India – economy succeeds, democracy suffers

India is forecast to become the world’s third $10 trillion economy in 2035 in a geopolitical shift from two superpowers – USA and China – to three. PM Narendra Modi up for election in April/May is expected to win because of his economic reforms but is criticised for his autocratic administration and attack on India’s secular values, discriminating against Muslims, cracking down on rivals and curtailing civil society including journalists.

  Infrastructure building has taken off during his premiership since 2014 a doubling of airports to 149; metro lines tripled; medical colleges doubled. Despite troubling allegations of assassinations of Sikh separatists abroad and buying discounted Russian oil, he is forging a strong relationship with Joe Biden as the US looks for alternative trading and diplomatic partners to China. And he appears to be willing and able to tap dance amongst world leaders, even those at odds with one another.  On Israel – he is a key partner with technology and has a shared right-wing nationalist world view with Netanyahu while supporting aid to Gaza and pushing for a two-state solution. He takes a harder stance against China, because of a long-running border dispute.

  The election will be in April/May when tr Uranus is square the India Leo Sun which might suggest a change and tr Uranus is also square his BJP’s party chart which could suggest an upheaval as well. But no one seriously thinks he can lose and Rahul Gandhi, the opposition Congress politician has tr Neptune square his Gemini Sun suggesting a disappointing result.

 The Reserve Bank of India, 1 April 1935, does have tr Pluto square its Uranus this year but that could be a turnaround for the good as well as the opposite and a lucky/relieved tr Uranus opposition Jupiter in late April/early May around election time. It does look less stressed than other key central bank charts.

  Where there will be a few financial setbacks will be by 2025 when tr Neptune and Saturn in Aries square the India country Mars, and even before then as both square the Uranus/Mars midpoint which could suggest that high financial hopes don’t materialise as quickly as mooted.

  But for all that with tr Jupiter moving across the India Ascendant from June 2024 for a year ahead there will be a resurgence of confidence and enthusiasm. And tr Uranus moving across the Ascendant in 2025 onwards suggests an India flexing its muscle to go its own way and not care about the consequences.

 Narendra Modi has no birth time and some questionmarks over the date but on 17 September 1950 he is a serious Sun, Saturn, Mercury in Virgo with a tough, ruthless Pluto square Mars in Scorpio which in turn squares Jupiter – which fits a pragmatic autocrat. Tr Uranus will oppose his Mars from June 2024 which could rattle his composure but since his Mars its tied into his Jupiter, it could also prompt him into taking opportunistic and adventurous risks. That runs on and off into 2025 when he will be the recipient of more good luck.

 His first prime ministerial stint started 26 May 2014 6.13pm with a high-octane Cardinal Grand Cross of Mars opposition Uranus square Pluto opposition Jupiter – forceful, explosive, an initiator and reformer and not backwards about putting his foot down. There is nothing much to suggest he’ll topple off his perch instantly. Though he will start running into headwinds come 2026 onwards as tr Saturn in Aries starts to hard aspect his initial premiership Grand Cross.

Photo of a grand temple of Lord Ram, worshipped by millions of Hindus, will open in January in northern India at a site believed to be his birthplace, fulfilling a promise from the ruling party in a location that was a flashpoint for Hindu-Muslim violence. The site was bitterly contested for decades with both Hindus and Muslims laying claim to it. A Hindu mob destroyed the mosque in 1992, triggering riots that killed about 2,000 people across India, most of them Muslims.

Building a Ram temple at the site has been a central, campaign theme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for more than three decades.

5 thoughts on “India – economy succeeds, democracy suffers

  1. India under Modi has become a black hole of data. There is no transparency or reliability of official data. Lack of supporting data makes Modi govt’s words and actions meaningless.

    A very glaring evidence to support this is the delay of census in India. In India census is carried out every 10 years and Apart from some disruption during the war years, India’s decadal census has never been stalled. The latest one was originally planned to begin from February, 2021. Govt cited COVID-19 pandemic to delay the plans, and informed the parliament that the new population figures would be available before the 2024 national elections. Now no one in the govt is even talking about it.

    How can any govt formulate welfare policies without any true data on the health, poverty, employment, education, etc. of its population?

    Any assessment of Modi’s tenure as PM will conveniently take a back seat in front of the Ram temple inauguration extravaganza.

    Again religion will be used to dissuade people from holding the govt to account.

    This is Modi’s modus operandi of governing and winning elections.

    India doesn’t need more temples. There are millions already. One more wouldn’t alleviate any problems of it’s common man but might work wonders for just one man at the top.

  2. Indians have waited for 700 years for the trample at the birthplace of Lord Ram to be restored, Muslim modus operandi hasn’t changed they plundered the land and put their building on top of so many temples. Long awaited, come January 22 2024, justice will finally be seen to be done, Sun will be sextile Pluto.

  3. Just like how the UK is a “republic masquerading as a monarchy” (I forgot who said it, but it is almost a century old saying), India is slowly turning into an autocracy masquerading as a democracy.

    In the last month, the government forced through changes to criminal law (Penal Code, Evidence Act, etc) inherited from the British. You’d think that that is great, about time, etc. But they have mostly replicated the same offenses, but broadened the definitions. So, for instance, *terrorism* now includes economic activity that may destabilise the national economy. In the older law, that would have been fraud. And of course, a lot depends on how “destabilising the national economy” is interpreted. If one were to short the national currency (as was done on Black Wednesday 1992 in the UK), would that count as *terrorism*, for instance?

    The Ram Mandir temple issue has echoes of the regular standoffs in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. Hopefully, now that the temple is there, along with a replacement mosque 25 km away, that issue should die a death.

    Then again, it is worth recalling that before Modi was PM, he was persona non grata in the US and UK as he was Chief Minister (approximately First Minister) of Gujarat during the Godhra riots in 2002, when he is said to have told the police to stand down while radical Hindus massacred dozens of Muslims traveling on a train.

    I wonder how much of the BJP’s vote share is the party’s and how much is Modi’s. And once Modi has departed, how will the party’s vote survive.

    • I forgot to mention that the major changes to criminal law were passed after suspending 2/3 of the opposition MPs from Parliament, when the BJP and its allies already had a majority in Parliament. At the very least, not a good look.

  4. Thank you very much for answering my request. The pic is most appropriate.

    Only relief in the reading is June 2024 onwards Jupiter n central bank less stressed than other banks. I can’t say if it rejoices few crony capitalist friends of modi or brings relief to largest population on earth since as of now..people r committing suicide en masse with families due to financial creditors harassment thus stress, those who can’t r dying of heart failures as young as 13yr old to 20 yr olds. Jobs r nowhere but inflation is making survival a daily battle.

    Hope 2024 brings life, atleast

    Thanks once again

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