Unexplored vistas

On January 2, 2023, in Telangana Bhavan, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Party Hyderabad Office, while addressing an impressive gathering, the messages KCR communicated were extraordinary, brilliant, thought-provoking and will have a lasting effect on the political scene.

In his maiden public appearance since the formal launch of BRS on December 9, 2022, KCR after admitting leaders from neighbouring Telugu state, Andhra Pradesh, into the BRS and appointing the AP State BRS President, shared some of his National Agenda thoughts. Among others included: ‘BRS is for Nationalization’, ‘get away from election-centric politics’, ‘Dalit Bandhu and Free Power all over India’, ‘need for institutional approach’, ‘qualitative change for people-centric governance’, ‘BRS is for India’, ‘BRS agenda is not for coming to power overnight’, ‘People should win elections but not parties and leaders’ etc.

During his address, KCR categorically exposed the PM and his policies one after another and how the country failed to progress. The main reason for India's failure to make a desirable change even after 75 years of independence is increasing election-centric politics rather than people-centric.

In an unambiguous eloquence of his thoughts, CM KCR declared his and the BRS Party’s total commitment to the nationalization of public sector undertakings, as against PM Modi’s and BJP’s policy of privatization. The Chief Minister had thrown a thoughtful challenge to the NDA Government at the center to privatise the Vizag Steel Plant and Life Insurance Corporation of India, which will be reinstated back to their PSU status if BRS comes to power at the Centre.

In spite of having adequate, plentiful and almost infinite quantities of natural and human resources, such as land, water, power and others, India lags behind in achieving progress when compared to neighbouring countries like China and Singapore. Lack of proper policymaking had kept it in that position. Only 29 per cent of land in the USA and 16 per cent in China is cultivable against about 50 per cent in India that is, 41 crore acres out of 83 crore acres of land. Also, about 70,000 TMC FT out of 1.4 lakh TMC FT rainfall (4,000 billion cubic meters) was available for use. Yet, there existed problems with drinking water and irrigation.

With proper planning, every inch of the 41 crore acres of land could be irrigated with free power supply as the country’s installed capacity of power generation was 4.1 lakh megawatts, while the peak load recorded was only 2.1 lakh megawatts so far. Why should the people suffer despite having all the resources? If the Central Government is sincere and honest, it should have drawn plans to supply water to each of the 41 crore lakh acres of uncultivated land by utilizing available water resources. We have water wars due to bad water policy and power shortages due to the bad power policy of the Centre.

KCR sought to know why the country did not have a major reservoir such as the one in Zimbabwe with 6,000 TMC FT storage capacity followed by a few reservoirs with 5,000 TMC FT and 2,000 TMC FT capacity in Russia, 1,600 TMC capacity Three Gorges Dam in China and 1,200 TMC FT capacity Colorado Dam in the USA although 70,000 TMC FT of water is available in India.

Questioning why farmers were not getting water or power supply when an adequate supply of both was possible, CM KCR rightly said this was the pertinent point BRS has been raising time and again. He said if supported across the country and voted to power, the BRS would extend the Dalit Bandhu scheme across the country, ensuring and empowering Dalits through financial assistance to 25 lakh families every year at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh crore, which would help them set up their own ventures.

If voted to power, the BRS assured to ensure power supply across the country within two years, ensuring a ‘Velugu Jilugula Bharat’ (a shining and glittering India), and free power to the farming community at an expenditure of Rs 1.45 lakh crore per annum. KCR said, validating his promise by pointing out that as of now, only half of India’s installed power capacity of 4.1 lakh MW was being utilised in the country. He stated that the entire farming community depending on groundwater could be given free power for irrigating their lands.

Yet another reason quoted by CM KCR for the steep decline in India’s progress and retreating backwards towards regress, is that, successive Union Governments’ failure to adhere to the institutional approach, the method that focuses on various governmental systems through duties, rights, economic organization, cultural codes and values, and working with an individual-centric approach without a common goal preventing its progress. Winning elections has become the one and only agenda for many political parties and choosing shortcuts by spreading lies, encouraging communal hatred, spending money and resorting to other cheap tactics, for mere temporary gains.

Stating that the BRS was not formed for a community or a region or a state, but with the aim of achieving a bright future for India, CM KCR and BRS President said that the party would strive to bring a qualitative change for people-centric governance at the national level. KCR announced that ‘BRS is for India’.

KCR also announced that the BRS would start its operations in at least eight states including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana among others after Sankranti and said the groundwork was already in active progress to form state-wise committees, to begin with. KCR also announced that committees would be set up in every Assembly Constituency in the country and in every Panchayat as well.

The CM however reiterated that the BRS’ agenda is not simply meant for coming to power overnight or unseating someone, but aimed at a bright future for the nation. KCR pleaded with people to prevent attempts to sow the venomous seed of communal hatred for temporary political gains by certain political parties. ‘I am appealing to people to join us in this endeavour to do some great work for this country. The country’s freedom fighters are respected, and in future BRS leaders will get such respect because of the kind of work they will do. BRS has taken shape not for pursuing petty politics but for achieving a qualitative change in people’s lives,’ KCR added.

Lately, political parties and leaders have gone to any extent, by hook or crook, to win elections. This defeats the basic values of a democracy. And what we can assume, BRS wants to reverse this trend and persist over the concept of 'by the people, for the people'.

The writer is the Chief Public Relations Officer to the CM of Telangana. Views expressed are personal