aisa

India 2014 : Defeat Corrupt

Communal Corporate Fascist
Gameplan - I

BJPs Track Record on Corruption Beyond

Gujarat: In Karnataka too BJPs track record of running
government is marked with crude robbery of the natural
resources like iron ore. The story of Bellary Brothers (G.
Karunakara Reddy, G. Janardhnana Reddy, and G.
Somashekhara Reddy) is all too well known.A report by the
Karnataka Lokayukta estimated that while the cost of mining
(using subsidised transport and other facilities and
beneficiary royalty structure) was merely Rs 427 per tonne,
the sale price for exported ore was Rs 5000 to 7000 per
tonne. This amounted to a staggering profit of 80 - 90% for
the Reddy brothers. The state government got royalty of a
mere Rs 27 per tonne, and since large percent of iron ore
was illegally mined and
exported the state
government did not
even get a token royalty.
Two of the Reddy
brothers have been in
the Cabinet of BJPs
state government in
Karnataka and the third one has been the chairperson of
powerful Karnataka Milk federation. All this has been done
under the Chief Ministership of Yeddyurrapa in Karnataka. A
powerful dissent in the country against corruption and loot
had forced Yeddyurappa to quit as CM after the Lokayukta
indicted him and his two sons for taking bribe to favour the
mining company. Before the Lokasabha elections, not only
Yedurappa but all the three Reddy brothers are being warmly
taken back in BJP and Yeddyurappa is being offered Loksabha
ticket from BJP in Karnataka.
So, the Modi model is no different from the Manmohan model
either in its economic essentials or in corruption index. Why,
then, is Modi a more preferred hero for the
corporates at this juncture? There is growing public
anger at the steady exposure of the corporate-politics nexus

that led to a haemorrhaging of the countrys resources and

assets. The face of Manmohan is a spent and discredited force
which can no longer avert the surge of mass anger and protests.
So corporates need a fresh and tougher face, which can divert
public anger away from the real impact of the pro-corporate
policies. And here lies Modis Unique Selling Point (USP).
Equipped with the communal ideology and organisational
network of RSS and proven track-record of 2002 pogrom, Modi
guarantees a cocktail of hatred and violence against minorities
as a key diversion tactic, to sustain a pro-corporate, repressive
governance model. Post 2002, taking cue from the US-sponsored
Islamophobia and so-called war on terror, a series of fake
encounters were scripted to build up Modis image as a Hindu
nationalist hero being targeted by so-called Muslim terrorists.
Each fake encounter reinforced the idea of Muslims as the
supreme threat to the social/national order, who were ritually
vanquished by Modis police force, over and over again.
In simple words: NaMo projects Muslims or Christians as the
enemy, so that peoples anger can be deflected from corporate
loot and plunder or pro-corporate policies, to some minority
community. Similarly Modis best political pals include Shiv
Sena and MNS in Maharashtra, who unleash violence against
poor migrant workers and students, while remaining silent on
corporate plunder and farmers suicides in the same state!
That is why communally divisive politics is extremely useful
for the corporates too. Communal violence and hate-speech,
then, is not an embarrassing aberration or a thing of the past,
it is at the heart of the Modi model of governance.
True, we do not want Congress to misuse the genuine concerns
over secularism to hide all its sins. But at the same time, we
cannot allow the BJP to misuse the genuine concerns over
corruption, to hide its own sins! Nor can we allow the BJP and
its allies to use hatred and violence (against minorities, migrants)
to hide the genuine issues of pro-corporate policies that are
devastating the people.

Let us recognise and defeat

M o di s h e a dy c om m u na l corporate fascist cocktail!
Let us defeat Congress-UPAs
regime of pro-corporate plunder
and repression!
Le t us v ot e fo r al te rn at iv e
policies, not faces and fakers of
any hue!

