The Hindu Business Line : Only promises to keep

This is one more instance of Manmohan Singh being a different kind of a Prime Minister. True to his declaration at his first Independence Day address, in 2004, that he had no promises to make but promises to keep, his last three speeches on August 15 have been devoid of any grand announcements that usually pepper a Prime Minister's address to the nation. This time, too, the Prime Minister basically took stock of the developments in and around the country and reiterated the challenges facing the nation.

For journalists, coverage of Independence Day speech has, thus, become easy. But the new practice of the Prime Minister has other advantages too. One, people are not given false hopes about grandiose plans that rarely take off and, two, the Finance Minister is a relieved man as he no longer has to go around hunting for funds to finance new schemes. Since the general Budget is presented and voted upon much before August 15, new schemes mid-year, meant reworking existing programmes or imposing additional taxes. Manmohan Singh has now made both the FM and the taxpayer happy.

Our Bureau