100 days of Modi Government

    18-Sep-2019
Arjun Munda
The Modi government is set to accomplish the feat of completing 100 days after being elected back to power. The newly-formed government had set an agenda for these 100 days, which was considered critical to propel the country towards inclusive development.
First and foremost, one must compliment the government because this is the first time in the history of Lok  Sabha that so many Bills were passed in a single session. The Cabinet finally gave its approval to different Bills and laws after several deliberations in the House.
The government has taken a historic decision by abrogating Article 370 and Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, thereby dividing the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Compared to the earlier state, Kashmir now shall see two regions governed by the Centre. It would not be an exaggeration to say that after Independence, the process of unifying India which was kick-started by ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was brought to its completion by honourable Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji under the leadership of our glorious Prime Minister  Narendra Modi ji. It fills my heart with pride to say today that the country is united from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south; there is one Constitution in the country and one flag. The crown of Kashmir now decorates the mast of Mother India.
The second most commendable achievement of the Modi government is the ending of the age-old practice of ‘Teen Talaq’, thereby empowering over lakhs of Muslim girls and women across the country. The noose of triple talaq is no longer hanging around their neck. The men who torture Muslim women with the triple divorce in the guise of religion will now have to spend their days in jail and also pay a penalty.
The third most significant accomplishment according to me will be the well-planned and visionary crackdown on terrorism. It was a very brave move to make the National Investigation Agency a more powerful agency, giving it the power to proclaim not just an organisation but also an individual as ‘terrorist’. The government’s move to extradite illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC), along with the national integration of Jammu and Kashmir, is a very brave and strong move towards crackdown on terrorism and ensuring national security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has always spared a thought for the farmers of our country. The PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi and the pension funds for farmers shows PM Modi’s care for the farmers.
With the intention to establish India as an economic superpower, the previous BJP government had simplified the tax structure of the country by introducing the pathbreaking Goods and Services Tax for a unified tax reform. Not too long ago, the government also merged 10 banks into 4 to ensure more capital for the financial institutions so that they can lend more and do bigger businesses. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India had offered a sum of Rs 1.76 lakh crores to the government to bolster its businesses and make money available for developmental works.
Due to the continuous progress in infrastructure development in the country, sectors such as road, railways and water have benefited with new logistical routes. India’s Chandrayaan 2 mission reached very close to the lunar surface and it is a huge achievement for the country.
The aforementioned topics are the works and accomplishments that several governments have continued to achieve in the past as well. But the most important and surprising things we get to see is the perception of the government by the people of the country. In 2014, the people of India were sick and tired of the corrupt Congress government and saw in honourable Narendra Modi ji an honest and patriotic leader who had a proven record of leadership capabilities to give the nation a clean image and take it in the direction of progress and development. Gradually, those assumptions got country-wide acceptance and adulation and the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power with a resounding majority. India got a stable and strong government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. The dreams and ambitions of the people of India finally got the wings to fly.
The government too did not disappoint the people and began working on several initiatives and schemes right since Day 1. Modiji launched the ‘toilet project’ under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and vowed to uphold Mahatma Gandhi ji’s ‘Clean India’ vision by 2 October 2019; the government helped provide bank accounts and housing schemes to every individual across the country. The government took stringent measures against economic offenders who fled India. Along with this, the government also implemented several other schemes and programmes for the people of the country.
As a result of all these initiatives and schemes, the people of India once again chose a stable, strong and and economically powerful government in the 2019 general elections with an even bigger mandate. BJP single-handedly won 303 Lok Sabha seats to emergee victorious. Barring a few state, the country was saffronised. Honourable Prime Minister Modi ji added a new mantra in his earlier slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas’ – ‘Sabka Vishwaas’.
By looking at the 100 days of Modi government, it appears that the trust of people continues to strengthen for the government. It is known to everyone that increasing belief is directly related to expectations and aspirations. The country is moving forward at a fast pace. India is an emerging economic superpower. The government has set an agenda to achieve the target of becoming a Rs 5 trillion-economy at the end of 5 years. But there are also several challenges – job creation and employment opportunities, boost exports, strengthen the Indian rupee in the global market, and to gain the trust of developed countries to come and invest in India.
However, we must not forget that we are a young nation who have the capability and acumen to take the government’s plans and initiatives in the right direction. Global economic slowdown, America-Iran standoff and a few other political roadblocks are posing a challenge to us.
But India is a country that is capable of finding its way out through tough situations and challenges, and is prepared to move ahead with a sound knowledge of the economic demands and make a mark on the global stage, while at the same time hold on to his cultural and traditional heritage.
I would also like to take the opportunity to share a very important information that after the formation of the Council of Ministers, the government has begun initiatives and schemes to provide education and employment to tribal communities in tribal regions with a view to also reform the way the tribal image is viewed and understood in the country.
The writer is Union Minister, Ministry of Tribal Affairs