Politicians are elected to govern so governance should be more important than politics. When politics is more important, bad things happen.  At about the time that the Prime Minister was telling an audience in a foreign country that India aimed to become a fully developed country by 2047, Delhi saw the first big rain of this monsoon season. As it happens every year, streets became waterways, and newly built underpasses became jammed with vehicles so a journey that usually takes me forty minutes took two hours because of being stuck in a traffic jam in a new underpass. Gurugram, that shining, smart city of the future, came to a watery standstill. This happens every year. Just like every year when winter comes, the air in northern cities becomes unbreathable.

When Narendra Modi became prime minister for the first time a decade ago, he promised change and development. Parivartan and Vikas. To be fair there are areas in which he has truly brought change, but he appears not to have noticed that unless governance improves dramatically, he will have to abandon his dream of seeing India as a fully developed country. If there has been improvement in governance in BJP-governed states it is so minimal as to be meaningless.........

© Indian Express