One WhatsApp forward is doing the rounds which says that the last 5 years have shaken India completely, but let’s do a postmortem of that message with the genuine facts so that India will actually elect the right person.
The message starts like this:
The very meaning of what it means to be Indian is at stake when you decide to vote this time. And while the choice still might be between the devil and the deep blue sea, some important highlights that have shaken us over the last 5 years can’t be ignored…
1. India finished 119 out of 150 countries in the World Hunger Index of 2018
Rebuttal: India’s current rank is 103 (& not 119). Its GHI score has improved a lot. Low GHI score means better performance.
2000 – 38.8
2005 – 38.8
2010 – 32.2
2018 – 31.1
Source: globalhungerindex.org
This article busts this myth about India’s ranking. Actually India’s rank has improved in last 4 years.
2. 7 of the top 10 most polluted cities in world are now in India (WHO data)
Rebuttal: The report of Times of India which mentions this data also includes an important remark: As India’s air pollution monitoring network improved in the past few years with more cities being monitored, the number of Indian cities in the top polluters’ list zoomed.
Yes! Now we are improving our technology and thus we are able to see what all is happening in our country. The same report also suggests that India’s performance in getting better and thus in CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX, India’s rank improved from 30th in 2014 to 11th in 2019.
3. India is now suffering from its highest unemployment rate in 45 years (NSSO data)
Rebuttal: So many economists have busted this myth. Government has stopped using NSSO Data long back because of inaccuracy and drawbacks in the survey system. Currently, Government uses EPFO data and it suggests that the employment has increased in last 4 years. India’s biggest Job Seeking Platform Naukri.com has also published report claiming that the jobs have increased. The NSSO report which leaked in the media was not the approved report from the committee. A simple logic from my point of view is – India can’t grow at 7.5% and can’t become world’s fastest growing major economy with highest rate of unemployment.
4. India now has the highest income inequality in 80 years of its existence (Credit Suisse Report 2018). Ironically, things were statistically better during the British Raj and World War II
Rebuttal: This problem started in 1980s. From that time income inequality is a major thing in India. It is not something which was boosted in last 5 years. The rate is almost same as it was earlier. This is not just the case in India – many other countries are facing the same issue.
5. India has become world’s most dangerous country for women (Thomas Reuters Survey)
Rebuttal: It looks more of like perception poll & not the truth. This article explains the propaganda of Thomas Reuters Survey.
6. Kashmiri youth joining militancy is highest in 10 years (Indian Army data)
Rebuttal: The data is based on technical and human intelligence, besides interrogation reports of militants arrested during various counter-insurgency operations in the valley — which means now more proper covert operations are happening in the valley. We are catching more terrorists and thus the numbers are self-explanatory. The message maker might have missed this, but the fact is that maximum terrorists have been neutralized in the last 5 years.
7. Indians Farmers suffered the worst price crash in 18 years (WPI Data)
Rebuttal: Falling inflation is a good sign, as it is pro-poor. Also rising inflation does not mean that the farmers are getting richer or getting a good price, because of inefficiency and gaps in the supply chain. Falling inflation will also help the Reserve Bank of India cut down interest rates and catalyse faster growth. But at the same time, to support Indian farmers, the government has initiated many things – 50% hike in MSP, Direct Income Support under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, crop insurance at a flat premium of Rs1 and Rs 2000 per acre transfer to farmers.
Loss of farmers? As per CMIE data -0.08% is the change in Nominal Farm Income in 2018-19. Which is well covered and compensated by PM Kisan scheme.
8. India is now the world’s second-worst country in Wealth Distribution (Global Wealth Report)
Rebuttal: This problem started in 1980s. From that time income inequality is a major thing in India. It is not something which was boosted in last 5 years. The rate is almost same as it was earlier.
9. The Indian Rupee was Asia’s worst performing currency in the last 18 months (several reports by international agencies/ newspapers)
Rebuttal: A bit of economy lessons – Yes it was worst in Asia but now it is the best performing currency in the World. Why? How? After Pulwama and then India’s befitting reply and the trend in Indian politics, it is almost sure that Narendra Modi Govt will come in power again. Investors see it a big opportunity in India and thus they have started investing heavily. NOW THE RUPEE IS THE BEST PERFORMING CURRENCY IN THE WORLD.
Do you know that in 2009 Rs/Dollar was about 40rs in 2013 it was around 68rs. From 2014 to 2019 – Now it is still around 68-70. Decide for yourself which is best and which is not.
10. India has become the third worst country on the planet to safeguard it’s environment (EPI 2018)
Rebuttal: As mentioned earlier India’s rank in Climate Change Performance Index has improved – from 30th in 2014 to 11th in 2019. Also with a proper monitoring system things are speeding up. Swaach Bharat Abhiyan was a huge success. From sanitation coverage of 38% to 99% today, this is our country’s journey. Yes! we are improving at an amazing pace and it will continue if we elect the right person (again).
