Hey everyone, It’s time to dive into something big that happened on February 8, 2024. The Congress party, India’s main opposition, made a bold move by releasing what they call the “Black Paper.” Led by Congress Chief Malik Arjun K, this hefty 54-page document aims at the ruling party’s governance over the last 10 years. Let’s unpack this intriguing development and see what it’s all about.
Congress Black Paper
What’s the Buzz About?
So, picture this: while the ruling BJP often boasts about India’s rapid progress under Modi’s leadership, the Congress Black Paper throws shade on this narrative. It’s like they’re saying, “Hold up, let’s take a closer look.” They claim that behind the facade of development lies a decade of injustice and mismanagement. Sounds juicy, right?
Backing Arguments with Data
Now, here’s the cool part. The Black Paper isn’t just throwing accusations willy-nilly. Oh no, it’s got receipts! Yep, it backs up its claims with a boatload of data. Think of it as bringing a bazooka to a water gun fight. This isn’t just political mudslinging; it’s a data-driven showdown.
Economic Woes: Inflation and Unemployment
One of the biggest punches the Black Paper throws is at the government’s handling of the economy. It points fingers at rising inflation and unemployment rates, painting a bleak picture of economic mismanagement. It’s like saying, “Hey, while you’re busy patting yourselves on the back, folks are struggling to make ends meet.”
Media Bias?
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. While most media outlets are singing praises for the Modi government’s achievements, the Black Paper flips the script. It’s like shining a light on the other side of the moon. By bringing alternative perspectives to the table, it challenges us to think beyond the headlines.
Empowering Citizens
But wait, there’s more! The Black Paper isn’t just about pointing fingers. It’s about empowering citizens with knowledge. It’s like giving them a backstage pass to the political theater. By understanding both sides of the argument, voters can make informed decisions come election time.
So, What’s the Verdict?
In a nutshell, the Congress Black Paper is a game-changer. It’s shaking up the political landscape and sparking much-needed conversations. Whether you’re Team BJP or Team Congress, one thing’s for sure: this ain’t your average political pamphlet. It’s a heavyweight contender in the ring of Indian politics. So, buckle up, folks. The showdown is just getting started!
5 Points of Black Paper
let’s start from the basics of this 54-page document just like last time we have picked. Some of the most important points that Congress has used to expose the BJP government and you can read the entire document from here
Black Paper [10 saal Anyay Kaal]
Now if you’ve seen the white paper article The White People picked the most important indicators and declared that the Indian economy is doing insanely well as compared to the Congress era and it was pretty convincing as well but you know what guys the black paper points out a very important indicator that the white paper completely missed on and that is the unemployment rate in India.
1. Job Crisis
So this brings the question have we done so badly in our unemployment Market workers?
Unfortunately, the data says that we have done a terrible job here. This is especially because the Prime Minister promised to create two crore jobs every single year.
According to the black paper let alone creating 2 CR jobs unemployment is at the highest in the past 45 years. And shockingly the black paper says that the situation is so bad that two unemployed people die by suicide every single hour.
Fatehabad sisters ended life ‘due to unemployment
According to the black paper, the total unemployment for all ages in 2012 was 1 CR people which has now increased to 4 crores in 2022. Furthermore, they also point out that youth unemployment has doubled from 6% in 2011-12 to 15% in 2019-20.
Now some people might say bro all of this is because of COVID-19 and this is a 4-year-old data. So
you know what we crosschecked all of our sources and our data says that in 2013 the unemployment rate was 5.42% in 2019 it was 5.27% and in 2023 it stood at 8.03%. So regardless of how you measured it and when you measured it, we have to admit that things are bad with our employment status.
And you know what the black paper doesn’t stop here the black paper also points out that 10.34 CR people under the age of 30 were in the workforce in 2016-17 but by the end of 2022-23, the number had fallen to just 7 CR people under the age of 30 in the workforce.
And to make it worse about one-third of all our graduates and postgraduates are unemployed.
So long story short the black paper points out that there is rampant unemployment in the country this is the state of employment in the country.
BJP caused problems to the existing jobs?
Congress further goes on to say that the government has not only failed in creating jobs but it has also caused problems to the existing jobs as well. Now why does Congress say this between 2014 and 15 and 2022 and 23 real wages Rose by just 0.8% in the agricultural sector 0.2% in the non-agricultural sector and it was negative for the construction sector (Indian Express)
so over 8 years while the rich have gotten richer in India the poor in India seem to be struggling.
2. Tax Terrorism
Taxes are essential for funding government services like schools and hospitals. However, in India, there are concerns about how taxes are collected and who bears the heaviest burden.
