Under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to secure a third consecutive term in power. According to an India Today survey conducted less than a year before the Lok Sabha elections, Modi’s support remains strong, with 52 percent of those surveyed expressing their support for his third term. Some prominent media outlets suggest that Modi may even win a two-thirds majority comfortably, with a significant presence in states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Even Pakistani media outlets have acknowledged Modi’s strong position, with some stating that his government’s recent Chandrayaan 3 moon landing success has bolstered his chances of securing a third term, making it challenging for the opposition to change the tide against him.
However, some voices outside India, such as Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune, view the prospect of Narendra Modi’s third term with concern, warning that it could lead to the establishment of a Hindutva Republic in 2024 under the influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
According to The Express Tribune:
A grand alliance (maha-gathbandhan) of numerous political parties is expected to perform well in the Eastern seaboard, North East, and the Dravidian stronghold of Southern India, often referred to as Dravida Nadu. Regional parties and opposition forces are gaining traction along the Eastern seaboard, with leaders like Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and strongholds in Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka.
Despite the recent success of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in landing a spacecraft on the moon, the common people in India are grappling with the burden of inflation and a widening wealth gap. A report published by a consortium of UN organizations highlighted a troubling nutritional trend, revealing that 74.1% of the Indian population cannot afford sufficient food, leaving over one billion people struggling to access adequate nutrition.
While India’s growing disparities and challenges persist, some Western observers primarily focus on the country’s wealthy elite, such as the Ambanis, Adanis, Mittals, and Tatas.
Furthermore, research from Population Medicine suggests that India has the third-highest burden of HIV/AIDS globally, with millions affected and thousands of new infections and deaths each year. This health crisis has significant implications for the country’s development.
An Oxfam International report from the previous year paints a grim picture of inequality within India, where the government’s spending on public healthcare ranks among the lowest globally. Instead of a well-funded public healthcare system, India has seen the rise of a powerful commercial healthcare sector, making quality healthcare accessible only to those who can afford it. This has resulted in higher infant mortality rates in India’s poorest states compared to sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to 17 percent of global maternal deaths and 21 percent of deaths among children under five.
India also faces a grave issue of femicide, driven by deep-seated misogyny. Reports indicate alarming numbers of female victims, with over 7,000 adult women murdered in 2021, and around 430,000 cases of crimes against women registered that year. Female infanticide remains a persistent problem in India, with up to a million girls deliberately terminated before birth, leading to a skewed gender ratio in some regions.
Critics argue that the BJP’s divisive policies have fueled communal tensions and violence, citing events such as the Gujarat pogrom in 2002, Delhi riots in 2020, ongoing communal unrest in parts of Haryana, and civil unrest in Manipur targeting the minority Christian population.
While some Pakistani media outlets may promote stories aiming to incite separatist activities within India, reports suggest that certain individuals in Guwahati, Assam, are attempting to undermine the amicable relations between Bangladesh and India by spreading false propaganda against the ruling Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
