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The muddle of saffron socialism

Published

9 years ago

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Modi greets BJP leaders on the occasion of the swearing-in of Adityanath Yogi, the new UP CM

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Modi plan for New India is based on a guided economy

By Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

The Congress party, the communists and others assumed that the pro-poor socialist agenda is theirs alone, and it is the weapon to be used against right-wing parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). That is why Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as well as Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury portray the BJP as anti-poor, pro-rich. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has outflanked the traditional left-of-centre and left parties by appropriating the pro-poor, anti-rich slogan for his party, and going by the electoral success in Uttar Pradesh, it seems that it has worked. Modi has successfully forged socialism with BJP features and turned it into the standard of the party.

Modi has not invented socialism of the right. He has taken the idea from BJP/Jan Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, from the rhetorical formulations of Swami Vivekananda about the need to serve the poor, apart from Gandhi’s idea of the rich being the custodians of the riches which are to be used for the poor. But he has consistently harped on his commitment and that of his party for the welfare of the poor. He has projected demonetisation as pro-poor-anti-rich, that is illicitly rich, measure. It remains a debatable point whether UP poll verdict is an endorsement of demonetisation as it is being made out to be in a knee-jerk fashion. The intent of the UP voter in voting overwhelmingly in favour of BJP is quite complex and it cannot be inferred as an approval of the nearly three-year Modi government at the Centre.  Demonetisation remains a wrong economic decision and an electoral victory cannot make it right. All that one can say about demonetisation and the UP electoral outcome, if there is any connection between the two, is that bad economics makes for good politics. Modi’s jibes against the critics of the measure will remain just that, jibes, and they do not alter unsoundness of the measure. As a matter of fact, it is the true measure of populism that it seeks vindication not in terms of its own inherent logic but in extraneous factor.

It will be difficult to label BJP as a Hindutva party alone any more, though it remains a Hindutva party in terms of realpolitik. It has become a populist party, and it is right-wing populism at that because it combines nationalism with egalitarianism of a kind. The dreaded word, national socialism, has to be used despite its negative connotations derived from the German experience with the Nazis, the National Socialists. Speaking at the victory celebration do at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday (March 12) evening, Modi put forward a convoluted argument. He declared that the poor are not looking for sops but they want the state to provide them the opportunity to make their own fortune. The converse of the theorem is that once the poor are able to get on and get off on their own, the middle class need not carry the burden of national well-being. The underlying theme is quite evident: the tax-paying middle class is carrying the weight of welfare measures and subsidies.

If this is the rhetorical flourish of the prime minister, the thinking of Modi government at the policy level is to create a welfare state, which is administered by private entrepreneurs and not by the state, and which is supported by increased tax collections. The prime minister maintains a conspicuous silence on the tax booty, while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is clearly looking for higher tax collections in order to finance welfare measures. The plan will come under stress if the economy does not grow, and tax buoyancy will disappear. The non-performing assets (NPAs) of the public sector banks are a sign of the stress in the financial system. Apart from the evils of crony capitalism that is behind part of the NPA story, there are issues of how the financial system is to bankroll the engines of economic growth. It can be seen in the last three years that public investment is carrying the burden of keeping the growth rate ticking, and there is no sign of private investment picking up. And then there are major problems involved in empowering the poor through educating them, skilling them, and by prodding investment that will create jobs for them. The economy is not at the beck and call of a leader or his party. And even the poor have their own ideas as to how they want to get ahead in their lives. They do not want a paternalist state to make them walk on the straight and narrow path of what the policy-makers believe to be the right path.  It is on the rocks of unbound reality that the best laid plans of the politicians break.

Modi’s vision of New India envisages a national economy managed by the state through private sector that will provide full employment. It is a socialist vision of an indirectly planned economy. It poses a challenge to those who hated the Congress variant of socialism, and despite the market meltdown of the last decade have not lost faith in the ideal of a free market economy. One of the reasons that pro-free marketers supported the BJP was their hope that the right-wing party will get rid the country of the state-controlled economy spawned by the Nehruvian socialists. They will now have to come to terms with the Modi plan of making the free market a handmaid of national power and pride and for serving the needs of the poor. Even if they now decide to become the foot soldiers of BJP’s nationalist socialism, it does not alter the ominous truth established by Friedrich Hayek in his 1944 book, Road to Serfdom. Socialism of any kind comes at the price of liberty.

If socialism as such has turned out to be a failed system, and it can now be argued that Nehruvian socialism could not have succeeded with the best of intentions, then it is inevitable that the epitaph for saffron socialism would have to be written as well, and that sooner than later. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Karnataka to convene joint legislature session over MGNREGA repeal

The Karnataka government will convene a joint session of the legislature from January 22 to discuss the Centre’s repeal of MGNREGA, triggering sharp criticism from the opposition.

Published

2 hours ago

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January 14, 2026

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karnataka assembly

The Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday decided to convene a joint session of the state legislature from January 22 to January 31, with the Centre’s decision to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) set to be the key focus.

The Congress-led government had earlier planned a two-day special session to discuss the repeal of MGNREGA, which has been replaced by the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G). However, State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the plan was altered due to constitutional provisions.

Briefing reporters, Patil said the government was compelled to convene a joint session instead of a special session because of a technical requirement. Citing Article 176 of the Constitution, he explained that the Governor must address the first session of the state legislature every year.