11. Foreign funding for political parties and organised lobbying has been legalised, paving the way for unaccounted corruption in public office and the danger of influence of international governments/ corporations (Finance Bill 2017)
Rebuttal: This is not true. We have had cases of lobbying earlier under the UPA. At that time which law was in force, or was it lawlessness? Have we heard of such a case under Narendra Modi government?
12. The current PM Narendra Modi is the first PM in India’s history to hold no public press conferences. This has never happened in the history of modern democracies on the planet (multiple online articles/ international publications)
Rebuttal: So what? Our PM is working and that’s sufficient. GDP is increasing. India was in Fragile 5 & now it is world’s fastest growing major economy. 100% electrification has been achieved. We are growing! Press Conference? Huh.. I too feel he should have given them to shut the shop of some people who are spreading misinformation.
13. Institutions like the RBI, CBI, Supreme Court and the Defence Establishment, critical to the safety and functioning of our nation state are under duress from the government (multiple academic sources available online)
Rebuttal: If government agencies take action against corruption, people say misuse of power and if they don’t, the same people say Narendra Modi is not fighting corruption. By the way I can show ample cases where CBI ED have raided even BJP leaders in last 5 years. This is truly freeing of the institutions.
14. Mainstream Indian media is amenable to planting pro-government articles for money. Most media houses are now owned by political parties in co-junction with large corporate establishments, impacting their ability to report freely and fairly (Scoopwhoop, Cobra Post, 2018)
Rebuttal: This statement is not backed by evidence. Particularly, there is no evidence against BJP under Narendra Modi. Corporate houses own media channels and this is not a new or post 2014 event.
15. The reportage of the Balkot airstrikes by the Indian media was a dangerous precedent of fueling nationalism and a potential conflagration between nuclear armed nation states without any credible proof being demanded of its own government (Numerous articles in the NY Times, The Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC and Al Jazeera, after the coverage of the Balakot air strikes by Indian TV channels)
Rebuttal: Fueling Nationalism is not dangerous but a thing we should be proud of. Because of all this people have started believing in Indian Army (though there are some who still questions our Army)
16. The number of Indian soldiers killed in action in the last 4-years has been the highest in 30 years (Washington Post)
Rebuttal: This is untrue, as the figures show. And the numbers of terrorists killed are way more than before. (Actually highest in 10 years – 257)
Soldier’s Martyred
2005 -244
2006 – 182
2007 – 122
2008 – 85
2009 – 79
2010 – 69
2011 – 33
2012 – 15
2013 – 53
2014 – 47
2015 – 39
2016 – 82
17. Narendra Modi is the first Indian PM in whose term, 2 RBI governors did not finish their stints. (Every Indian newspaper). Additionally, Narendra Modi is the first leader in parliament to ask the RBI for 3 Lakh crores of its reserves. The amount is 33% of the India’s financial backup! (Every Indian media house)
Rebuttal: 3 lacs is a lie. No payments were made by RBI. Talking of RBI Governors, it’s their personal decision. Government under Narendra Modi did not force them to step down.
18. Violence against Dalits and minorities has been the highest in our independent history (multiple academic data-points available online)
Rebuttal: It is not at all true. It is the same principal – Everything is monitored properly thus more cases are getting registered. The truth is crime rate has declined in last 5 years under Narendra Modi and proper law and order is being maintained.
19. The current Government under Narendra Modi is the first in the history of our democracy to ban international watch-dogs:
– Amnesty International was banned because it raised questions in its documented reportage of mob lynching and the status of human rights in India.
– Greenpeace’s functioning has been crippled by the Government because it reported fudged Government data on forest cover. The current Government regards horticultural zones as forests. India’s actual forest cover is 14% lower in 2018, than it was in 2013 (Greenpeace)
Rebuttal: Both these organisations did not comply with Indian laws. One can find many links with a simple Google search regarding this.
20. In the last 5 years under Narendra Modi, the amount of Non-Performing Assets or Irrecoverable Loans, given out by Public Sector Banks, has increased from 13 lakh Crores to 82 lakh crores (RBI data, The Economic Times)
Rebuttal: Again fake news. After bringing IBC, more NPAs have been detected, most of which was granted in the era of UPA II – including Nirav Modi’s, Vijay Mallya’s, and many more. The notable thing is that maximum NPAs have been recovered by this government by strict actions against defaulters. Around 4 lac crores have been recovered.
There is a litany of so much more factual data that can be shared but this should be enough to depress the steeliest of optimists, that is if you even made it this far.
Rebuttal – Oh! I agree with this point. Lot of things need to be shared but this is enough to share.
Vote for hope; please don’t divorce your index finger from your brain.
A big applause for the writer for this above line.