In the past no government was attributed with the honour of being a capitalist roader. Even the left and democratic forces which were highly critical of the congress could not define those governments as capitalist regimes. They simply ascribed them as bourgeoisie governments. But the present Modi government has unabashedly been pursuing the capitalist mode of administration. Its ill treatment of the poor and labourers is simply the manifestation of the capitalist thought process and mindset.

Enjoying the ideological blessings of the RSS, Narendra Modi and his government had already started experimenting with it just after coming to power in 2014, but this received a major push in the recent times when India is facing the worst threat from coronavirus. The divide is more pronounced. Modi and his party men unfortunately have been found to widen the chasm between the rich and poor and dump the poor to lurch in their pursuit to protect and promote the interest of their people, the bourgeoning middle class and rich people.

While corona has been ravaging the country, crores of poor and workers have been left to fend for themselves. Though some governments were helping them a major chunk of these workers living on streets and footpaths were desperately striving to go back to their villages.

It was only after 50 days of the lockdown that he acted. The primary reason however for the government taking the decision to transport them to their villages was not humane concern. It was the perception of creation of situation like civic unrest that prompted the government to act. People had already started defying the government orders and authorities. Any lingering of the situation could have witnessed emergence of large scale turmoil and violence. While this would have been a major embarrassment for the government this also has created problems for rich and middle class people. In this backdrop the government was left with no option but to allow them to move. Former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian correctly underlined that there was an economic sense in facilitating the exit of workers.

It would be very difficult to find any parallel across the world to populist politics being played by Modi. But this time his populist measure has been pricked by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. She announced that the Congress would pay the train fare for migrants heading homes.

It was a politically correct decision. It has simply exposed the class averseness of Modi towards these people. Obviously the party which has been trying to find the element of conspiracy in the demand of the labourers would decry it as a baseless move that would "mess up the entire system and create chaos" but the fact cannot be denied that it has badly exposed Modi and his government. Modi has set up PM Cares fund. Questions may be asked for whom does this fund exist? Whose interest it would serve? Modi could have sanctioned the fund from this account. But no, as this ceases to serve his class interest.

The acronym “CARES” which stands for Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations was coined to help people like the distressed migrants. The railway had contributed Rs 151 crore to the PM CARES Fund. Meanwhile the Railway Board sent a letter to the principal chief commercial managers of all the zonal railways on May 1, mentioning that the ticket costs of the special non-stop trains would be the fares for Sleeper, Mail and Express trains plus a super-fast charge of Rs 30 and an additional charge of Rs 20.

The hatred the BJP leaders nurse towards Congress and Sonia is also manifest in the remark; “We don't want our villages becoming Italy". This is the most shameful comment. The BJP leaders nursing the feudal psyche find it tough to accept Sonia Gandhi, a woman, as the leader of modern India. Basically their snide against her revolves around this sense.

The bogey of nationalism raised by the BJP, especially the prime minister, Narendra Modi, is the part of the strategy to expurgate Sonia and the Congress from the main political line. The BJP leadership is aware that smearing the image of Sonia will weaken the Congress beyond redemption. It is noticeable that the BJP leadership does not take much cognisance of the remarks and statement of Rahul Gandhi. But is always proactive in countering the observations from Sonia Gandhi.

It is beyond comprehension how could the BJP leaders describe Sonia’s offer a baseless announcement? They must confess that they have failed the poor. A government could spend "100 crores" on just one event in Gujarat during the Trump visit. It is explicit that this stand and offer of Sonia Gandhi would change much on the political ground which is why the BJP leadership has turned belligerent.

Sonia was absolutely right when she said "Post the partition of 1947, this is the first time India witnessed a tragedy with such a massive human cost as thousands of migrant workers and labourers were forced to walk home several hundred kilometres on foot - without food, without medicines, without money, without transportation, without anything except for the desire to return to their families and loved ones". The Modi government too should have realised this reality. Now RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has also offered to pay fare of Bihar migrants in 50 trains.

Shocking indeed the news of their miseries, plights, deaths and escapade started pouring in failed to move him. It was beyond imagination how a sensitive person, as his admirers and supporters claim, could show this degree of insensitivity. The Modi government certainly would not have adopted this stance if these people belonged to the rich and middle class. It is worth mentioning that the same government had paid air fare for the persons brought from abroad.

One thing is absolutely clear that Modi and his colleagues do not intend to create any confusion in the minds of this class of people by showing much concern for the poor. The BJP and Sangh are against the middle class nursing the view that the Modi government was spending the money meant for them on the poor and labourers. Their opposition to the poor has been an open secret. They had strongly protested against Manmohan Singh government allotting huge money on food for the poor scheme.

The initial disinclination of government to allow them to go back owed to the fact that the companies whom these labourers were serving were scared of facilitating them to leave. They nursed the view that once they allow them to leave they would not return. While they desired that these labourers should not leave, they were reluctant to arrange for their stay and meet their financial needs. Only a few of the companies had resorted to humane approach.

While Modi took all pains to ensure the protection of his rich and middle class support base, he did not hesitate in showing his utter contempt towards the poor and labourers by ignoring their plights and miseries. BJP supporters might reject this charge but the bare fact cannot be ignored. His earlier two programmes beating of tali and thali and later celebrating Diwali was primarily designed to identify him with the aspiration of the middle class and send the message across that here was a government which cares for them.

Army pouring flowers on the front line warriors has been part of this design. If the earlier two programmes were simply meant to motivate and keep his vote bank in good humour, the latest was aimed at renewing the nationalist spirit of this class and renew their bond with nationalism.

Though in a belated afterthought move, Modi government finally permitted the use of trains to transport them, the most ridiculous aspect of the decision was charging rail fare from the deprived labourers. The Railways are charging migrants an additional Rs 50 to ferry them back to their homes. (IPA Service)