Resisting the temptation to send the year off with a good riddance, it certainly has been a year of upheavals. There are a lot of spin offs to the Covid spread but the dominant one of course is the impact it has had on jobs and the economy. True the Indian economy was already in the doldrums before Covid hit us, but the virus certainly didn’t help. With the Budget being one of the first big-ticket items scheduled for 2021, the economy would be the PM’s primary concern. As would jobs.
Work from home seems here to stay with most companies in the US putting off the return to office date as far as June next year and Microsoft mulling that this would be a permanent state of affairs. For jobs that do not require a physical presence, this could fast become a reality. This has had another spin off, which is the fall in commercial real estate prices and the rise in residential rates as more and more people look to invest in their first home. Also, the spread is going away from the city to suburbs and small towns as living close to the workplace is no longer a priority. In fact, most couples prefer larger houses with his workstation and her workstation clearly earmarked.
Travel too has turned inwards with lockdowns and other restrictions making it difficult to cross boundaries with ease. If you just look at Facebook, you will see more pictures being posed alongside “sarson-ke-khet” (mustard fields) a la Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, instead of fancy European destinations. Everyone is taking a trip back to their village and rediscovering their roots and the simple joys of “sarson ka saag” and “makki ki roti” (favourite Punjabi fare).
As for politics, well the PM and the BJP are still reaping electoral gain, despite what most saw as a badly handled lockdown. A large part of this is due to the PM’s credibility that saw the voter in Bihar blame their state administration for their woes during the reverse migration, instead of the PM. In 2021 there are three big-ticket elections, the states of West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu. The BJP is making inroads in West Bengal and some even state that it could wrest the state from Mamata Banerjee. In Assam too the party is hopeful of making a comeback whereas Tamil Nadu could be a challenge. But the main reason the BJP is still doing well electorally is also the absence of a pan-India Opposition. The blame for this must lie with the Congress and enough has been written about its absentee leadership. The question now is: Will 2021 throw up an alternative, either from within the Congress or else from the rest of the Opposition? Sharad Pawar certainly seems willing, but will the rest trust him to lead a coalition against PM Modi? What about Mamata Banerjee? Perhaps 2021 will bring some answers.
And as the year ends, the dominant image remains an event that took momentum towards the end of the year—the farmers’ protests at the capital’s borders against the farm reform bills. As the year ends, talks are still on with the farmers proving to be a formidable opponent for the PM. As we all know, nature abhors a vacuum. Will the streets step in where Parliament has failed, and hold the government to some accountability? The year 2020 ends on his interesting note.