Tax Burden for middle-class
Many believe that the government is unfairly burdening middle and lower-income individuals with taxes, termed as “tax terrorism.” Most tax revenue comes from average citizens: 64% from the bottom half and 33% from the middle, while only 3% is contributed by the top 10%. Additionally, a small percentage of Indians pay income tax, revealing a significant gap between the rich and the poor.
GST Implementation: Good Idea, but…
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced to simplify taxes, but its execution has faced criticism. With nearly 900 rule changes in six years, small businesses struggle to keep up with the evolving regulations. While some people have benefited from GST, others find it challenging to navigate.
Complexity of GST
Taxation in India is complex, with concerns about fairness and efficiency. It is essential to address the disparities in tax burden and ensure that policies are inclusive and equitable. By fostering open dialogue and listening to the experiences of citizens, we can work towards a tax system that benefits all.
3. Did It Turn India into a revolutionary manufacturing Hub of the world?
In the pursuit of economic growth and global competitiveness, India set ambitious targets to rival China in manufacturing and exports. However, the Black Paper reveals a stark reality behind these aspirations
The Manufacturing Conundrum
Despite promises of becoming a manufacturing powerhouse, India’s share of manufacturing in GDP has dwindled from 16% in 2015 to 13% in 2022, falling short of the targeted 25%. This raises serious doubts about the efficacy of initiatives like “Make in India.”
Challenges in Meeting Targets
The failure to achieve manufacturing targets can be attributed to two main factors: the difficulty of doing business in India and challenges related to land acquisition. These hurdles hinder the growth of industries and impede progress towards becoming a manufacturing hub.
India’s aspirations to compete with China in manufacturing and exports face significant challenges, as revealed by the Black Paper’s findings. Addressing obstacles related to ease of doing business and land acquisition is crucial for realizing India’s potential as a global manufacturing leader.
4. Dictatorship?
The black paper argues that democracy in India is weakening now. How do they say that the black paper implies that the government is misusing investigative agencies like Ed and CBI to raid the opposition leaders?
Misuse of ED and CBI
Congress says that only 54% of the investigations were carried out against their opposition when they were in power. During the time of the BJP, 95% of these investigations were carried out on the opposition only.
BJP Washing Machine
Some people might say bro that is because only the opposition leaders are corrupt BJP leaders are not corrupt well although I want to believe it the patterns kind of make it hard to believe now I’m not saying this because I’ve got something very concrete just look at the patterns and even Indian Express has recently published a chart of about 25 opposition leaders who had cases against them but after that they joined the BJP and 23 of them saw their cases drop.
Now I don’t have anything concrete to actually point out like I said in the Electoral Bonds episode These could be isolated events also these could be co-related events.
But somehow they seem to be extremely worrisome and it would be great if a government leader could actually point out or explain to the people of India what exactly is happening.
In fact, if you want to know more about this argument Watch this video
5. Defense and security problem in India
If you don’t know what happened in Manipur 35,000 people have been displaced in Manipur 1,700 houses have been burned 60 people have lost their lives and 200 more have been injured since the violence broke out in May 2023 in Manipur.
Why govt. is not taking action in Manipur?
While the BJP has done a great job in Kashmir the question is why couldn’t we act quickly on Manipur even though it had the BJP government both at the state and the center.
Most people might say bro “You know that happened in Manipur but my state is doing just fine”. I have to tell you that this is a system issue guys because if one state is burning and the center does not do anything, tomorrow what makes you believe that something might happen to your state and the center will actually take some strict action?
Because it was an entire State burning and it was the lives of 35,000 people which is even today at stake.
This is the reason why we as citizens of the country need to point out and voice our opinions so that the government understands that the people of India are watching.
Conclusion
These are the most compelling arguments that have been made in the black paper and apart from these arguments, there are several other arguments like demonetization, farmer income, and the Chinese border problem that the black paper points out.
To read more Black Paper [10 saal Anyay Kaal]
Who is Right? & Who is Wrong?
We as Citizens, need to understand that both parties have done good things and both parties have done bad things. But if you look at the mainstream media in India while one section of the media only applauds the government the other section only says bad things about the government and the result of this bipolar reporting is a bipolar population.
So while some people might say Modi is the greatest prime minister India has ever had others might call him a dictator. Both are stupid statements because what we need to do is decode the governance of every government point out both the good things and question the shortfalls of each government so that the citizens can understand both sides of the argument instead of being influenced by one-sided propaganda this is the reason why we covered the most compelling arguments of both the black paper and the white paper and I just hope you learned something valuable from this case study.
If you want to know how Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party became the National Party in just 10 years read this article.
That’s all from my side for today Bye-bye