Shweta Raj, President, AISA, JNU

Ashutosh Kumar, Gen. Secy, AISA, JNU

With the 2014 Lok Sabha at the doorstep, people of India

are determined to vote to punish and change the CongressUPAs regime of scams, loot, and repression. Taking
advantage of this genuine anger, there is a carefully
orchestrated campaign, seeking to project Narendra Modi
as the next Prime Minister and the solution to all the woes.
Is Modi really the answer to the crisis? Or in fact, does
every vote for Modi take the country and the people a
step deeper into the abyss of the same crisis of corruption,
plunder, and repression?
In 2004, there were 2 big reasons for the BJP-led NDAs
defeat: peoples anger at (a) the Modi Govts 2002 Gujarat
genocide and (b) NDA Govts Feku India Shining Campaign,
which was a cruel joke on farmers suicides, rising
unemployment and steep prices caused by the ongoing
neo-liberal policies.
A decade later, how come Modi, the man responsible in a
big way for BJP-NDAs defeat in 2004, is being projected as
the hero and saviour? Can the BJP-NDA and Modis Gujarat
Model, which India recognised and rejected as Feku
(empty boasts) in 2004, claim to offer a credible
alternative to the Congress-UPA regime, which has presided
over scams, steep prices, farmers suicides, joblessness
and repression? Surely what the country needs is not a
replacement of the corrupt, pro-corporate UPA regime with
another corrupt, pro-corporate, communal fascism? Surely,
any real alternative has to be an alternative in terms of
politics and policies and NOT just faces?
Let us take a closer look at Modis campaign and the facts
on the ground, to see if indeed Modi can offer any
alternative or solution to the Congress-UPAs policies.
In the NaMo campaign, the chief minister who presided
over a horrific genocide in 2002 is being painted as the
messiah of good governance and economic growth. So
the Modi image makeover project has a two-fold slogan:
Forget 2002, Forget the rapes, murders and fake
encounters, Forget the state machinerys role in 2002, and
Parade Modi model of growth, development and good
governance. The message is, if we want governance, we
should concede that communal violence or fake encounters
or corporate land grab are irrelevant questions.
Given the crafted image makeover and PR exercise powered by the infamous international PR agency APCO
Worldwide and the likes - and sustained corporate media
blitzkrieg to promote Brand Modi, it becomes important
to take a look at the real FACTS beyond the orchestrated
HYPE.
As we sift the facts from the hype, we can see that Gujarats
performance on all criteria has not been in any way better
than that of other states, and moreover, Gujarats
neoliberal development model has displayed all the

Who has Modi Hired for His IMAGE-MAKEOVER?

On 19 November, 2007, Times of India carried the following piece:
Modis image builders have dictators on client list.
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/Modis-imagebuilders-have-dictators-on-client-list/articleshow/2600140.cms)
Adolf Hitler was a brilliant propagandist. Narendra Modi too
believes in the power of image. This is probably why the chief
minister hired a US lobbying firm which has serviced clients like
former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and President-for-life of
Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev.
This Washington-based firm,
APCO Worldwide, was hired by
Modi sometime in August this
year, in the run-up to an
important Assembly election, to
improve his image before the
world community. Among its
recent clients are Mikhail
Khodorkovsky, a former
Communist youth leaderturned-Russian billionaire with
mafia links.
The firm has a distinction of taking contracts of boosting images of
leaders who fell out of favour of their followers.
On the face of it Apco Worldwides brief is to build and sell Brand
Gujarat to the international community. But according to sources
Modi, who was denied visa by the US earlier because of the taint
he earned in the 2002 riots, wants his image to be improved so
that he gets to visit the US in future....
The Gujarat government will pay APCO 25,000 USD per month for
the Modi image building exercise.
Sources in the government said Modi thought of this imagebuilding exercise during his visit to Switzerland earlier this year.
His government shortlisted some seven national and international
firms, without floating tenders of which two were shortlisted.
Even though it quoted a sum that was three times more than others,
Apco was picked for the job. The reason given was that Apco has
a better team. Apco has former senators from Republican and
Democratic parties working with it.
What has been the main purpose of this sustained PR exercise?
EPW editorial of 20 April, 2013 notes the following: It is apparent
that this was to project Narendra Modi as the undisputed leader
of the opposition to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance
government for the 2014 general elections. In this the campaign
has been successful. It has managed to overcome the immediate
obstacles within the RSS family and the existing and potential
allies to pose a stark choice to Indias political class: those
against the Congress have to be prepared to deal with Modi or
risk political irrelevance in the post-2014 Lok Sabha...
What has been the main message of Modis PR campaign? Behind
all the carefully outlined speeches and choreographed
performances, Modi is telling Indias dominant classes
industrialists, urban professionals and the rural rich that he
can successfully overcome the obstacles to higher economic
growth, itself a code word for faster circulation of capital and
higher returns on investments, by managing democracy as he
has done in Gujarat through a combination of communal terror
and sops to some sections. Modis promise is that he will do this
much better than what the Congress has managed to do in the
1 past decade.

