Thread.
1/12. The refusal of the govt to bring PM Cares Fund under CAG audit again shows that Modi govt has inverted the basic contract of State-Citizen relationship on which liberal democracies function.
Before we come there, lets see what is the basic premise of this contract.
1/12. The refusal of the govt to bring PM Cares Fund under CAG audit again shows that Modi govt has inverted the basic contract of State-Citizen relationship on which liberal democracies function.
Before we come there, lets see what is the basic premise of this contract.
2/12. A liberal democracy rests on protecting the freedoms & privacy of the individual. At the same time, the governments that are elected by the people are to be accountable to the people. The RTI deepened this principle and in the turn deepened the roots of democracy in India.
3/12. But Modi's assault on democracy wants individuals to be completely transparent in front of the govt. It was its blatant best during the hearings on Aadhar in SC where the govt counsels opposed the argument that the right to privacy of the individual is a fundamental right.
4/12. It also reflects in Govt's tweaking of data protection laws or surveillance mechanism such as the one done by stealth by Pegasus App or the one being done openly now through Aarogya Setu App.
5/12. It has not stopped at this. This govt wants citizens who elected it to now prove that they are inded legal citizens through the insidious NRC. The people now have to rummage through old legacy documents of their forefathers to prove that they indeed belong to this land.
6/12. But what is the response of the govt when people & civil society demands accountability from the govt? Not only govt actions happen behind closed doors, one of the first things that this govt post 2019 re-election was to dilute the RTI act - a blatant assault on democracy.
7/12. Repeatedly, this govt has refused any attempts at transparency about its claims and promises before the people. An easy example, has Modi ever shown his degree in Entire Political Science to the people, as he claimed in his election affidavit? NO!
8/12. The same Modi who during UPA years demanded 'Dilli ka khazana' to be under public purview now wants to keep the thousands of crores of PM Cares Fund to be completely outside any purview. Hypocrisies, anyone? Guess who is saying Hum Khagaz Nahi Dikhayenge?
9/12. This also reflects in Modi's addresses to the people. While he demands sacrifices from them for the pain his "bold" moves are going to give (during demo as well as lockdown), asks them to do tasks but NEVER EVER spells out what he as the PM is going to do for people.
10/12. In short, like any totalitarian leader, he is reversing the principles of democracy to lay the roots of authoritarianism in India - a pliant citizenry, mass surveillance mechanisms and complete unaccountability for the govt.
11/12. Our cultural set up where children are taught not to question their parents, women are told not to question their husbands, the lower castes not to question the upper castes helps Modi in this project. Modi after all epitomizes all that is rotten in our society.
12/12. But for us who envision a different and a more equal society which respects individual freedoms and accountability of the govt, the direction in which Modi is taking our country should really alarm us. And we have to start questioning this, NOW & URGENTLY!
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