More nightmare, less dream…

Nirmala Sitharaman’s seventh Union Budget was not what one had expected. I remember when Arun Jaitley presented his first Budget the Government was derailed by Rahul Gandhi’s comment of ‘Suit Boot Ki Sarkar’ but then one expected, after ten years, Narendra Modi and his colleagues would be more Teflon coated than they seem to be even now.

The mainstay of the BJP has always been the middle class. And this time the middle class expected greater sops but got almost nothing. Instead, taxes on one form of savings have gone up: the capital gains tax: which means less of an incentive for an already declining savings driven middle class. This was reflected in how the markets reacted to the Budget. I find it mindless to say the least. Then there is the issue of indexation on property purchased by citizens. It seems some Babu in the Government, enjoying his (only for a limited time period) Lutyens bungalow, thinks up of such perverse taxation ideas which are totally anti-people if you ask me. Why on earth would you even indulge in such a retrograde move if you knew what the people actually wanted? But they have no clue. Just like they thought they would get 400 seats.

Which brings me to the moot point. Call it arrogance; lethargy or just unintelligence but I think the BJP is totally disconnected with the aspirations and desires of the people of India.

Bhajans won’t fill bellies and religion won’t pay your bills.

Then there are the grandiose announcements in every goddamn budget which eulogize space missions and such like. I live between Goa and Gurgaon and both are mired in misery. In Goa, you have potholes which would make space look like kindergarten; you have no electricity and a state which is seemingly water abundant has homes getting their water supply from water tankers. If I were to actually rank States in India on the twin parameters of potential and actual delivery, Goa would be right at the bottom. You have a government that is seen to be corrupt; people are making money in the changing land use and construction even in the CRZ zone is happening surreptitiously.

Then there is Gurgaon. Smart city my foot. Annual flooding: potholed roads and miserable infrastructure with a Chief Minister who makes Nero look good. I can take a wager that the BJP will lose both these States as they must. The quality of governance in both these states is a disaster and Modi would be wise to wake up to the rampant corruption in both these BJP states.

Which is why the monies that the Government allocates to infrastructure is hogwash. But who is going to tell Narendra Modi that sanctioning money is quite different from putting that money to good and lasting use for the citizen. Our roads cave in; our bridges collapse; our airport roofs fall off and we have overcrowding both in terms of people and vehicles almost everywhere.

So do you actually believe the citizen really cares about your fiscal deficit or about your damn space program when you can’t deliver on the basics? The BJP needs to wake up and smell some finely ground coffee. Their façade is coming part. People saw through in the last election and more decline is forecast. I want to know how many more from the middle class will abandon the BJP? I have always maintained that Narendra Modi means well and is a man of action but does the PM not even know what is going on at the ground level qua the citizen?

I would have been happier if the Finance Minister actually concentrated on some real tax breaks; made provisions for the devastating effect of climate change and took into account the havoc that AI will wreak. For a country that is grappling with jobless growth these are the real issues not seeking to be feted at the next World Bank meeting because your fiscal deficit is 4.9%! Who cares?

The people of this country are truly disgusted at the manner in which things are implemented. They are tired of temple bells and mosque aazaans. They want real things for themselves and their children. They want decent education and not fraudulent exams; they want border protection and not watered down defence budgets and they seek hope when they step out of their homes. Not having to fight all over again for Roti, Kapda and Makaan. Not to mention electricity and water. And I am not even talking about food inflation yet. So, let’s cut out this crap about this being a dream budget. It is a nightmare if you ask which recurs every year in the hallowed halls of our Parliament.

(Suhel Seth is Managing Partner of Counselage India: suhel@counselage.com)