distressing effects on peoples lives and the economy that have

been felt in the rest of the country.
On Growth indicators: During the five years (2006-11), Gujarat
was outstripped by Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar
and Odisha (Economic Times, 26 Dec
2012). In terms of per capita income, in
2011 Gujarat (with Rs 63,996) ranked 6th
after Haryana (Rs 92,327), Maharashtra
(Rs 83,471), Punjab (Rs 67,473), Tamil
Nadu (Rs 72,993) and Uttaranchal (Rs
68,292). But Gujarat has higher per capita
debt than UP or Bihar.
On Investment indicators: Despite the
much-touted
Vibrant
Gujarat
programmes, it is interesting to note that
foreign direct investment is not the
highest in Gujarat. Maharashtra leads this list while Gujarat is
fifth. Vibrant Gujarat summits have not yielded as much as the
State government would like others to believe. According to the
governments own Socio-Economic Review, Gujarat State, 201112, the promised investments in 2011 were over Rs.20 lakh crore,
but only about Rs.29,813 crore was actually invested. In the
same year, out of more than 8,300 memorandums of
understanding (MoUs) signed, only about 250 became a reality!
( Frontline, 8 March, 2013)
Quality of Industrialisation: The industries that have
flourished the most in Gujarat are all highly hazardous: poisonous
chemicals! Gujarat has Indias highest number of pollution hot
spots with groundwater contaminated in 74 out of its 184 tehsils.
During 2012-13, over 60,000 small and medium enterprises have
shut down in Gujarat.
Per capita income in the state is half of its urban income,
indicating huge urban-rural inequality.
Therefore, it is clear that Gujarat is NO special performer under
Modi, when it comes to economic growth. A highly urbanized
Gujarat has always been home to Indias largest business and
trading community, which has always been enterprising in its
economic ventures, even before Modi became chief minister!
And What are Gujarats Social Development Indicators?
In social sector spending as a proportion of public expenditure,
Gujarat ranks a lowly 19th among Indias 21 major states.
In 2011, Gujarat ranked 11th in the Human Development Index.
In crucial indicators like education and health, Gujarat has
witnessed a DECLINE in ranking to 9 th and 10th positions
respectively in a group of 19 major states. Education, health and
nutrition indicators are dismal, especially for women and
children. Dropout rates in schools are high at 58% compared to

