How should our PM be judged?
Posted : September 24, 2005 at 10:23 pm [IST]
ManMohan Singh gives himself a rating of 6 on a scale of 10. Is it his humility or over- or under- estimate of his government and its governance? The opinion of media varies extensively based on its affiliations or priorities of the group to which it belong. One such a columnist writes, “The UPA has, over the past year, churned out much populist rhetoric, some politically correct positions, laced with genuine verbal support for mass causes. Unfortunately, no implementation has been initiated and nothing can be seen as a tangible on the ground.”
I have some different views. He is being judged as economist prime minister, who happened to be very successful as finance minister when the country was passing through a crisis. His actions backed wholeheartedly by his the then prime minister saved the country from the financial crisis and established it on the right track of economic growth path. The succeeding governments tried to keep the same roadmap as guideline. The country moved ahead in right direction though very slowly because of the political reasons to save the governments.
Now as prime minister the country had different expectations from Dr. ManMohan Singh. We wanted the appropriate policies as well as the quick implementations of the policies or the projects in pipeline to see at least the hope of the country moving at right speed in right directions.
We expected him to prime the administrative machinery to make some smart progress on the projects related to roads and power for which finance was not a constraint. Unfortunately, all the estimated completion dates are being postponed rather than advanced.
On policies of national importance such as bringing in more reforms to attract the necessary FDI in some critical sectors, we expected him to sell his idea more forcefully and persuasively to bring the opposing parties on his sides. Because of his respectability among them for his knowledge and grasp of the subject, we expected him to succeed. After all if Budhhadev Bhattacharya can do that with his equally vehemently opposing partners-CPI, Forward Block, and RSP, why can’t our PM do that? PM would have been more forthright and aggressive in his approach. And he has nothing to lose. He is moving forward with many things but he is very slow. Why should it take so much of time about FDI in retail sector? Today, it will be speed of decisions and execution that makes the difference between the win and loss. No industrialist will wait forever for India. They will find other possible pastures. They have survived and grown without India and can still do that.
He would have contributed a lot in removing India’s image of the “most bureaucratic red tape” in the South Asian region, as rated by to an International Finance Corporation (IFC) report. He would have done better in improving the global competitiveness of India. Why is he failing there, where he will have no opposition from any one? He is to show his excellence in managing his bureaucrats and their accountability. If he calls all the officers concerned who decide the time it takes to start a business and set a target for them to cut it down to the world best, will he not succeed? Somehow, it is difficult for me to appreciate the troubles he will face, and still more difficult to rank him higher in governance if he can’t do it. Why can’t he pursue as a missionary some of his priorities for which he wants history to remember him?
I have some things to say about some political decisions where the prime minister could have influenced those who made that. One such a case is the imposition of President’s rule in Bihar on advice of Sardar Buta Singh, the governor. His party had nothing to lose. Time will prove it. He could have also advised and got another nonpartisan person preferably a strongman with military background as governor of Bihar in place of a hardcore politician. It was essential for Bihar with its deteriorated law and order conditions, where even the national projects of expressways- Golden Quadrilateral and East-West corridor and other rural road buildings can’t be pursued because of the terror created by mafia there.
And then, the prime minister would have certainly saved the mesh that Bangalore is in today because of the total negligence from his own party government there. Today, Bangalore is loosing its attraction fast for the MNCs who were lining up till recently to enter anyhow in Bangalore. He could have done a better job on his pronouncement of transforming Mumbai into Shanghai too.
He promised to establish Krishi Vigyan Kendras in every district so that the farmers adopt the new technology during his Independence Day speech. India can’t attain a growth rate of more than 7.5% without a considerable push to agriculture. The Kendras can play the necessary and important role to give a technological boost to yield and productivity in agriculture sector. Is it not shameful that only 0.7% of the farmers get some technological assistance and training programmes are catered to just 0.9% of the farmers?
Even many of his visits abroad couldn’t make much difference about the perception of the industrialists there about India becoming better FDI destination. I was in US at least during one such visit. His visits were so poorly planned. Media hardly covered his visit. He could have certainly done better with the industrialists. He never bothered to visit the west coast at all.
Days and months of the tenure are moving fast and they will not wait for him to show his performance to the people. I only wish he makes his colleagues of his own party and bureaucrats to perform significantly better in the remaining period without giving excuses and show some visible results. We wish him to win for the sake of the country.
- Indra
Category: Indian politics |
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