The people’s verdict on who they want to lead the country was delivered on June 4, 2024. As I pen this on June 30, 2024, the Prime Minister has conspicuously disregarded the public’s desire for change (his face losing the electoral mandate for his party) and took the oath of office for the third time on June 9, 2024. Notably, the BJP Parliamentary Party did not endorse his candidacy as per tradition; it was the NDA Parliamentary Party that unanimously elected him as their leader first. Rumors swirled that several leaders, now retaining their positions in the Cabinet, were eager to assume the Prime Minister’s role and had colluded with the parent body to secure their ambition. Yet, their old files, metaphorically gathering dust, have temporarily shelved their aspirations. The nation has seen a volatile political landscape in the 16 days since the election results.
During this period of flux, the premature declaration of the Prime Minister’s candidacy, along with the almost unchanged Cabinet, represented yet another misstep in a series of them by the Coalition government. The rigidity amidst the turmoil implied that things would proceed as usual, with no room for dialogue or questions. However, the real motive behind retaining the same team appears to be to keep the files on past scandals securely locked away by the same group responsible for them.
The Parliament session officially began on June 25, 2024. Even before its commencement, the scandals unearthed put previous regimes to shame. The NEET UG, the medical entrance exam, faced numerous allegations of misconduct from across the country. As a doctor, I can elucidate the nexus of the elite, who remain unchallenged by the blind followers of the Supreme Leader. The elite in tier 1 and 2 cities—typically doctors, businesspersons, politicians, and landlords—realized that instead of paying hefty fees to private medical colleges, it was more advantageous to bribe middlemen and secure government medical college admissions for their children. This not only guaranteed a seat but also preserved the illusion of their ward’s intelligence, a point of pride at social gatherings. The NEET PG exam was postponed 12 hours before it was due; UGC-NET was leaked. Over the past seven years, there have been more than 70 paper leaks. The system only responds when the upper class feels the impact; this was too close to home. Initially, the government seemed poised for business as usual, appointing a certain someone Chairperson of National Testing Agency, to investigate his department’s own allegations. An RTI inquiry revealed that his 2006 appointment to the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPSC) was allegedly based on an RSS leader’s recommendation. Subsequently, he chaired the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission. Despite a lack of significant academic achievements or administrative experience, he held influential roles, including during the Vyapam scam’s peak in Madhya Pradesh, marked by suspicious witness deaths and corruption allegations. Surprisingly, he was appointed as UPSC Chairperson, though his tenure was brief due to accusations in the Ayurveda Medical Officers (AMO) paper leak case. He has served on numerous government committees.
Before reacting to your preferred news anchor’s spin and going back to questioning the Opposition, remember the major Opposition party was reduced to 44 seats in 2014 due to similar scandals that piled up in UPA-II, exposed by a Press that still had a voice. Today, India’s ranking on the Press Freedom Index for 2024 is 159 out of 180 countries, down from a high of 105 in 2006 and 2009. People vote for their livelihood, not for your favorite party that you blindly support like an IPL team. These examinations are a glimmer of hope for change. A man from Kota, the hub of exam preparation coaching centers, was elected as the voice of Lok Sabha for the first time since 1946. His daughter cleared the UPSC examinations and became an IAS officer on her first attempt, thanks to a Constitution, (he ardently disapproves if chanted for in the holy grounds of the Parliament,) which ensures equal opportunity and shapes our policies. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister’s silence on all of these events, (akin to Manipur last year) such as the collapse of Terminal 1’s roof at New Delhi Airport, suggests a lack of understanding of the Country’s needs for leadership, care and growth. Empathy? Not a PM trait. The writing on the wall is clear: “It is not just that the Emperor wears no clothes; his coterie refuses to see it any other way.”
Himanshu Chakravarty Sharma / मंच 