the national average of 49%. For dalits the dropout rate

increases to 65% and for tribals, to 78%. In higher education
Gujarats gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 17.6 is lower than
the national average of 20.4 and much below equally
advanced states like Tamil Nadu (38.2) and Maharashtra
(27.4). In health, Gujarat ranks 10th in the rate of decline in
infant mortality. Moreover infant mortality is significantly
higher among girls than boys. In Life Expectancy Gujarat comes
8th (with the average longevity of 62.15 years), below even
Bihars 62.85 years. 45% of urban children and 60% of rural
children are not immunized.In rural areas, 60% of child
deliveries do not happen in institutional conditions. In
healthcare delivery system, shortage of doctors at primary
health centres (PHCs) is 34% and shortage of specialists like
pediatricians and gynecologists at community health centres
(CHCs) is 94%! Infrastructure itself has not yet been built 21% of sub-centres, 19% of PHCs and 11% of CHCs do not
exist. In tribal areas, 70% of X-Ray technicians and 63% of
pharmacists are not posted, while there is a 100% shortage
of specialist doctors. In the Global Hunger index, Gujarat is
part of the bottom 5 states in India, and globally, performs
worse even than countries like Haiti. Malnutrition is severe
among children (47%) and women; higher than the all-India
average. 80% of children below 4 years and 60% of pregnant
women are anaemic in Gujarat (a virtual anaemia epidemic
that Modi laughs off as a case of beauty conscious girls
starving themselves!).
Jobless growth has been the norm in Gujarat - NSSO data
shows growth in employment for the period 1993-94 to 200405 was 2.69 percentage per annum, whereas for 2004-05 to
2009-10 it came down to zero. Atul Sood, in a recent collection
of essays, Poverty Amidst Prosperity: Essays on the Trajectory
of Development in Gujarat, notes that Gujarat witnessed not
merely jobless growth but also the lowest share of wage
income in total income, one of the highest use of contract
workers in organized manufacturing and rising trends of
casualisation of workforce. This apart, 5 million livelihoods
have been lost in Gujarat owing to development projects:
accounting for 10% of the population. Labour rights are
virtually nonexistent.
In the case of the much vaunted Sardar Sarovor Dam Project,
a large part of the canal network is pending, water has not
reached the farmers of parched parts of Kutch and
Saurashtra, on the contrary, water of around 3.7 Billion Cubic
Meters is diverted to industry and select urban localities!
(http://nca.gov.in/news_index.htm) Is it fair for a Project, built
and pushed ahead in the name of needy farmers and villages
of Kutch and Saurashtra to divert waters, on a large scale, to
corporates, urban municipalities and cities in Gujarat? Not
just this, Modi Government has decided to exclude 4 lakh
hecatres of land from the Command Irrigated Area of SSP and
reserve the same for corporates, SEZs, SIRs etc.

Allowing Corporate Greed to Cause Irreversible Damage to

Environment: All environmental regulatory norms are
routinely violated for few corporate with disastrous impact
on environment and necessary resources like water. The
chemical-industrial hub that has developed in the last 10
years as a result of a flowing Narmada canal in the vicinity
started discharging its untreated waste into the Mahi river.
None of these new industrial plants, anywhere in Gujarat,
meets the Gujarat Pollution Control Boards [GPCB] norms.
2 Yet they have a free hand. As a result, most of the rivers in the

State are heavily polluted. Three cities of Gujarat, Vapi,

Ankaleshwar and Vatva, figure in the Central Pollution Control
Boards list of the top 10 most polluted cities in India, with Vapi
ranking first. The private ports and SEZs in the coastal regions
are examples of open violation of the Coastal Regulation Zones
norms. Unofficial estimates say that about 600 villages will
abandon agriculture in the next five years. The obsession with
promoting industries, even at the cost of local economies and
ecological sustainability, barely makes for a development model
and only points to the structural nexus between the Modi
government, corporate giants, and real estate honchos.
The story in the agrarian scene is that of reversal of land reforms
principles. The defenders of Modinomics take pride in the highspeed corporatisation of Gujarats agriculture. The direct
outcome of this agricultural model is the further marginalisation
of the most poor section among the agricultural community.
The legislative changes like allowing non-local, non-farming
groups to enter the rural land market are solely aimed at
preparing field for the big corporate houses to rob the marginal
farmers of their right to land. The direct outcome is the fact that
the average size of marginal land holding is becoming smaller
compared to the national average and the largest size
category(above 20 hectare) has gained in terms of average size.
Over time, the access to land to the Scheduled Caste and Tribes
have worsened in the state. Leasing out and selling of land by
the marginal farmers in the face of an aggressive corporate
driven policy where the marginal farmers find it impossible to
hold on to their source of livelihood and continue in farming is
the reality of agricultural situation in Gujarat.
Promoting Privatised Infrastructure: The dominant
characteristic of Gujarat model of infrastructural development
is encouraging private investment in port, rail, road and power.
While this has allowed private conglomerates to strengthen
their own profitability in other sectors, it has predictably created
a situation where this pattern of infrastructural development
has neglected providing access to human habitation. Even today
3380 human habitations are not connected with road in Gujarat.
What about corruption and corporate land grab?

