years of Modi rule, the actual employment number has gone down. Demonetisation has played havoc with the economy. Thousands and thousands of organised and unorganised workers have been thrown out of their jobs. The government data itself admits that investments in industrial and trade sectors have gone down, resulting in the retrenchment of thousands of workers. In place of reviewing the wrong economic policies that have caused growth in unemployment, the Modi government is forcing data holders to alter the figures to suit the government claims that has resulted in the resignation of some top officials in the statistical organisation. National Statistical Commission (NSC) acting chairman P C Mohanan and member J V Meenakshi have resigned on January 28, 2019 in protest. Mohanan, a career statistician and Meenakshi, a professor at the Delhi School of Economics were appointed by the Modi government as members in the NSC in June 2017.

Arun Jaitley in place of realising the fault is trying to justify his unjustifiable claims. Other ministers are also doing the same thing. Now the students and youth are on the streets demanding jobs. They are also being supported by university teachers who are also on war path. The AISF and other student organisations are holding a March to Parliament on February 18, 2019 The student organisations — AISF, SFI, AIDSO, PSU and AISB have given the joint call with the slogan: Save Education, Save Democracy, Save Nation. The march will be demanding free, compulsory and scientific education and enactment of Bhagat Singh National Employment Guarantee Act (BNEGA).

On the next day, February 19, AIFUCTO is organising People’s March with the slogan Save Education, Save Campus, Save Nation, demanding protections of teachers’ rights and strengthening of public-funded education system. Under the banner of Joint Forum for Movement on Education all teachers’ organisations — KG to PG, students organisations, employees’ organizations and civil society organisations will be participating in the unprecedented and historic campaign.

Like unemployment, price-rise is a chronic disease which has been always there in our economic system. But the previous governments have pretended to control it. The ministers of Modi government are shamelessly justifying it while the producers (farmers) are not even getting an amount to meet even the cost of production. The consumer is forced to pay enhanced prices every year.

The reality is that from day one, the Narendra Modi government has been serving the interests of Adanis and Ambanis. In its Political Resolution adopted at the 23rd Party Congress at Kollam, CPI has said in the beginning itself that the Narendra Modi government is not an ordinary change of one bourgeois government by another. It was brought to power by the corporate capital to serve its interests.

Now when the people have got the opportunity, the Narendra Modi government has to be thrown out lock, stock and barrel. (IPA Service)