@ThinkTank · 1:13
In conversation with Member of Parliament, former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh
He is currently a member of Parliament in in the Rajya Sabha upper house and has also served several terms prior to this, both as a member of Parliament as well as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh. As we're all aware, India is going through a truly difficult period from a health point of view. And Mr. Tiggaja Singh is currently recovering from Kobe himself, but has nonetheless been kind enough to spare some time for a conversation with me today on Swell
@ThinkTank · 0:24
The Gujarji the last few weeks, especially has been a very tough period for India. And there are a host of problems which range from the lack of oxygen to the sudden spike in covert cases. Out of all of these issues, what is your biggest concern with regard to the ongoing COVID situation? And what would you say about the government's handling of the crisis
@ThinkTank · 0:33
Secondly, within the context of the Pandemic and its impact on the economy, ligujaji countries such as Bhutan and Senegal have been lauded globally for how they managed their economies. During the Pandemic, New Zealand, for instance, spent as much as 5% of its GDP in rolling out stimulus packages as well as other welfare programs. Keeping this in mind, what is your reading of the Peak Cares Fund in India as a relief measure
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
@ThinkTank · 0:43
Shifting focus from the Corona virus, pandemic, the Gujarji you've seen the Indian political system evolve over decades, and the way elections are being contested now has dramatically changed. But a common feature has been that that political parties usually rally around the appeal of a single leader, especially in elections. So therefore, some observers have called for a systemic change, citing this pattern, one recommendation is a shift from the first pass, the post to a presidential system in India
@ThinkTank · 0:30
My fourth question is in relation to the results of the recent state elections, dgbuji while the Congress was a part of the winning coalition in Tamil Nadu, the performances in the States of West Bengal, Kerala, and Assam have thrown up. Consider once again about the party and the way ahead. Do you share the concerns of some of your colleagues about the Congress and how does the party aim to reinvent itself, for it to effectively compete on the national stage
@ThinkTank · 0:35
And finally sticking with the theme of elections, regional parties across India seem to be performing very well and forming governments in various States in 2019. It seemed like the alliances between the Congress and and the other parties would fare well in the general election. But that wasn't the case, given your experience as a senior political leader. If you had to devise a strategy for the 2024 elections for the UPA, what would that be with that?
Digvijaya Singh
@dvs28247 · 4:28
So what I have mentioned, I would like to continue on Kvidlike situation. Now, the issue is that even today, after one year, more than one year now the government has really not been able to prepare itself the way it should have. There's a huge shortage of oxygen. There's a huge shortage of vaccines. In fact, at the very beginning, we were exporting PPE kits when our own doctor did not have the PPE kits
Digvijaya Singh
@dvs28247 · 1:37
So therefore, I think there has to be more transparency in the government of India must tell us how much they have received and where they are spent. So this is what my understanding and the reading of the PMC fund is. Thank you
Digvijaya Singh
@dvs28247 · 3:47
But as you know, there are a lot of complaints about the functioning of the Central Election Commission, which has to be partial the way in the last four or five years the Central Election Commission has conducted itself has brought down, I would say, the image of the Central Election Commission of a nonpartisan impartial organization, which is a serious thing
Digvijaya Singh
@dvs28247 · 4:17
And I think we should not deviate from our ideology and naruvian ideology of modern Liberal society. And of course, we have to look into the issue that poverty is a major challenge for us. And these are the issues which we have to take up and write earners. The BJP, which has become our major challenger, has only one agenda that is the divisive agenda of polarization wherever they go
Digvijaya Singh
@dvs28247 · 3:13
So basically the hardcore BJP leadership has not succeeded in these five elections, but that is no sort of a solace for us. We have to put up our minds heads together and lead and prepare a platform where we can take on the BJP at the national level. Thank you. And thank you, Karen, for inviting me for a discussion. Thank you very much. Bye
@ThinkTank · 0:23
The Gujarji, there is clearly a lot which lies ahead for the country in terms of the pandemic. And I sincerely hope that we all managed to survive this together like you said. And once again, thank you so much for this conversation. It was great speaking with you on Swell this evening. And I also hope that we get to have you back on the think tanks will cost more often. Thank you so much
Digvijaya Singh
@dvs28247 · 0:49
Thank you, Karan. Yes. It's a novel experience for me also. And it's good to interact with people in India and outside also, particularly outside where an image has been created that Modi is a great leader and he's a savior of the Hindus in the country, in the world, rather. But if you see in Bengal elections, even the Hindus have voted against the BJP. I think it's good to interact with young minds all over the world through Swell