Aam Aadmi may now feel the pinch of Narendra Modi's bitter medicine

While campaigning for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi had slammed Congress party for hoodwinking people on price-rise issue. Modi reminded all his audience across the country how  the Congress party and its leader Sonia Gandhi failed to deliver on their commitment to contain  price-rise within 100 days. 

To be fair to Modi, he did not promise anything on inflation during his election campaign. But one thing that he promised to his electorate was that ‘achche din aane wale hain’ (Good days will come soon).

Now what did it mean to the common man? In a country where a large section of the society finds it difficult to make both  ends meet, prices of essential commodities and services are of utmost importance.

Instead of providing any instant relief to this class that had voted enthusiastically for Modi in the Lok Sabha elections that catapulted him from Gandhinagar CMO to 7 RCR , the Prime Minister has instead  asked the aam aadmi to get ready to swallow bitter medicine in the interest of the country’s financial health.

Addressing party workers in Goa, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Taking tough decisions and strong measures in the next one or two years are needed to bring financial discipline which will restore and boost the country's self-confidence."

"I need to take some harsh decisions and administer some bitter medicine in order to resuscitate this patient. The medicine may hurt some of you but I ask for your support at this time,” Modi added.
Is it the same Modi who ridiculed Congress for being indifferent to the poor of the country?

If media reports are to be believed, Modi government is going to  take some tough economic decisions that will have a direct bearing on the lives of the poorer section of the society.

For example, the buzz in the air is that the government may withdraw all subsidies on diesel and cooking gas. There is speculation in the media about several other “bitter medicines” that Doctor Modi is planning to give to his countrymen although there is no official word from the government side on these issues and there can’t be any as the budget is being prepared and in all probability it will be presented in the second week of July.

But Doctor Modi should know one simple thing: patients should be advised to take only those medicines that they can afford. Don’t prescribe medicines that they can’t afford to purchase.

Narendra  Modi should not be surprised if  the common man very soon start asking him: Mr Modi, have you forgotten all the promises that you had made during your campaign?

There are media reports that the state-run Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has moved a proposal to hike bus fares by up to 100 per cent. The hike plan has been approved by the finance department of the Delhi Government. The final decision will be taken by Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung.

Will Narendra Modi step in and tell the L-G that DTC can be asked to look for other revenue streams instead of burdening the common man with 100 percent hike in bus fares?

‘Achchey din’ (good days) can’t come with increased rates of diesel, cooking gas cylinders and bus fares. The privileged class may not be bothered  with these hikes but these measures will further break the back of the common man. 

Narendra Modi may have bigger plans for infrastructure and industries but the poorer section of the society is more interested in knowing whether the PM is planning to make their lives easier by checking inflation and cutting down prices of essential commodities.

Unfortunately, Modi has not said anything on this. Instead he has now advised the common man that they should be ready to swallow the bitter medicine.

 The sudden change of track has given the Congress party a handle to beat him by saying that Modi will take time before he actually learns how to govern a big country like India. The party is asking Modi-  is this how ‘achchey din ‘will usher in?

The Prime Minister  while speaking in parliament said that out of 5 years , 4 years should be dedicated for work and rest 1 year for doing politics during which you try to score political points. One can’t overlook the fact that it’s the last one year (the election year) during which political leaders and Prime Ministerial candidates make promises to the electorate.

And these promises should not be hollow ones. One should not forget that  promises made in the last one year  inject ray of hope in the forgotten common man who feels cheated after each and every election.

Narendra Modi should not forget the fact, he had ignited the hopes of better days in the lowest strata of the society. To punish them by making them to swallow bitter medicine, in the name of improving financial health of the country, will be a grave injustice to that hapless section of the society.

Roads, ports, electricity are all very important, but the most important thing for a common man is to ensure that his family does not go to bed with an empty stomach. Let Doctor  Modi not forget this.