Hey Ram ! { Peeling the orange 
}
by Pamarty Venkataramana
Union budgets are presented customarily by the anointed wise man of the Cabinet . In the country of a billion plus population,it is but one individual who garners all attention on the floor of the House of People,the Lok Sabha for one particular day of roaring applause by Treasury Benches.
However,this particular year,the saying -‘ an one-eyed man is king in the country of the blind’ rang loud and clear – throughout the presentation-exercise and even after a re -reading of this rhetorical note hashed up by babus who remain anonymous behind inaccessible corridors of power.
Without going into the choice of one old-wine ‘media-strategist’ and one ‘ non-leader’ defeated in direct elections as the finance minister by a Government headed by a strong popular people’s leader as Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is hailed,let us permit by virtue of the constitutional right of ‘freedom of expression ‘ ( and,as one dispassionate but patriotic,learned lot well-versed with the ins and outs of governance since three decades ), examine the State of Budget of the Nation,presented today.
Was it a progress-report,a vision-document or a poll-manifesto for the general elections due next year ?
At the outset,what prevented the ‘delivery-boy’ of the establishment,from addressing the Parliament in Hindi- accepted national language of India? Why the ‘thoda Hindi – mostly English ‘ local desi-accent speech ?
And,he was coughing repeatedly even when he was reading out about repeated allocation of fund for TB-alleviation. Is this minister possessing good health or is it right time for him to be retired gracefully on ‘health-grounds ‘ ? How many other members of the Cabinet and Government are medically fit to dis garage the functions assigned under the Constitution? Are there any mentally unstable ones around ? Who cares ?
Foremost calamity screaming for the attention of the country’s rulers has been the ubiquitous environmental pollution problem. This requires urgent attention.
No real solution has been seemingly found except the announcement of a fund to limited region of National Capital region and bordering two little States.
There are Good Samaritan bodies of world class standards prepared to step into India and clear the air pollution but the mandarins of Government have been turning a Nelson’s Eye to these pleas. Although not a rupee is being sought by these heavy investment oriented project -bodies.
Why this betrayal of popular mandate ?
The equally monstrous ailment of this huge nation has been the poor healthcare and medical education system. This has largely been the outcome of short-sighted policies of the erstwhile regimes that resulted in rampant corruption and malpractices in this sphere of society .
Medical negligence and huge capitation fees for admission into medical colleges are but two fatal outcomes.
A specific instance ?
Top secret ‘Mortality rate figures’ was sold to foreign bodies by then head of premier medical research center who got reward of becoming a deputy director general of a world body . It is widely believed that said woman contractual-bureaucrat who is a TB specialist had utilized a 950-crores TB Fund to appease this lobby that got her life enhanced by that personal gesture ! And this is but just one noteworthy scam which has occurred from below the ‘na kawunga;na khaney doonga sarkar’.
Rather than the shortsighted proposal to upgrade district hospitals whose current status of maintenance operation leaves much to be desired,the Government must rise up to the huge billion plus healthcare partnership funds available from friendly ,advanced nations.
All the Central or State Governments need to do is to provide the necessary land area and guarantee the sincere,undisturbed implementation of these hospital and ambulatory care centers.
Why are the leaders turning a deaf ear to the polite requests received since long?
As vital is the education-system.
Admittedly,there is no uniformity in either syllabus content nor examination- systems.
Why call the a bit too late but never too late ‘schools for tribal population’ as the Ekalavya schools?
Why not name them as the Dhronacharya schools ?
At least in a squirrel – like effort to let the dear departed biased-Guru’s soul Rest In Peace , thanks to this Rama Rajya of 2018?
Oh,what about freeing temple Hindi collections from government control just as the Muslims and Christians are let loose?
What about the disparity in income payments made to female laborers as compared to the wages paid under law to their male counterparts?
What about the blanket tax-exemptions enjoyed by citizens residing in the north eastern region of the country ?
What about the huge daily expenditures being incurred both on defense head as well as other non -plan heads in the strife – torn Kashmir valley ?
Who is paying these bills ?
We,the tax bearing anonymous patriots of India or those deploying the United Nations Peale keeping observer forces there or the rogue state harboring and launching terror from
across the western border ?
One shudders at the gross moronic quotient in the cumulative summation of it all!
What about the abode of Lord Rama to be restored to Him at Ayodhya and the costs being incurred in guise of court hours and legal fees bills ? Oh,but the budget is just a fiscal document; not a political manifesto Mr.India !
No questions asked .
Only sycophancy cheers hypocrisy . Both are ubiquitous.
There are several fronts and sectors of societal governance on which this arguably most-adored Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy could have uplifted and bettered the lives of each and every ordinary and hardworking citizen but it being an apple cart full of oranges and pumpkins ,the apple-farmer was forced to push it displaying the rosy cheeks of a contended victorious one in the three-legged race of Parliament,mainstream media and a weak-kneed opposition !
Gross domestic product ?
Gross national product?
National income ?
Per capital income ?
Gross happiness quotient ?
Hit and run ! Say the aye-men.
Hide and seek ! So cry the opposition!
All in all,a merry-go-round : all this imaginary existence in the land of Gods and Superman & Wonder-woman leaderships!
Hey Ram !
[heard that feeble phrase somewhere ?]
Truth shall triumph. Satyameva Jayatey!
Jai Hind! 
🇮🇳
🇮🇳 
Pamarty Venkataramana (PVR) is a distinguished and eminent international Jurist, Poet, Author, Speaker and Thinker based in India. His many books are published.
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Jai Hind!
No individual or political outfit is bigger than the Nation and the larger interests of its citizens assumes significance with every annual Budgetary festival of hopes ( and disappointments).
A budget is the most wonderful tool devised by a Constitutional democracy to enable an elected Government to reset the path and trajectory of growth !
Good establishments would utilise the lawful opportunity to devise better policies for restructuring the economy and the individual lives .
India has a robust parliamentary democracy to arise over ghosts of the past and blunders committed , of Himalayan proportions.
The essay isn’t about a certain Minister but goads upon the frogs in the well to acknowledge the presence of an ocean and the friendly blue whale
Together , all grow!
I am sure if FM reads it, he will jump in the river…Lol