INDIA'S : ''RAM MANDIR AGITATION''

JUSTICE Markandey Katju writes.................

THE REAL issues before the country are massive poverty, galloping unemployment, widespread farmer distress, record and rising child malnutrition, almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education for the masses etc.

The Ram Mandir issue has again picked up momentum in India as Lok Sabha elections approach.

The Supreme Court is being blamed by many for procrastinating over the case before it, and there have been some protests outside the court premises.

Whichever way the courts decides the BJP, which thrives on communal passions, and whose fortunes have been declining lately, hopes to benefit from the decision, thinking it will lead to a massive upsurge of communal feelings.

What is the truth behind all the Ram Mandir Brouhaha?

In my opinion, the Ram Mandir issue is no issue at all [despite our  'masala' seeking and largely sold out media projecting it as such].

The real issues before the country are massive poverty, galloping unemployment, widespread farmer distress, record and rising child malnutrition, almost total lack of healthcare and good education for the masses, etc.

Let us consider some of these

Narendra Modi had promised in his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign that if the BJP came to power it would create 2 crore jobs annually. But far from doing so, unemployment has reached  record heights, as all reliable data indicates.

It is believed that demonetization alone destroyed 2 crore jobs, and tens of thousands of medium and small industries.

Farmer subsidies have crossed  300,000, and farmers agitations have mounted [there have been rallies even in the national capital Delhi] protesting against failure to implement the Swaminathan Commissioner report [which Modi had promised to do] to fix the  Minimum Support Price of Food products 50% above the cost of production.

The honor and serving of the latest operational research on India's : agitation and unrests continues. The World Students Society thanks author and researcher Justice Markandey Katju/ former judge of the Indian Supreme Court.