Pune: Dr Parakala Prabhakar exposes Modi govt

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s husband, political economist and social commentator presents harsh economic, social, political reality of India at a programme in the city

Pune: Noted political economist, social commentator and Union Finance Minister Sitharaman’s husband Dr Parakala Prabhakar on Friday presented the harsh reality in the country by giving an in-depth analysis on false statistics on the economy, inflation, industrial downslide, country’s social ill health, disrupted politics and a desire to hog the limelight by the top leadership.

He delivered a lecture on ‘New India’s Political Economy’ at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. These comments of Dr Prabhakar, who is the husband of country’s finance minister, are being talked about across the country.

Levelling very serious allegations against the Central Government, Dr Prabhakar said, “The Centre has stopped releasing vital statistics. There was a time when Indian statistics was respected and trusted across the world. Today, it is doubted.

“However, the government is in a tearing hurry to show that the country has progressed by leaps and bounds in a very short span. How will India be a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed country) in 2047 when it ranks the 143rd in the world in terms of ‘per head GDP’.”

Coming down heavily on the Modi government, Dr Prabhakar said, “The employment issue has assumed serious proportions in the country. The Railways published an advertisement to fill 35,000 non-technical vacancies. Over 1.25 crore youths applied for the posts.

“Rates of pulses, vegetables, spices, milk and similar essential items have skyrocketed. The government is of the view that instead of thinking about inflation, unemployment in the country or violence in Manipur, citizens should always keep their aspirations high.”

Dr Prabhkar said, “Over 1.29 lakh Indians left the country in 2014. Over 2.25 lakh Indians left for foreign shores in 2022. The situation is very serious in rural parts of India. The Centre has waived off huge debts of industrialists. It has reduced corporate tax. Even after several requests, big industries are not investing in the country. The allocation made for the MNREGA (the employment guarantee scheme) for FY 2023-24 exhausted within six months.”

He said, “The Centre-States relations have gone for a toss. The Centre recovered Rs 40 lakh crore by imposing surcharge and cess. Governors are not assenting bills passed by state governments. The federal structure, in which the Prime Minister and chief ministers of the States should be seen as a team, has been damaged.”

Hitting out at the Modi government, Dr Prabhakar said, “These are Parivar (family) days. The G-20 Summit had a concept: Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (one world family). When we claim the entire world as our family, then why can’t Manipur be a part of that family? The saying ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ is mentioned in a secondary Upanishad called ‘Mahopanishad’.”

He alleged that it is very easy to fool people by speaking in Sanskrit. Not everything spoken in Sanskrit dates back to thousands of years. However, people are being induced to make-believe. Attempts are being made to turn Modern India into ‘Ancient India’.”

Commenting on the deterioration of the country’s politics, Dr Prabhakar said, “Earlier, every political party used to claim that they were secular but not secular like others. Today, they are saying that they are Hindus but not like them.”

This change has been made to happen over several decades gradually by working quietly and without any publicity, said Dr Prabhakar.