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By:

Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 10:20:16 am

Phantom Promises

The unravelling of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was always a matter of when, not if. Announced with theatrical flourish ahead of the 2024 Assembly election by the ruling Mahayuti coalition, the scheme promised Rs. 1,500 a month to women across the state. It became the Mahayuti government’s showpiece welfare programme and, by all accounts, a decisive political instrument that helped propel the ruling alliance to a comfortable victory. Less than two years later, the curtain has now...

Phantom Promises

The unravelling of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was always a matter of when, not if. Announced with theatrical flourish ahead of the 2024 Assembly election by the ruling Mahayuti coalition, the scheme promised Rs. 1,500 a month to women across the state. It became the Mahayuti government’s showpiece welfare programme and, by all accounts, a decisive political instrument that helped propel the ruling alliance to a comfortable victory. Less than two years later, the curtain has now fallen. Nearly 92 lakh beneficiaries – a whopping 38 percent of those initially enrolled – are now being shown the door as the scheme becomes economically untenable. If such a staggering proportion of beneficiaries never qualified in the first place, what exactly was the government doing when it rolled out the scheme with such urgency? The scheme is a classic case of welfare as a cold election strategy rather than a governance policy. The scheme’s benefits flowed generously just before the election. The scrutiny that has now arrived has exposed it for what it was: a fiscal white elephant. The Comptroller and Auditor General has now compounded the Mahayuti’s embarrassment with its report, which questions expenditure of more than Rs. 3,541 crore under the scheme. Such spending places an unsustainable burden on Maharashtra’s finances. The CAG’s report is an indictment of a style of governance that treats the public exchequer as an extension of the campaign war chest. Across India, governments of every political persuasion have perfected the art of competitive populism. Cash transfers, freebies and subsidies are unveiled with increasing frequency, often without credible fiscal planning or robust verification mechanisms. Welfare has become less about empowering citizens than about cultivating dependable vote banks. Schemes designed primarily for electoral dividends inevitably collapse under their own contradictions, leaving beneficiaries disillusioned and public finances weakened. The greatest injustice is borne not by politicians but by ordinary citizens. Honest taxpayers finance these extravagant promises. Genuine beneficiaries build their household budgets around them. When governments later discover that millions were ‘ineligible,’ it is ordinary families, and not the politicians or their families, who suffer the consequences. If money has indeed been squandered because of political haste, accountability cannot stop with bureaucrats or clerks processing applications. Those who conceived, announced and relentlessly campaigned on the scheme must also bear responsibility. The leaders of the three ruling Mahayuti partners – the BJP, the NCP and the Shiv Sena - who converted public money into political capital should be prepared to answer financially as well as politically. Democracy cannot become an auction where elections are won with taxpayers’ wallets. It is time to end the politics of fiscal bribery masquerading as welfare. Maharashtra deserves governments that create opportunity, not dependency, and policies that survive beyond polling day.

Gun Violence in America

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

Gun Violence in America

On December 16, 2024, tragedy struck Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a 15-year-old student, Natalie Rupnow, fatally shot a fellow student and a teacher before taking her own life. Six others were injured, with two in critical condition. This devastating event is a grim reminder of the United States' ongoing struggle with gun violence, particularly in schools.


A Long History of Gun Ownership in America

The issue of gun violence in the United States cannot be discussed without acknowledging its deep-rooted history of gun ownership. The right to bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1791, which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”


Initially, this amendment was intended to empower citizens to form militias for self-defense during a time when standing armies were distrusted. Over the centuries, however, the interpretation of the Second Amendment has evolved. Today, it is often cited as a justification for individual gun ownership, a concept reinforced by landmark court cases such as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which affirmed an individual's right to own firearms for self-defense.


Gun culture is deeply ingrained in American society, with nearly 400 million firearms in civilian hands—more guns than people. This level of accessibility, coupled with a powerful gun lobby led by organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), has made significant legislative reform difficult.


Gun Violence in Numbers

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms cause approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the United States—equivalent to 109 deaths per day. This figure includes homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Among children and teenagers, firearms are now the leading cause of death, surpassing motor vehicle accidents.


School shootings are a particularly horrifying aspect of gun violence in America. Since 1990, there have been over 800 incidents in K-12 schools, resulting in more than 500 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. High-profile tragedies such as the Columbine High School massacre (1999), the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (2012), and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School attack (2018) have shocked the nation and the world, yet meaningful reforms remain elusive.


A Global Comparison

The United States stands out among developed nations for its high rate of gun violence. In countries like Australia, Canada, and much of Europe, strict gun control measures have significantly reduced firearm-related deaths. For example: By contrast, the firearm-related death rate in the United States is 12.2 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than other developed nations. The prevalence of guns and the lack of uniform gun control laws contribute to this disparity.


Challenges in Addressing Gun Violence

Efforts to reduce gun violence in the U.S. have faced significant obstacles. One of the most notable is the prohibition of federal funding for gun violence research. In 1996, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment, effectively barring the CDC from studying gun violence as a public health issue. Although the funding ban was partially lifted in 2019, its legacy has left the country with a limited understanding of the causes and solutions to gun violence.


Advocates have long called for measures such as:

• Universal Background Checks: Closing loopholes in gun sales to ensure that all firearm purchases are subject to background checks.

• Safe Storage Laws: Requiring gun owners to store firearms securely to prevent unauthorized access.

• Bans on Certain Firearms: Prohibiting the sale of assault-style weapons, which are often used in mass shootings.


The Debate Over Gun Rights and Reform

The debate over gun control in the United States often pits the rights of gun owners against the need for public safety. Opponents of stricter gun laws argue that restrictions infringe on constitutional rights and fail to address the root causes of violence, such as mental health issues. Proponents, however, point to the success of gun control measures in other countries and the overwhelming public support for policies like background checks.


A Way Forward

Despite the challenges, there is growing momentum for change. Grassroots organizations, survivors of gun violence, and some lawmakers are advocating for comprehensive reforms. The Madison school shooting serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of these efforts. As the nation grapples with its gun violence epidemic, it must look to both its history and the experiences of other countries to find a path toward a safer future.


(The author is a resident of US. Views personal.)

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