“As a result of this technical reason, we are advancing the session. Instead of a special session, it will be a joint session,” Patil said, adding that holidays during the session would be announced by the Speaker.

He stressed that the state government would not remain silent if people’s rights were “snatched away” and said the objective of the session was to create public awareness and exert pressure on the Centre to restore MGNREGA.

Opposition questions intent of the session

Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka strongly criticised the decision, alleging that the joint session was convened with a “malafide intention” and amounted to a “sheer waste of money”.

Addressing a press conference, Ashoka said legislative sessions were meant for law-making and discussions on governance issues, questioning the purpose of holding a session on a matter decided by the Centre.

“What is this session convened for? Is it to utter gibberish in the House? There is no use of this session,” he said, adding that any resolution passed by the Assembly would have no practical value and would be ignored.

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Centre urges Indians to leave Iran amid worsening security situation

India has advised its citizens to leave Iran and avoid travelling to the country as nationwide protests intensify and the security situation continues to deteriorate.

Published

3 hours ago

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January 14, 2026

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unrest in iran

India on Wednesday asked all its nationals currently in Iran to leave the country using available commercial means, citing a sharp deterioration in the security situation amid widespread anti-government protests and a heavy crackdown by authorities.

The government has also issued a strong advisory urging Indians to avoid travelling to Iran until further notice.

Advisory issued for Indian nationals in Iran

In a fresh advisory, the Indian Embassy in Iran said Indian citizens, including students, pilgrims, businesspersons and tourists, should leave Iran by available modes of transport, including commercial flights.

The embassy further advised Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin to exercise extreme caution, avoid areas witnessing protests or demonstrations, stay in regular contact with the embassy, and closely monitor local developments through official channels and local media.

Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its warning, strongly advising Indians against travelling to Iran in view of the evolving situation. Earlier this month, the ministry had already asked citizens to avoid non-essential travel and urged those residing in Iran to remain cautious.

Protests spread nationwide

The unrest in Iran began late last month in Tehran after the Iranian currency, the rial, fell to record lows. What started as protests over economic hardship has since expanded into a broader movement demanding political change.

The demonstrations have now spread across all 31 provinces of the country, with the overall situation deteriorating significantly in recent days.

According to reports cited by media, the death toll from the nationwide protests has crossed 2,500, reflecting the scale and intensity of the ongoing crackdown.

Rising regional tensions

The developments in Iran have also contributed to heightened tensions in West Asia. The situation escalated further after the US president warned Tehran against the use of force on demonstrators and hinted at possible military action.

In a message addressed to protesters, the US president said that “help is on the way,” adding to the growing international pressure surrounding the crisis.

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Abhishek Banerjee presents alleged dead voters at poll rally, attacks EC over SIR

Abhishek Banerjee displayed 10 people allegedly marked as dead in Bengal’s draft electoral rolls, accusing the Election Commission and BJP of undermining voting rights through the SIR exercise.

Published

14 hours ago

on

January 14, 2026

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday intensified his attack on the Election Commission and the BJP-led Centre, presenting 10 people at a public rally who were allegedly marked as dead in the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal.

Addressing the gathering in Cooch Behar, the Trinamool national general secretary called the individuals on stage and claimed they had been wrongly declared deceased despite being residents of the district since birth. He alleged that their names were struck off the electoral rolls during the SIR process.

Banerjee accused the Election Commission of acting under political influence and said the ongoing exercise was effectively depriving citizens of their fundamental right to vote.

Allegations over voter list revision

The Diamond Harbour MP claimed that around 3.5 lakh residents of Cooch Behar district alone have received notices citing logical discrepancies during the SIR process. He urged Trinamool workers to ensure that all affected individuals are re-included in the voter list.

Banerjee also alleged that the EC was focusing on removing names from electoral rolls instead of safeguarding democratic participation. He claimed that anxiety related to the SIR exercise had led to the deaths of around 78 people in the state.

Earlier this month, Banerjee had presented three individuals at another rally in South 24 Parganas district, alleging that they too had been marked as dead voters in the draft rolls.

Attack on BJP over unfulfilled promises

Targeting the BJP-led Centre, Banerjee accused the ruling party of failing to fulfil electoral promises made to the people of Cooch Behar since 2014. He cited commitments related to the formation of the Narayani battalion, a training centre named after warrior Chilarai, international status for the Madan Mohan temple, and the upgradation of Cooch Behar airport.

He also claimed that the 9-seater aircraft service between Cooch Behar and Kolkata, introduced in February 2023, is likely to be discontinued by the end of the month, alleging neglect by the Centre.

Assembly polls and political messaging

Calling on voters to back Trinamool candidates in all nine assembly seats in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said the upcoming assembly elections would be a contest between the people of Bengal and the BJP. In the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP had won six seats in the district, while Trinamool secured three.

He thanked voters for defeating former Union minister Nisith Pramanik in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and asserted that the Trinamool Congress would return to power in West Bengal for a fourth consecutive term under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee also criticised recent central agency actions in the state and accused the BJP leadership of insulting Bengal’s cultural and political legacy. He further alleged excesses by border forces against farmers working near the India-Bangladesh border and objected to NRC notices allegedly being sent to some residents of Cooch Behar.

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