Achchhe din ... DEATH OF THE DERIDED SLOGAN OF 2014 AND FALLBACK ON RAW NATIONALISM

J.P. YADAV , TT, 09 Apr 2019, New Delhi: Promises of jobs and welfare took a back seat to "nationalist" sentiments as Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 45-page BJP election manifesto, "Sankalp Patra", on Monday.

On top were "nationalism", "national security" and a "uniform civil code", marking a contrast not just with the Congress's manifesto, with its promises of justice and jobs, but also the BJP's previous effort in 2014.

Inflation, employment and entrepreneurship were among the first topics mentioned five years ago, when the BJP had swept to power promising "achchhe din" (good days).

This time, jobs have been relegated to a single paragraph on Page 29 under the subhead: "Creating Opportunities for Youth".

References to internal and external security were buried deep inside the 52-page 2014 manifesto but adorn the front pages this time under the "Nation First" theme, reflecting the party's need to whip up jingoistic passions by highlighting the Balakot air strikes. In a message to its core supporters, the BJP has adopted strident postures on the call for a uniform civil code and certain privileges accorded to Jammu and Kashmir residents -- all subsumed under "Nation First".

The 2014 manifesto had rued 10 years of "jobless growth" and promised "high priority to job creation and opportunities for entrepreneurship". The lone paragraph on jobs in 2019 focuses on "encouraging the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst the youth", a shift the BJP has sought to project as one from "job seekers to job givers".

"We will create new opportunities of employment by providing more support to the 22 major `Champion Sectors' identified as the main drivers of (the) Indian economy," the paragraph says.

"We will optimally leverage the untapped employment-generation potential of sectors such as defence and pharmaceuticals to take advantage of the opportunities available in domestic and foreign markets." National security, though, takes up two pages and kicks off with a tribute to "the deci- sive leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi" and a nod to "the surgical strikes and the air strikes carried out recently".

"We will firmly continue our policy of `zero tolerance' against terrorism and extremism and will continue to follow our policy of giving (a) free hand to our security forces in combating terrorism." The manifesto promises to scrap Article 370, which gives a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and Article 35A, which bars non-residents from buying immovable property or securing government jobs or scholarships in the state.

The manifesto stresses the BJP's commitment to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which it says would speed up the grant of citizenship to Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It's silent on Parsis and Christians, who are mentioned in the bill as beneficiaries.

The manifesto reaffirms the BJP's longstanding position on enacting a uniform civil code, saying it is key to "gender equality"..