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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Raj Thackeray seeks ‘accountability’

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “austerity” triggered a blistering political broadside from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who accused the Centre of hypocrisy, economic mismanagement, reckless political extravagance and attempting to shift the burden of its failures onto ordinary citizens. In a scathing statement, Raj questioned the moral authority of the PM to preach sacrifices to the country while the ruling establishment indulges in lavish political...

Raj Thackeray seeks ‘accountability’

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “austerity” triggered a blistering political broadside from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who accused the Centre of hypocrisy, economic mismanagement, reckless political extravagance and attempting to shift the burden of its failures onto ordinary citizens. In a scathing statement, Raj questioned the moral authority of the PM to preach sacrifices to the country while the ruling establishment indulges in lavish political roadshows, massive convoys, flower-shower spectacles, expensive election campaigns across the country and high-profile foreign trips. On the PM’s recent multi-pronged appeal asking Indians to slash gold purchases and fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel, adopt electric vehicles or adopt Work From Home, Raj said the government was willy-nilly readying the country for an impending economic crisis but refusing to accept the blame for creating it. “Will you acknowledge that a mistake was made by you, apologise for it, and pledge that henceforth, neither you nor anyone else will engage in such conduct? Why should the public be made to carry the financial load for your blunders?” demanded Raj sharply. Sudden Warnings The MNS chief argued that high crude oil prices cannot be blamed for the present economic distress, as there were many precedents in the recent past when global crude rates hovered in the $90-$100 / barrel range. He listed the scenario witnessed during the 2008 recession, the Arab Spring (2011-2012), again in 2013-2014, and finally when the OPEC cut production (2022-2023) to buttress his contentions. However, in those crises, neither ex-PM Manmohan Singh nor Modi himself issued such austerity appeals, and wondered “why such warnings were suddenly being sounded now” for the country. He demanded answers over the high fuel prices in India owing to taxes, and alleged that even when crude oil prices had plummeted to $ 60-$ 65, petrol and diesel were sold at exorbitant rates to Indians. “Lakhs of crores of rupees were collected from people - where did that money go? What happened to it?” Raj asked bluntly, in what is viewed as his fiercest attack on the government till date. Dual Face Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘dual standards’, Raj accused it of ridiculing ‘Revdi culture’ publicly while simultaneously doling out massive freebies during Assembly elections in West Bengal, Bihar and Maharashtra to lure voters. “The ‘Ladki Bahin’ before the Maharashtra 2024 Assembly elections has brought the state economy on the verge of collapse. Rather than truly empowering women, they were given meagre sums of money which was again clawed back through high inflation. If the state and national economies are in such a dire condition, will the PM now firmly declare a ban on all such politically motivated freebies,” asked Raj. He slammed the BJP for wasting enormous quantities of fuel during the recent poll campaigns in four states to ferry crowds for mega-rallies, but citizens are now being advised to sacrifice their fuel consumption. Hike in Offing Raj said with WFH and EV appeals, if the government was mentally preparing the people for another steep hike in fuel prices, the masses would anyway be compelled to reduce consumption as they can no longer afford it. He said it is time to admit that while the Indian economy is outwardly robust, inwardly fragile, the government should not exploit the Iran-Israel-US war as a convenient scapegoat to divert attention. “In your tenure, the Indian Rupee (INR) was devalued significantly, why? In the past 10 years, three different RBI Governors have quit, what was the reason, tell the nation. Ex-RBI Governor and then PM Manmohan Singh, himself a renowned economist, held serious discussions with financial experts and heeded them. We have heard all your ‘Mann Ki Baat’, now you should listen to the genuine economic masters and the masses,” Raj exhorted. Calling upon the PM to convene a Parliament special session to inform the country on the real state of the economy and concrete measures to tackle the challenges, Raj reminded the government that “we are not your enemies, but asking questions is our duty.” NCP (SP) gallops to austerity A political protest by the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) against the government’s austerity drive, became something of a traffic-stopper in Thane. Discarding air-conditioned SUVs or sedans, NCP (SP) General Secretary Dr Jitendra Awhad came astride a snow-white horse, while some other party leaders trailed on a horse-drawn ‘tanga’ and a ‘bail-gadi’ (bullock cart), raising anti-government slogans. “This is what we will come to soon… The economic crises will worsen in the coming days. We may be forced to gallop to Mantralaya or other places on horses and in carts. The government’s reverse development model will take us 2000-years back,” warned Dr. Awhad, as the afternoon traffic halted and hundreds crowded for a glimpse of the mini-procession. Patting his mount, he predicted a massive hike in fuel prices and other essentials, commuting on beasts of burden, or worse. Even if people shifted to animal transport, he wondered how they would feed their four-legged creatures with minimal resources. A party worker carried a placard proclaiming: “Next Budget: One Horse Per Family Scheme”, as some pedestrians wondered if the authorities would introduce exclusive ‘bullock cart or horse-tanga lanes” on the roads, or whether FASTag would be compulsory for these creatures. Pawar demands all-party meet Amid a nationwide furore over the Centre’s austerity appeals and concerns over global economic stability, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the country’s economy and evolving international challenges. Pawar said that the PM’s recent announcements - made in view of the ‘unstable and warlike situation’ in the Middle East - could have ‘far-reaching consequences’ on the Indian economy and has already triggered anxiety among ordinary citizens, industry stakeholders and investors alike. “The sudden nature of these announcements has created an atmosphere of unease among the common people, the industry-business sector as well as investors. This situation is certainly a cause for concern,” Pawar said. The NCP (SP) supremo’s appeal came against the backdrop of rising tensions owing to the Middle-East war, fears of escalating crude oil prices, the volatility in global markets coupled with Modi’s call urging citizens' restraint by embracing austerity measures. The PM’s wide-ranging appeal includes reducing fuel consumption, slashing gold purchases for a year, avoiding foreign travel, opting for electric vehicles and adopting Work From Home – triggering a nation-wide debate since the past two days. The NCP (SP) supremo emphasised that the gravity of the prevailing international situation called for a more ‘consultative and inclusive approach’ from the Bharatiya Janata Party government to build a consensus on economic and policy responses. “Given the current international situation, the central government must prioritize greater sensitivity and broad consultations. Considering the seriousness of this issue, the PM should take the lead to call an all-party meeting as involving leaders from all political parties in the decision-making process on matters of national interest is extremely essential for the welfare of the country,” urged Pawar. Besides the political consultations, the ex-union minister exhorted the PM for urgent engagement with economists, industrialists and domain experts to thoroughly review and assess the potential fallout of international developments on India’s economy. Such a comprehensive discussion on future economic policies was crucially required to reassure the public and restore investor confidence. “Building confidence and stability among the people of the country should be the government’s topmost priority in the current circumstances. This is our firm stand,” Pawar asserted.

