Some experts and academics hold the opinion that if not the citizenship issue, the corona would bring about basic changes in the polity and political structure of the country. But it does not appear to happen. Corona would not have any impact on the polity. Instead the BJP and RSS are stealthily moving ahead in their mission to completely do away with the existing form of governance and democratic functioning and bring about fundamental changes in the politics, economics and social structure of the country.

With still four years left for Modi to rule, it is certain that he Is not scared of any impact of corona. He had already told the countrymen to learn to survive with the corona. It is interesting to watch that while global fraternity has been upended by Covid-19, Modi, his aides and his political colleagues have been using this pandemic to spread the communal hatred and practicing divisive politics.

The faster spread of corona has been the matter for worry for him or his government. A look at the blowout of the disease would unravel that India which was at tenth position in the list of the corona affected countries only a week back, is set to be in the sixth position after displacing Italy within next two days.

One thing that appears to be imminent is India which eventually emerges from the coronavirus crisis will be a country with strong Hindutva and Capitalist ethos. Under capitalism it is the market that defines the social and political nature of the peoples’ lives. But in India, rather the New India, these two elements would dictate the lives of the common people. Already the poor and labourers have been pushed further deep in the quagmire of poverty by the political institution nd the rulers of the country and it would take more time to identify themselves, comprehend the changing economic realities and enter into the new work arena which has already adopted new cultural and economic ethics by that time. Of course the only truth would be the economy shrinking more with crores of job losses.

It is often said if there is one thing we've learned about Modi, it is that he never learns from his mistakes. This is absolutely wrong. He does not commit any mistake. In case a person commits mistake, he tries to mend or change after the mistake being pointed out to him. But in his case, he is indifferent to such advices. Even before corona invaded India, eminent economists and experts suggested him the ways and mechanism to check the slowdown of the economy. This was most protruding during the period of corona. But he did not care for the advices.

These people came out with basic suggestions as to how to salvage the situation and protect the lives of the workers. But he preferred to ignore them as these people were not on his priority list. They were serfs who deserve this nature of treatment. Modi knows who is his target audience and he has been taking care of them.

Nearly 14 crore poor and labourers losing their jobs failed to move him. There is no denying that the current crisis is the product of his cult of personality and the only response he is capable of is not to respond or show any concern.

His utter lack of sensitivity for the common people is clearly manifest in his response to the situation. While the country is facing the worst crisis of corona and more and more people have been dying of the dreaded disease the Delhi police has cracked down on the political and social activists who have participated in the protest movement against CAA and NRC. The Delhi police which functions under Amit Shah could have waited for some time. But no it was in haste as during this period they would denied of judicial care and intervention. Police can keep them in jails for longer period.

In India today, the right of the people to criticise or put question to their leaders no longer exists. Last week, the police in Madhya Pradesh registered a criminal case against a journalist for referring to the prime minister as a ‘gappu’, or braggart. In Andhra Pradesh, a woman who asked a series of embarrassing questions about the recent industrial accident in Visakhapatnam was arrested by the police. The purpose these ‘individual’ cases serve is to scare others into silence. The amended UAPA has also given home minister Amit Shah the power to designate any individual as a “terrorist” without a trial or even the filing of charges.

A number of illegal detentions are taking place but they do not find a place in media, as for the media these are all bullshit. For a ruling dispensation that has been gearing to embrace Hindutva and bring about basic change in the polity and character of the country democracy ceases to have much importance. Modi’s disregard for democracy runs deep and wide, and extends to every institution that is meant to serve as a check and a balance to the exercise of executive power. The manner in which he has been handling the banking sector the day is not far off when it would face a situation similar that Lehman Bank suffered in 2008. Already RBI is under severe constraint.

While the Modi loyalists view the suppression of democracy and the growing insecurity of Muslims as major achievements, they in true sense were undermining the spirit of Republic and the Constitution. Through their actions, these people were simply trying to negate the concept of India being a pluralistic nation. (IPA Service)