Despite myriad promises aimed at attracting the people, the BJP’s rule has seen Assam slip from the 18th position to 14th in terms of governance. The number of suicides all over India has registered a record growth while the BJP Government keeps on ignoring the problems and suffering of the people while being busy grabbing power at any cost.
According to data from the Public Affairs Index 2021 (PAI), the BJP’s handling of governance in Assam has led to the state slipping to the 14th position among 18 states of the country, a matter of deep concern and shame for the people of the state. It is dismaying that the BJP is busy grabbing power at any cost when the people of the state are finding it hard and extremely difficult to make ends meet.
The economic downturn during the BJP rule in the country, combined with escalating prices of goods, has made the daily life of the people unbearable. The government’s lack of initiatives to provide succour to people at this juncture has led to a spurt in suicide cases. According to NCRB data, the increase in farmers’ suicides has been pegged at 18% while that of daily wage earners suicide has touched 37666 individuals annually, even as students’ suicides increased to 21.20%. A total of 3243 people in Assam were forced to commit suicide due to the Covid situation. There has been an increase of 36% in the rate of suicide from 2019 to 2020. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, Assam occupies 5th rank among states in terms of suicide cases. Still, the BJP government has been indifferent to the concerns of the people.
Since the BJP came to power, the rate of unemployment has increased rapidly in the state as well as the country. Before the elections, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma had promised jobs to 25 lakh unemployed youth but we have not seen any steps being taken in this regard. The BJP government is pushing the youth towards a dark future. We at the APCC demand that the government takes swift steps to address the unemployment problem plaguing the state.
The government promising development and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ has not done anything for the development or welfare of the people. Assam’s Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has been talking about a river Ganga-like flow of development in the state but even the Health Department which was under his responsibility for a long time has been proved to be in a state of doldrums. While the BJP Government has been making announcements of setting up medical colleges one after another, the reality is that there is a lack of 1382 doctors across the state. Along with growing Maternal Mortality, Assam stands in the third position in terms of Infant Mortality rate. 80 out of every 1000 newborn infants die in Assam. To date, there are no Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in hospitals in 16 districts of the state.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee contends that no matter how much the BJP keeps talking about development real picture on the ground speaks otherwise. Hence the time has come for the BJP Government to stop misleading the people of Assam with false promises and get down to the real business of governance that will touch every aspect of people’s lives. The development will automatically be apparent to people in such a scenario and there will be no need for the BJP Government to talk about development by spending public money and organizing huge meetings.
