SINGH WAS NEVER THE KING!
Dr.Manmohan Singh could become the Prime Minister of India only because someone else couldn’t. The economic reforms of 1991 or the clean image were never the reasons that landed Dr.Singh the job. It was the media spin that later gave these attributes.
While Sonia Gandhi was opposed from within her party and also outside, her son Rahul Gandhi is not. In fact, the chorus for his anointment as the candidate to replace Dr.Singh is not only going stronger by the day but is also an indicator of the sycophantic roots of the grand old party .So it has come as no surprise when media reports suggest the forced retirement of Dr.Singh in the not too distant future.
However, the question is how to replace Dr.Singh the man who once was described as the most honest person in the land. The success of the Aam Aadmi Party in the elections to the Legislature in Delhi has only hastened the plans to make Rahul Gandhi the face of the party for the forthcoming elections in 2014.
In a bizarre and somewhat Kafkaesque manner, it is now Dr.Singh who is portrayed as someone who not only turned a blind eye to all the scams involving the two versions of the UPA but also someone who simply could not do much to solve the pressing economic problems of the day, like inflation. It is ironic since everyone knew from day one that the real power was in the hands of the mother and son combine and not Dr. Singh as is being made now.
It all started with the heir apparent to the seat of power in India tearing some papers to make his views known against the decision of the union cabinet headed by Dr.Singh to enact a law to protect scam tainted lawmakers. This symbolic gesture caused a sudden change in the position taken by the colleagues of Dr.Singh. Now, the probe report into the Adarsh housing society scam also may see a fresh light of the day ever since Rahul Gandhi expressed his displeasure over the attitude of the Maharashtra government.
Now on cue, most vocal supporters of ‘Rahul Lao,Desh Bachao’ campaign admit that the party has lost its connect with the people after the unprecedented success of the Arvind Kejriwal led party!
The grand scheme called the MNREGA hailed as the brain child of the chairperson of the UPA has not just failed to make any real dent to the poverty and unemployment in the rural areas but is something that has become a boon for the dishonest and the corrupt. The so-called Food Security Act was introduced with much fanfare and credit was given to the Gandhi family. But now, it is Dr.Singh who has to bear the burden of the failure. There are people inside the Congress who at least privately consider the economic reforms introduced in 1991 to be the cause of most of the economic problems faced by the country today.
I am not at all sympathetic to the plight of Dr.Singh. He is not a martyr for he stated sometime back that Rahul Gandhi would make a good leader. Dr.Singh was just a caretaker from the start. History tells many incidents when caretakers had a miserable ending.
PHATA HERO, NIKLA POSTER!
Many years ago I watched a Bollywood movie where the hero enters a scene by tearing a film poster apart.Now, in the context of the so-called ‘big-ticket’ reforms, the hero of the movie has been torn apart but there are posters all over proclaiming him as the messiah.
For long the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been touted as the great reformer and the saviour of the Indian economy.For long, he has been seen as the odd man out in the murky world of Indian politics.For long, he has been the darling of the media-both domestic and international.
But all hell broke loose when the Prime Minister and his government were criticised for inaction and policy paralysis especially in the context of the economic reforms in The Washington Post.
The Prime Minister has been accused of being a silent spectator to the allegations of corruption and wrongdoings of his ministers.He even had the gall to refuse any explanation.More appalling was the fact that he questioned the credibility of the CAG in estimating the loss to the exchequer arising out of the scams relating to 2G spectrum and the allocation of coal blocks.It is interesting to note that a man who always wants us to believe estimations regarding economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction can question estimations made by others.
Like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes, the Prime Minister has attempted to relaunch himself in going the distance when it comes to economic policy.Predictably, he is being hailed as being courageous enough in biting the bullet.Suddenly, the international media set the record straight in their appreciation of the work done by the Prime Minister.
I wonder how the poor Indian farmer would benefit from the FDI in multi-brand retail.I wonder how the average Indian would benefit from the FDI in the civil aviation sector.But I am not wondered by the boost that the FDI is going to do for the ‘untarnished’ reputation of the Prime Minister.
