Votebank politics result in step-motherly treatment for India's states in dire need

The floods in Kerala have swept away many of the hopes and dreams of the people who inhabit God’s own country. With a death toll of over 600, with many missing, lakhs of homeless who are in relief camps and over 40,000 crore hectares of crops have been destroyed, the situation is dire. As Kerala lies in a pool of misery the CM of Kerala has been forced to send out SOS messages for relief and help to NRIs from Kerala. Why? Because the Centre continues to ignore this Southern state.

Initially, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sanctioned a paltry sum of Rs 80 crore to the state of Kerala which hardly covers the damage and devastation that the state has faced. Currently there are announcements that around Rs 600 crore will be sanctioned, this only after the UAE pledged 700 crores and the Modi government began to look bad.

In fact, a recent study done by the BBC has pointed out that the floods could have been avoided had the indifference shown by the Centre towards the state of Kerala, not been so pronounced. Experts are of the opinion that Kerala gets no early flood warning from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the only government agency authorized to do so. The unprecedent flood and dam water releases also raise the question about flood forecasting and advance action by the CWC. The shocking news that the CWC has not included important dams like the Idukki and Idamalayar dam as part of its flood forecasting just goes to show the level of indifference by the state.

Meanwhile it may be noted that Gujarat currently has the best flood forecasting and water management plans in place. I wonder why that is! Recent reports are out that the PM has sanctioned whopping amounts of money, for the cleaning of the Ganga in Varanasi (Banaras) According to respected daily newspapers the amount is to the tune of rupees 20,601 crore! And what is worse, only 20% of the Ganga remains clean after this huge amount has been lavished on the state. No surprise then that another 40,000 crores of rupees has been sanctioned for phase two! People may also notice that the farmers of that region have been granted huge rebates on their loans. It does not take rocket science to see that our ‘beloved’ Centre is clearly favouring the states where it has a secure vote bank and ignoring those where they clearly cannot win seats. Even at the cost of being highly insensitive to the dire situation of the people in Kerala or the homeless in Coorg. Southern states and the North East have been getting a step motherly treatment ever-since the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started playing vote bank politics. Divide and rule is his methodology and we saw how it worked well for the British Raj. Not only is the country to be divided along the fault-lines of caste and communal disharmony but now regional and state differences are being put into play, where certain states where the CM is bound to win are being nurtured and favoured while the people of other states, where his popularity is under serious question are being ignored and treated like second rate citizens. This kind of division will only result in the country splitting further and it challenges the notion of the nation as one entity rather than a group of warring states. The last time that happened the British Colonized India and it took us over 150 years to gain independence!

I am not implying that we should not clean the Ganga or that we mustn’t come up with economic schemes for our farmers. I am all for that. But not in the manner it is being implemented where the pet states of the Centre are getting preferential treatment. If we are to progress as a country the growth should be of a uniform nature and not only in the state where the PM gets votes! Especially in India, the vote banks are divided only on the basis of their religion, caste, language or place of living. In every manner, this criterion has damaged the unity and integrity of India. I would go as far as to say that It is because of vote bank politics that corrupt leaders and bad administrators come to power.

How do we rectify this partial treatment that is being meted out and correct the fault-lines of hate? One solution is that we as a democracy contribute more to the states in need, where the haves give to the have nots and then automatically an economic leveling will at least be initiated. However private funding can only go as far in the struggle and the huge monies of the Centre continue to be given out to preferred states, with a right-wing agenda.

Rahul Gandhi’s promise to uplift the huge migrant population of artisans, carpenters, plumbers and weavers has been looked at with a jaundiced eye. However, it is not a divisive strategy, it is one that looks at the requirements of the needy. And yet these very workers continue to vote according to the decision of the village or family clan. They are driven and riven by caste lines that have been etched deep into the psyche. It will take time to change this pattern of voting and for people to realize that another type of leadership is possible. Meanwhile its time for us to whip out our cheque books and show that we are all for Kerala…a State that showed great promise and potential but who is now drowning its sorrows in muddy waters.

The writer is the chairperson of the AICC grievance cell