Enthused by the success of NREGA, Sonia Gandhi pushed for other welfare schemes most of which were rural centric. UPA government became very serious about other welfare schemes and projects many of them were ongoing. More funds were made available for these programmes, better planning and implementation with seriousness was worked out. The administrations were asked to function in earnest because the schemes were part of the national development through the rural upliftment.
Following are the prominent schemes or programmes that got impetus due to the push of Sonia Gandhi to the Rural Development ministry and other departments related to the schemes :
- Jawahar Rural Employment Programme
- Indira Housing Scheme for scheduled castes, tribes and BPL faimilies (Indira Avas Yojna)
- Bharat Nirman Yojna (India Development Scheme)
- RAY—Rajiv Avas Yojna
- SSA—Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
- Prime Minister’s Rural Construction Scheme
- Nehru Youth Centres. Rural Health Schemes
All the schemes and above programmes were rural centric and together with NREGA they formed a massive rural infrastructural and rural human resource development project. They had the true potential of changing the face of rural India as all of them were productive and construction oriented. The infrastructures so created could revolutionise the lives of rural folk of India in many ways. By providing employment they strengthen their financial status resulting in better life and health. No more were they vulnerable to exploitations. The build up of infrastructure led to better harvests and flow of business. New business and trade opportunities opened up. Even price rise was getting cushioned as it was bringing in more money to farming sector which constituted the rural population. There were several such collateral factors that was silently transforming the rural scene and consciousness. The employment provided by the schemes at their doorstep did not get squandered in migration and house renting and other overhead costs. It added to their financial confidence and psychologically empowered them to fight against other injustices they were prone to.
The opposition failed to read the transformation buried as they were in the shallow analysis of the city based political experts who were writing suggestive epitaph matter for Sonia Gandhi’s UPA regime. The government had failed to check price spiral. Elections to some states had become due. The main opposition party was sure of clean sweep on price rise issue and UPA government’s allegedly being soft on terror.
Terror attack of 26/11
Then there was a strange phenomenon of BJP accusing UPA government of being incapable of dealing effectively with the terrorism due to its soft attitude, making the issue an election plank and before elections Pak based terrorists would strike as if for its benefit. Many a time it helped BJP a lot. There had been terror attacks in Bangalore, Malegaon, Jaipur and a few other places. This time too BJP was making loud noises on terror issue.
In some quarters there was a premonition that this time too terrorists were bound to strike somewhere. Polling for the assembly elections were to take place on about in the last week of November, 2008. As election campaigns went on no terror act took place upto November 25. Was nothing going to happen this election time?
Then the dreadful feared attack came on the 26th November, just a few days before polling. This attack was so horrifying that the entire nation felt humiliated. It was a benumbing experience. Deep anguish roasted the country.
On that horrific evening ten Pakistani terrorists landed on the shore of Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. They had come through sea route, seized an Indian boat, butchered its crew and sailed ashore in a rubber dingy.
All ten were armed with A.K. 47s, grenades and incendiary bombs. As preplanned inside the city the terrorists split in pairs. Two went to Leopold Bar, a popular haunt of foreigners and upward mobile people. They started firing at the people who were enjoying their evening drinks. Blindly they fired to kill.
A group of two walked into CST railway station. (ex-Victoria Terminus) that was crowded as always. The two opened fire with their AK. 47s spraying bullets massacring the hapless commuters. The platform was soon strewn with bloodied bodies of men, women and children. There were pools of blood all about. It was a chilling scene. Scores died and many lay maimed or wounded crying and moaning. The killers satisfied with their work walked out and marched towards Cama Hospital nearby.
A pair of terrorists walked into classy Trident Hotel and began the cold-blooded murder game. The guests were trapped in their rooms and had little idea what was going on or what to do. The terrorists were barging in rooms killing people, herding them, checking passports to identify the Jews, Americans and British for dealing death. They were also using hand granedes.
A team of three terrorists walked into Mumbai’s sea front Tajmahal hotel of world fame. This group also started firing indiscriminately killing hotel staff and guests moving from floor to floor. Here they were using incendiary bombs also putting parts of the hotel on fire. The smoke and flames were billowing out of the windows as shocked nation watched the chilling live coverage on their TV sets.
The police force was not trained to handle such a situation. There was confusion all around.
The TV channels were airing live coverage and the handlers of those terrorists sitting in Pakistan were giving directions to them making full use of the T.V. coverage being carried in Pakistan.
The CST attackers were now in Cama Hospital wreaking more havoc. By the time the two came out of the building a police van had arrived with some officers. In exchange of fire some top police officers got killed or were fatally wounded. One of the terrorists also got shot and another was wounded. A brave policeman caught that terrorist alive who turned out to be Ajmal Amir Kasab, a prize catch who later revealed the entire plot for the benefit of the world.
Two or three terrorists had gone to Nariman House where some Jewish organisation was based. The terrorists brutally tortured and later killed the Jewish inmates of both sexes.
To combat the rampaging terrorists a plane load of NSG commandoes were transported to Mumbai from Delhi. From the local naval base navy commandoes also moved in to tackle the terrorists.
It took 60 hours for commandoes to finally eliminate the last of terrorists in Tajmahal hotel. Trident had been evacuated earlier.
For the people of India it was a harrowing experience as they sat helplessly before TV sets watching the terrorists going berserk in brutality on their soil. Never had people felt so anguished, angry and humiliated. They cursed the politicians for failing to defend the country and provide security to the people. The TV channels vent anger against the system and the political leadership. The citizens took out candle light processions and held meetings to express their anger and anguish.
About 175 innocent people lost their lives to the terrorist brutality.
The home minister of UPA government at centre, chief minister and home minister of Maharashtra resigned accepting the moral responsibility.
It appeared that UPA will get blown away in the assembly elections in the wake of the public anger against terrorism. The price rise was already making life difficult for people.
Some of the news channels were deliberately whipping up anti-government frenzy for the electoral benefit of saffron party. They thought the assembly elections would surely be the set back to Sonia Gandhi and her UPA government.
Only a couple of days after 26/11 attack polling was held. This time the election results surprised and shocked many. UPA won Delhi handsomely and wrested Rajasthan from BJP.
The terror card had failed to work for BJP this time. The people had voted for development. UPA’s rural programmes had paid dividends. The massive infrastructure building works in Delhi had been rewarded. Chief minister Sheila Dixit was grateful to the people.
And Sonia Gandhi had reason to smile.