Warriors of Night

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

We name our daughters Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati; we worship the divine feminine power in the temples but oppress, repress and even attack the feminine power amidst us. That is the irony in the way India sees its women.

After the safety of the daylight fades, women are seen as easy prey by the predators of the night.

We mark the nine nights of Navratri, the festival of the goddess, by celebrating the dedication and valour of nine real-life women who brave the challenges of the night to pursue their dreams.


Part - 4


Never felt unsafe

The singer says there has been a generational change over the last two decades

Never felt unsafe

Work has no timings for Aisha Sayed. Sometimes, she begins her studio recording at 12 AM and finishes by 5 AM; at other times, concerts and live shows start at 9 AM and she’s done by midnight. In her field of work as a performer and singer, Sayed is used to not getting a night’s sleep and often returning home when most of the city is set to wake up. “I have been travelling at night but I have never, ever, felt unsafe in Mumbai,” says the singer-performer who began her career at the age of 13 years. Her father spotted her talent for music and took her to meet a sound engineer who was their neighbour in Bandra. The family helped her get opportunities and from there, her career began.

Being among the top contenders in Indian Idol, season 3, in 2007 catapulted her to fame and it opened up a world of new performance opportunities across the country. “I was just 20 years then and I was travelling the world, performing at the most lavish weddings, staying at the most luxurious hotels and performing at big corporate gigs,” she says. Safety, while on work, is has never been an issue for her for the organizers arrange a security detail for the performers. “They escort us until we reach the room. And since we travel with our team in a big group, there is always safety in numbers,” says Sayed, who sings in 10 languages. Her peers have faced instances of audience members being rowdy. “Once in Delhi, a group of drunk men followed my colleague to her room and kept banging on her door late into the night. But I have been fortunate,” she says.

Work assignments have taken to varied places, from the most luxurious international destinations to far-off venues in the hinterland of India where she’s travelled through dark, dense forested areas. “I have driven through areas where the only light is that of your car’s headlights. Turn around and you see pitch darkness,” says Sayed. She’s always got a little prayer on her lips when travelling through these remote areas for miles together. She recalls a show in Chattisgarh where she had to travel for nine hours at a stretch through remote and forested areas. “No place in our country is as safe as Mumbai,” she stresses. She would know, considering her extensive travels. She advises women to travel in groups while in places that are unfamiliar or unknown and never to venture out at night alone. “Keep your family informed of your whereabouts,” she says.

While her agreements state that proper security at all times, Sayed says that she drives her own car if she’s out at night for parties or personal work but insists that the people of Mumbai are largely helpful and cooperative. A rickshaw driver who once drove to home in the wee hours of the night, after a recording, waited at her gate until the watchman let her in. Friends and colleagues have dropped her home several times.

Mumbai, she feels, has changed—and it’s for the better, in the past two decades. “Earlier, on buses and trains, men would use the crowd as an excuse to touch women inappropriately. That has gone down. There is a generational change that I see,” says Sayed. She used to take the BEST buses and trains to her training classes and for recordings in the early days of her career.

Her timings are inconsistent and her shows take her to various cities and towns. But the Mumbai-bred girl emphasizes that her city is very safe for women, despite the various incidents of violence. “Mumbai is the only place where a woman can wear what she wants, wear bright red lipstick, leave her hair open and look glamorous and still be safe.”

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