BRS chief's single-minded pursuit of a shining Bharat

Communication Skill is a God Given Gift as well as an individual's hard work and intellect. Only very few persons like Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao possess this skill and knowledge. His well-organized and thoughtful speeches as well as articulating ideas and plans on public platform make the audience spellbound beyond attention span. In addition, there would essentially be explicit messages in what he says. On 2nd January 2023, at the BRS State office at Telangana Bhavan, while addressing an impressive gathering, the messages KCR communicated were extraordinary, brilliant, thought provoking and will have a lasting effect on Indian Political scenario.

In his maiden public appearance since the formal launch of BRS on December 9, 2022, KCR, after admitting leaders from neighboring Telugu State Andhra Pradesh into the BRS and appointing the AP State BRS President, shared some of his national agenda thought.: 'BRS is for Nationalization', 'get away from election-centric politics', 'Dalit Bandhu and Free Power all over India',' need for institutional approach,' 'qualitative change for people-centric governance', 'BRS is for India', 'BRS agenda is not for coming to power overnight,' 'People should win elections but not parties and leaders,' etc.

During his address, KCR categorically exposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government policies one after another and how the country failed to progress. Main reason for India failing to make a desirable change even after 75 years of independence is, due to increasing election-centric politics rather than people-centric, criticised KCR.

In an unambiguous eloquence of his thoughts, CM KCR declared his and BRS party's total commitment to nationalization of public sector undertakings (PSUs), as against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and BJP policy of privatization. The Chief Minister had thrown a thoughtful challenge to the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Center to privatise Vizag Steel Plant and Life Insurance Corporation of India, which would be reinstated to their PSU status once BRS comes to power at the Centre.

Deploring the current state of affairs in the country, CM KCR said that in spite of adequate, plentiful and almost infinite natural and human resources, such as land, water, power and others, India lags behind in achieving progress when compared to neighboring countries like China and Singapore. Lack of proper policy making had kept it in that position, said KCR. He explained that against 29% of land in USA's geography and 16% in China was cultivable against about 50% in India i.e., 41 crore acres out of 83 crore acres land. Similarly, about 70,000 tmcft out of 1.4 lakh tmcft rainfall (4,000 billion cubic meters) was available for use. Yet, there were problems of drinking water and irrigation.

With proper planning every inch of the 41 crore acres land could be irrigated with free power supply as the country's installed capacity of power generation was 4.1 lakh MW, while the peak load recorded was only 2.1 lakh MW so far. "Why should the people of India suffer despite having all the resources? If the Central government is sincere and honest, it should have drawn plans to supply water to each of the 41 crore acres of uncultivated land by utilizing available water resources. We have water wars due to bad water policy and power shortage due to bad power policy of the Centre," KCR said.

KCR sought to know why the country did not have a major reservoir such as the one in Zimbabwe with 6,000 tmcft storage capacity followed by a few reservoirs with 5,000 tmcft and 2,000 tmcft capacity as in Russia, 1,600 tmcft Three Gorges Dam in China and 1,200 tmcft Colorado Dam in USA although 70,000 tmcft water is available in India.

Questioning why farmers were not getting water or power supply when an adequate supply of both was possible, CM KCR said this was the pertinent point BRS had been raising time and again. He said if supported across the country and voted to power, the BRS would extend the Dalit Bandhu scheme across the country, ensuring and empowering Dalits through financial assistance to 25 lakh families every year at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh crore, that would help them set up their own ventures. KCR said that "we can implement this in phases. It's not a big issue."

Similarly, said KCR that if voted to power, the BRS would also ensure power supply across the country within two years, ensuring a 'Velugu Jilugula Bharat' (a shining and glittering India), and free power to the farming community at an expenditure of Rs 1.45 lakh crore per annum. KCR said, validating his promise by pointing out that as of now, only half of India's installed power capacity of 4.1 lakh MW was being utilized in the country.He stated that the entire farming community depending on groundwater could be given free power for irrigating their lands.

Yet another reason quoted by CM KCR for steep decline in India's progress and retreating backwards towards regress, is that, successive Union Governments' failure to adhere to institutional approach, the method that focuses on various governmental systems through duties, rights, economic organization, cultural codes and values, and working with an individual-centric approach without a common goal preventing its progress. "Winning elections has become the one and only agenda for many political parties and choosing shortcuts by spreading lies, encouraging communal hatred, spending money and resorting to other cheap tactics, for mere temporary gains." KCR made it clear that no section of the society is happy in any manner and this must be stopped.

Stating that the BRS was not formed for a community or a region or a State, but with the aim of achieving a bright future for India, CM KCR and BRS President said that, the party would strive to bring a qualitative change for people-centric governance at the national level. KCR announced that 'BRS is for India'.

CM K Chandrashekhar Rao also announced that the BRS would start its operations in at least eight States including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana among others after Sankranti and said the groundwork was already in active progress to form State-wise committees to begin with. KCR also announced that committees would be set up in every Assembly Constituency in the country and in every Panchayat as well.

The Chief Minister however reiterated that, the BRS agenda is not simply meant for coming to power overnight or unseating someone, but aimed at a bright future for the nation. KCR pleaded with people to prevent attempts to sow the venomous seed of communal hatred for temporary political gains by certain political parties. He said that BRS is for India, the whole country. "I am appealing to people to join us in this endeavor to do some great work for this country. On the line of country's freedom fighters are respected, in future BRS leaders will get such respect because of the kind of work they will do.BRS has taken shape not for pursuing petty politics but for achieving a qualitative change in people's lives," KCR added.

Underscoring that India has been a Great Nation and a country of intellectuals, CM KCRfelt sorry that only political parties and leaders have been winning in elections whereas people were getting defeated continuously. Coming to power by hook or crook has become the sole agenda of political parties. Parties and leaders are going to any extent to win elections andKCR affirmed that BRS wants to reverse this trend so that People win elections.