Manmohan and his government are mesmerizing the people with the promises of reforms, performance, and unheard of targets since UPA began its second inning. With the last win, it knows who matters for them and how they must be kept on its side. It will be only the time that will tell if they are right.

Prime Minister’s speech on Independence Day from the Nehru era has significance. Even in the good old days of radio broadcasting, the people of India attentively heard it with hope.

Today, it was raining. I did not know the exact time. And then as usual because of power outage around that time, I couldn’t hear Manmohan’s speech. Further, with maids on holiday and Golu with us because of his long week end, I got engaged in household work. As such, Manmohan hardly impresses while speaking rather reading the prepared speeches. But I got the glimpses of the highlights of the speech with the first opportunity to get on my laptop and then went through the full speech.

I couldn’t understand why Manmohan today didn’t come out a single new idea for the country. I wonder if he and his men have run out of them. He repeated only all that were presented in President’s address to joint session of parliament, the budget speeches, the right of education act passed and even what his minister such as Kamal Nath’s 20 km a day road building promised in media. His speech was stale but listed all that his men require for the people going for election in different states, particularly to allure minority, deprived and the so-called ‘aam aadami’ who are prone to be fooled.

I am sure the people were expecting something drastic on price rise, or steps to avoid the dependence on monsoon. I don’t know why Manmohan is hesitant on river-interlinking or some projects that can give a long term solution to North India’s drought and flood that is awaiting political will for last 62 years. I also wondered why he didn’t mention the new tax reform that his present and former finance minister announced recently with so much of fanfare and that impacted the Sensex so positively the next day.

I wonder if Manmohan as a professional has reviewed what he had promised on last five Independence Days and realized the futility of making these promises. Why should he promise something if he can’t get it executed? And perhaps that is the reason that his speech today didn’t have any mention on the acute power situation in the country. How can a country reach 9% GDP growth with no energy to start industries and services?

How long the prime minister and ministers keep on living on the false promises?