Winning elections is far more important than water for parched lands

Gujarat is cutting piped water supplies to its cities and villages for household use as there is little stored water left in the Narmada dam to last until when rains are expected. Water to industries will be cut too and totally withheld from farmers until rains come and the storage improves.

It was known by Sep 2017 that there was much less water stored in the Narmada dam than usual, but the State govt. wasted millions of litres of water in rallies by PM Modi in the run up to the State elections in Dec 2017.

To manipulate farmers, the State Government did not inform them until a month after the elections that they  would not get the full quantum of water for their winter crop - though this was known to officials from months before. As a result many farmers had already sown their crops by the time the announcement came in January 2018.

The record of the Modi Govt. in Gujarat till 2013..

A friend wrote back : ‘The fact is the dynastic rule of Nehru/Gandhi’s which is the cause of our ills . It will take years to correct the course provided we have a strong person like Mr Modi continue to lead the country.’

In Aug 2013 I had investigated Modi’s track record of 11 years rule of Gujarat by wide readings on the net. I found then that the annual jumborees of Vibrant Gujarat were a propaganda exercise. Few of the announcements of FDI investment were realized, less than even in neighbouring Maharashtra !

The big investments by the Adanis and others in Gujarat had displaced lakhs of fishermen, farmers and artisans when their lands were forcibly taken by the Gujarat Government, while giving only a few jobs as the industries had a high degree of automation.

Investments in education had been tom-tommed – but the school education budget had actually shrunk over the years. A smaller proportion of children were in school than before, and the proportion of scheduled castes and tribes had fallen even more.

The shrill campaign on Narmada waters had benefited industry with availability of water .. farmers were still waiting for naramada waters after all these years.. many villages were dependent on tankers even for drinking water. Gujarat’s agricultural output on many crops had shrunk.

I had at that time been mailed photos of gleaming highways in Gujarat then being widely circulated by the right wingers – on closer look the signs on bus stops were in Korean ! The same pattern of lies and misrepresentation continues and many gullible people are taken in..

Now, whenever I investigate an achievement of the Modi Government, I find it is merely a continuation of policies of the Congress Government, but blared through the loudspeakers more loudly. The only two exceptions so far in my readings have been the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and the firing of 300 employees of the central government for reported non-performance. On the other hand, there have been continuous mis-steps and disasters by the Modi Government in every area one can think of..