Why did Ratan Tata say, YOU ARE STUPID IF YOU ARE NOT
IN GUJARAT? The Gujarat government allotted 1100 acres
of land to Tata Motors Ltd to set up the Nano plant near
Sanand at Rs 900 per square metre while its market rate
was around Rs 10,000 per square metre. Further, Modi
gave Ratan Tata a soft loan of Rs 9,570 crore at a negligible
interest of 0.1 per cent to shift the Nano project to Gujarat.
Repayment of this loan was deferred for 20 years. In all,
the Modi Government has offered over Rs 30,000 crore in
sops to Tata Motors. In other words, for an investment of
Rs.220 billion by the Tatas, the Gujarat government gives
sops worth Rs.300 billion.
Land was allotted to Adani Group for the Mundra Port &
Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Re1 per square
metre. Infact, on
March 1, 2012,
Gujarat revenue
minister conceded in
the Assembly that
The Adani Group has
been
allotted
14,305.49
acre
(equivalent to 5.78
crore square metres)

land in Kutch for

different companies.
The land has been
allotted at a price
ranging from Re1 to
Rs 32 per sq mt,
(DNA 1 March 2012). Similarly land has been handed over
to real estate developers like Raheja at dirt cheap rates,
whereas the public sector Indian Airforce was asked to
pay a MUCH higher price for land!
Armed with the 2009 Gujarat Special Investment Region
(SIR) Act, Modi govt. has began invading every nook and
corner of Gujarat for grabbing farmland, pastures, forest
land. Villagers surrounding Jamnagar are protesting
against the allotment of 610 acres of gauchar land to
Reliance Group for a SIR. Similar protests are breaking out
in many parts of central and south Gujarat like Dholera,
Vagra, Karjan, Navsari etc against Modis aggressive land
grab drive.

CAG audit reveals that Modis Government has done in Gujarat

what Manmohan Singhs did at the Centre: extend undue
benefits to corporates at huge costs to the public exchequer
and loss of livelihoods. The 2010-11 CAG report tabled in
Gujarat assembly on 30 March 2012, has estimated bungling
of more than Rs 16,000 crore in 2010-11. It had also pointed Predictably, Modi tried his best to block the appointment
of a Lokayukta in Gujarat for a very long time. Particularly
out irregularities of Rs 26,672 crore in the Modi government
when he was facing allegations of massive corruption and
in the last nine years. (DNA 31 March 2012) To take just one
irregularities in at least 17 scams!
example, the CAG has observed that the Gujarat State
Petroleum Corporation, supposed to be Modis special pride
Who is C ontrolling Gujarat s Nat ur al
and joy, has suffered huge financial losses due to cost overrun
Resources - Any Need to Guess? Saurabh Patel,
at KG basin block where production has not commenced even
an MBA from USA and richest man in the Gujarat ministry,
after spending over Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion). Besides
is the (next/first) most important man in the cabinet.
irregularities and cost overrun at KG basin project, the auditor
But more
has also noted that GSPC has suffered financial losses in gas
importantly,
he is a
trading activities on account of undue favours extended to
brother-inModis most favoured industrial house, the Adani group. The
law of Vimal
CAG report notes, During 2006-09, GSPC sold gas to Adani
Ambani,
group at a price which was much lower than its purchase
cousin of Mukesh Ambani, and predictably holds the
price. This incurred loss of Rs 70.5 crore (Rs 705 million).
portfolios of... guess what..?
In land allotment too, CAG noted a Rs. 580-cr. loss to state
Energy & Petrochemicals, Mines & Minerals, Cottage
exchequer as Modi govt. favoured corporates like Reliance
Industry, Salt Industry, Printing, Stationery, Planning,
Industries Ltd (RIL), Essar Steel and Adani Power Ltd, Ford,
Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour & Employment !!!
3
L&Tetc. (The Hindu, 4 April 2013).