CM Ashok Gehlot led Congress government in Rajasthan has been implementing numerous pro-people schemes in the state of which two most important are making healthcare a fundamental right for citizens, and now it has brought a bill for “minimum guaranteed income” for its citizen.

Under the landmark Rajasthan Right to Health Act makes access to healthcare a legally enforceable entitlement of every resident of the state. Crucially, the Act provides for the right to free treatment, including ‘emergency treatment’ without payment at any health institution in the state.

Rajasthan’s Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill is a significant step forward towards providing “minimum income guarantee” to its citizens. Moreover, its importance is multiplied when we read it along with the National Food Security Act 2013 brought in the country by the Congress led Union Government that legally entitles upto 75 per cent of rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population receive subsidized foodgrains. It reminds of the Congress assurance given in 2019 of “minimum basic income” of Rs6000 per month if the party would come to power, towards which the Rajasthan has taken a step.

The Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill promises a minimum guaranteed income of either by way of cash (Rs1000 per month) or through employment of 125 days in a year, which is more than 100 days guarantee under MGNREGA brought by Congress in 2005, the budget of which PM Modi government has been reducing year after year. Another important feature is that the bills provision would be applicable even for the urban people for whom there is no such employment guarantee scheme. There was a demand for such a scheme for urban areas, but it fell into deaf ears of PM Modi led government at the Centre. However, the opposition BJP in the state and ruling BJP at the centre has accused the government of “misleading” people and “fooling” them on the eve of assembly elections. Ye public hai, sab janti hai (the people know all the politics), people say.

PM Modi has more than once severely criticized the pro-people schemes implemented by the opposition governments as ‘revris’ (freebees) that he says goes against the national interest. It is another matter that the government under PM Modi has written off Rs14.49 lakh crore loans of big companies during his 9 years of rule, while objecting to benefits of only few thousand crores given to the poor and downtrodden people by opposition governments in the country.

Let us see what is in the national interest and in the interest of Rajasthan in the light of the political advertisements BJP is getting published online. One of the advertisements is brazen politics of hatred, implying communal hatred against a particular community. The online political advertisement reads – “Tustikaran ne chhini aan, Nahin Sahega Rajasthan” (Appeasement snatched the pride, Rajasthan would tolerate it). The implied meaning is clear since BJP-RSS has all along been accusing the Congress of Muslim appeasement in the country. Obviously, BJP has not been interested in the politics that breeds unity in diversity of communities, but in breeding hatred through its divisive politics for political polarisation of Hindu votes in its favour.

The BJP politics has turned uglier by one of the statements of PM Modi, in which he referred several opposition ruled states in relation to the crime against women which included Rajasthan. He was enforced to express concern over Manipur, where two women were paraded naked, and the state government is run there by BJP. Three months have passed and the communal violence continues. Manipur has shocked the entire nation, including the people of Rajasthan, where people are criticising the double engine (Centre-State) BJP rule in Manipur. Now, one of the BJP’s political advertisements read – “Bahan betiyon ka apman, nahin sahega Rajasthan” (Disgrace to sisters and daughters, Rajasthan would not tolerate), while another ad read – “Apradh belagam, nahin sahega Rajasthan” (Crime unrestricted, Rajasthan would not tolerate).

BJP has talked about the self-respect of Dalits and Tribals of Rajasthan. One of its political ads read – “Dalit-Adivasi ka loot-ta swabhiman, nahin sahega Rajasthan” (Snatching self-respect of Dalit-Adivasis, Rajasthan would not tolerate). The irony has been noted by STs and SCs in the state who have recently seen how a BJP leader had given respect to an ST person by urinating on him.

If we go by the political advertisement of the BJP so far, the party is trying to pin Gehlot government down in Rajasthan by highlighting the issues of “worsening condition of farmers”, “corruption”, “suffering youth by paper leak”, and “stalled development” in Rajasthan.

Despite such a BJP’s acrimonious political propaganda against the ruling establishment of Rajasthan led by the Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, people seem to be not impressed so far. Since, the efforts of human development by the state government is felt more beneficial by the people, while for the worsening condition of farmers they held the Modi led Centre more guilty than the state in the backdrop of Mukhyamantri Nishulk Krishi Bijli Yojna that provides electricity to farmers in Rajasthan.

Youth are suffering more due to rampant unemployment due to policy of the centre that promote jobless growth and development, and hence paper leak is not equivalent to it. Moreover, there is no dearth corruption either at the Centre or BJP ruled states. The BJP propaganda therefore has failed so far to agitate people of the state against the CM Gehlot led government in Rajasthan.

Improving the education system in the state by increasing the number of schools, providing better facilities, and training teachers has made deep impact. Providing affordable and free healthcare for the people by not only giving rights but also increasing the number of government hospitals and clinics, and providing free or subsidized medicines have given great relief to the poor families and patients. Moreover, the state government have also been working within its limitation to create employment opportunities for its citizens by promoting entrepreneurship, providing training, and attracting investment.

Among the most notable schemes of the government include – Mukhyamantri Chinrajeevi Yojna that provides financial assistance to the families of deceased government employees; Indira Rasoi Yojna that provides free meals to the poor and marginalized people at government-run canteens; Mukhyamantri Laghu Udyog Protsahan Yojna that provides financial assistance to small entrepreneurs; Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyaan that aims to provide clean drinking water to all households in his water crisis ridden state; Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojna that provides health insurance to the poor and marginalized people; Mukhyamantri Gram Vikas Yojna that provides financial assistance to rural areas for development projects; Mukhyamantri Swarojgar Yojna for training and financial assistance to unemployed youth to help them start their own business; Mukhyamantri Mahila Utthan Yojna for financial assistance to women to help them start their own business or take up skill training; and Mukhyamantri Pension Yojna that provides pension to the elderly etc.

These schemes have had a positive impact on the lives of the people of the state and they would continue to do so in the years to come, even after the current political mud-slinging during the election campaigns.

These schemes have had a positive impact on the lives of the state's citizens, and they will continue to do so in the years to come.(IPA Service)