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| Edited By: Pankti Dalal |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Mar 26, 2015, 03:48 PM IST
The 2014 Lok Sabha election was a month of great excitement and political fervour. May 16 marked a mammoth victory for Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government. However 100 days since the Modi government was sworn into power, as a first-time voter, I'm disappointed with the new prime minister of many words.
Narendra Modi was voted to power ostensibly on the basis of the majority opinion of the people - this election saw a voter turnout of 66.38%. The target audience being first-time voters like me, many were in awe of the promising speeches and initiatives like chai pe charcha and hologram rallies. However, it has been 100 days and the deafening propaganda has watered down into mere silence.
Read More: How BJP's exhaustive campaign translated into a win for Narendra Modi
Perhaps my greatest disappointment was Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley's interaction with students in Mumbai. On August 16, Arun Jaitley gave a speech at the NCPA titled “Vision India 2020.” Pegged as a promising talk, it was hoped that the minister would address young management students and answer questions regarding the recently released budget. However of the 45-minute speech, almost 30 minutes were devoted to sharp criticism of the UPA government. The rest 15 minutes failed to give a clear vision for even the year 2014, let alone 2020. Though an excellent orator, Jaitley did not entertain any questions, and rushed his way through the speech.
The absence of answers from the BJP on important national issues is because they claim to hold Narendra Modi as the spokesperson of the government. But we heard very little from the man himself, especially during the nationwide outrage after the Badaun rape case in Uttar Pradesh and the gruesome rape case of the five-year-old girl in Bangalore. It is important that Modi continues the dialogue with the people, as he promised in the run up to the elections.
Perhaps the one time that he did live up to his famed oratory skills was his address on Independence Day. The speech had everything that a young citizen wanted to hear. But although he addressed the issue of the absence of dignity for women in the 21st century in the light of the recent rape cases, his statement was a mere generalisation of the remorse he felt. With the absolute majority and control that Modi holds over the nation, his words could have carried more weight had he been more outspoken when the cases of rape or communal disharmony took place.
Moreover, talking about sensitivity towards rape cases, Nihal Chand Meghwal, a minister in the Modi cabinet still holds power despite allegations of rape against him. When questions were raised regarding the same, Narendra Modi failed to be answerable. So as a woman, more than a first time voter, there is still the lack of assurance of safety from the executive.
Also Read: India: No country for women
As far as education is concerned, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issue spiraled into chaos. The demand for the removal of English comprehension from the preliminary exam CSAT took a dangerous turn with students protesting violently and burning their exam entry cards. While leaders from parties like the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party joined them and tried to comprehend their situation, there was an absence on the part of the BJP to understand the crux of the issue.
Also Read: What are the UPSC protests really about?
Read More: Opposition maintains pressure on government over UPSC row
Perhaps, 100 days is too small a timeframe to judge a government, and there are a lot of issues that it has to address at once. However, it is important for Modi to deliver on his image as the people's man, and a leader who is willing to bring about not just economic change but constructive social change too. As a leader who won the people's mandate to rule India for five years, Modi needs to go a long way to meet the expectations of first-time voters who had high hopes from his government.