Today, the Prime Minister took to national television to explain to us poor Indians the rationale behind the reforms.He sought to highlight the benefits for the people.
Tomorrow, there will be posters in all the newspapers saying the same things in bold print.
Truly, the hero has gone and there are posters.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT!
In 2007, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh addressed the leaders of Indian industry on the occasion of the Annual Session of the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry).
The speech of the PM caused quite a bit of stir then as it talked about many things that the Indian industry would need to do in order to build a more just and humane society.
One of the key points was in relation to the ‘soaring CEO compensations’. This led to a lengthy debate and the government had to clarify about having no intentions of taking any measures to curb the compensations.
It is true that in most of the cases, the remunerations received by the personnel at the top of the management ladder have touched stratospheric levels. There is one view that in an economy as inequitable as India is such compensations fuel conspicuous consumption and hence could be a trigger for a possible social unrest coming from the side of the most deprived of the population. At the same time, are these compensations not for the deserving? The people who are accused of taking home large remunerations have the right to enjoy their fruits of labour.
Now a few days a group consisting of some very famous names including one Mr.Azim Premji wrote an ‘open letter’ to the PM expressing their concern over things like ‘corruption’ and the ‘governance deficit’. Asked for further comments, Mr.Premji called the lack of governance a natural calamity.
The PM should answer the questions raised by the likes of Mr.Premji. If the ‘soaring compensations’ taken by the CEOs are a matter of national concern, then what about the thousands of crores looted by the politicians? The PM is a witness to the brazen misuse of power by those in power yet he remains indifferent while not being hesitant to sermonize. Some of his cabinet colleagues question the methodology used in the estimation of the loot.
If the CEO of a corporation does not deserve his compensation, then what or who gives the right to the politician to loot the country is something that the PM has to answer. The PM is the CEO of the country and so he has to take the lead and responsibility in doing the right thing. It is beyond the thinking of any reasonable person as to how this present UPA dispensation can do anything good for the common man or the AAM AADMI!
It is time that the shoe is on the other foot, PM and it surely pinches.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )iNFLATION:TIME TO REJOICE!
Everyone except the Central government seems to be concerned about inflation. The Prime Minister held discussions with his Cabinet colleagues with no solution in sight. Some raids were carried out by the Income Tax people on onion merchants. The Union Minister for Agriculture is not known for his words and he has nothing to say also.
But I am very happy with inflation even as my meagre salary makes it difficult for me to make the proverbial ends meet. Also, I am in such a job where the chances of making some extra moolah by way of graft and/or commissions are zero. It is only that I need to pay speed money even to get my monthly salary and in these times even those rates have been hiked.
The hike in the price of petrol is justified since the commodity is meant only for the rich in India. Similar is the case with the impending hike in the price of the LPG. We are given lectures on the rationale behind the hikes. The people of this country are lucky to have the right teachers of Economics starting from the Prime Minister. Pranab Mukherjee in his typical accent reminds me of some of my most boring classes. So is the case with the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, M S Ahluwalia who is in his very propah accent justifies all the burden that the honest and the non-corrupt Indian has to shoulder.
I am coming to the reason why the inflation and the price hikes make me feel good. A section of the Union government argues that the rising food prices are caused by the greater demand resulting from the higher incomes, thanks to the policies of the UPA.
Suddenly, I have become rich and this is surely a feather in the already large crown worn by the leadership of the UPA.
The ordinary people or the AAM AADMI of India are really thankful to the UPA leadership. They have achieved their stated aim of taking better care of the AAM AADMI. Let us rejoice and give a damn to all the deals of corruption right from Bofors to the CWG and the 2G. Give credit where it is due.
Of course, history tells us that a relative of the French queen Marie Antoinette wanted the people of that country to eat pastries when they complained of bread shortages. This was one of the triggers of the French Revolution. But the leadership of the UPA has nothing to fear.
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