The Government should not crib about movements led by the likes of Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev when it does not deliver on its promises.
One cannot quarrel with the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh’s assertion, in his Independence Day address, equating the country’s economic development with national security. This is all the more valid in the current circumstances — where investments in new projects have dried up, and a growth slowdown, coupled with persistent inflation, has eroded people’s purchasing power, breeding insecurity of a different kind. But unlike a Kargil War or providing for supplies or boosting the morale of troops stationed in the Siachen Heights, which are never matters of political partisanship, parties rarely show unity when it comes to dealing with economic emergencies. Manmohan Singh said almost as much while noting how an environment for restarting the growth engine was not easy to create “because of a lack of political consensus” on many issues affecting development processes. Hence, the need to view these “as matters of national security”.
While the Prime Minister’s observations are spot on, it still begs the question: Who is to blame? What is stopping his Government from reaching out to the Opposition and building the necessary consensus? Or, alternatively, call its bluff, especially over issues — unsustainable fuel subsidies, for instance — where a certain degree of candour is required. Both these require statesmanlike qualities, to inspire as well as tell in the right manner what the nation should know. This is precisely what great leaders do during wartime, to borrow PM’s own metaphor of national security for dealing with vexatious issues of economic policy.
Sadly, Manmohan Singh or, for that matter, the top leadership of the Congress — which, ironically, has more seats in the Lok Sabha than any party ever had, since 1995 and can hope for in the near future — has displayed little competence in this regard during the current tenure of the United Progressive Alliance. It is this sheer lack of focus on governance or the articulation of a vision, that has enabled the likes of Team Anna and Baba Ramdev to set the agenda and capture the public imagination. There is no point cribbing about the legitimacy of such movements, when the Government of the day does not adequately do the job that the people have entrusted to it.
That said, one must give credit to Manmohan Singh for not announcing any new populist measures that have become the standard fare in every Independence Day speech. It is good that instead of succumbing to such temptations in these politically beleaguered times — there was even some talk of a development programme to give away mobile phones free of cost to all below poverty line families — the Prime Minister has focused on strengthening existing initiatives. These included providing electricity to every household (as opposed to only the village) in India in the next five years, imparting skill development training to 8 crore people through a specialised agency with private sector participation, and making the Integrated Child Development Services programme dealing with malnutrition more effective. No right-thinking person can object to schemes that invest in people rather than shower wasteful sops.
Keywords: Quarrel, Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh’s assertion, Independence Day address, economic development, national security, current circumstances,
Comments:
Yes the State has failed almost in every sphere as a polity. Both rich and middle class indulged in destruction of this robust geography with the help of "faith" "religion" " greed" and without a sense of patriotic brotherhood. At the suset years, I believe that the Country should have provided benefits to poors on the basis of financial weakness but never on caste from the first day of Independent India. Reservations has brought all type of corruption,misrule,votebank politics and of course corrupt were never punished adequetly. The poison has spread like cancer to this society.
Look at this: in todays DNA,a commercial News Paper from Mumbai could not find a cm space for discussion or to print the independence day speech of the President of this Republic. What a shame to the 4th estate. One can not compare a US citizen ignoring their President's address about "the state of the Union". Film stars adorn the RS or LS but a scientist is ignored. God Bless this Nation. Yours Truly,
Its unfortunate that the same people attack when credible studies
show that government is paralyzed and non-performing. Lots of energy
has been wasted last few years by PM and his other top ministers to
defend the government's mismanagement rather than introspecting.
Unfortunately the behaviour of these minister and PM shows that they
are habitual to eat their words. PM and other minister should know
that if you waste your time (public time) just for the sake of
defending yourself, public take it in very bad taste. After thousand
times ungraceful defending, now our hon'ble PM confirming that his
government is non-performing. In his own words "lack of political
consensus is affecting economic growth". The lawyer type politicians
have ruined the country. They spend time only to defend.
Failure of monsoon is only this yera i.e. 2012. What about earlier
three years? 2009,2010 and 2011? What has Dr.M.M.Singh done to improve
the country's economy? What prevents him from taking bold
decisions.First P.Chidambaram was appointed Finance Minister. Then he
was shifted to Home Ministry. Then came Pranab Mukherjee and he sought
for Presidential elections and was ultimately made The President Of
India and once again P.Chidambaram has taken over Finance
Ministry.Such frequent changes in the important Ministry of Finance
has been done under the very nose of Dr.M.M.Singh as Prime Minister.
The net result is virtual paralysis of decision making in investment
policies and reforms. Now the monsoon failure is a convenient excuse
for Dr.M.M.Singh.and for Sonia Gandhi, she is above accountability.
MMS was only reading the script drafted by Madamji :)
Point is that mere good wishes are not good enough. We have wasted so many years without implementing very simple administrative, legal, financial and police administration reforms. Neither foreign capital nor technology was required to implement these reforms. Only administrative and political will would have done wonders. Is it so difficult to arrive at a political consensus? We cannot achieve success on any front without putting our own house in order. That is the first requisite of any growth strategy.
Though not part of the independence day speech, the government has
announced free cell phone for members of BPL. Does it mean that when
they are hungry, they must call PM or President of congress to say
hello which the party thinks would fill the stomach. Mamta and Jaya
were openly against multibrand and the national police force but the
dear members BSP and SP are openly opposing the multibrand and many
other measures. The party is more worried about how to retain the
power till end of the current term than fulfilling the election
promises of bringing out black money, stashed away in foreign soil,
telengana issue, corruption etc.,. But the party is evasive when asked
the deadline. If at all all the money involved in 2G,antrix, coal,
and numerous other scams to surface shortly, india will not be in need
of FDI. If inflation goes high, people will prioritise purchases and
goods yielding excise duties will stagnate resulting in low collection
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