THE UPA government while celebrating three years in power has sought to smash the perception of policy paralysis by saying that India is the world’s second fastest growing economy. However, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh admitted that there are “uncertainties” and more needed to be done. Releasing ‘The Report to the People’ along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Singh acknowledged that there is “frustration” among people over corruption and said the government was working sincerely to address it through legislative and administrative measures. Battling perception of policy paralysis, Congress president Sonia Gandhi acknowledged that the ruling alliance can earn another mandate only on the basis of its actions in the coming two years and not promises.”We are aware that only two years are left when we will be seeking a new mandate from the people. We are fully aware that the result of that will not depend on our promises but on the nature of work done by us,” Gandhi told guests and party men.
How does the UPA propose to do something in the coming two years when it plunged the nation into the dark phase of corruption, graft, inflation and what not, in the last three years is worth pondering over. May be, UPA has learned some magic. What was the UPA particularly Congress doing when scams after scams were exposed is quite surprising.
PM just remembers one statement; India is the second largest growing economy of the world and will be a superpower shortly. He highlighted the initiatives and achievements in various fields including the economy, agriculture, education, poverty eradication, healthcare, power generation, internal security and foreign policy. Manmohan Singh said that despite an adverse international environment, the Indian economy grew at about 7 per cent in 2011-12, which is amongst the highest in the world. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi boasts that since UPA took charge of the government, India has been advancing on the growth map in a sustained manner because of which it has been able to provide money for projects of social and rural development.
India may be growing for Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson but the fact remains that country is facing a terrible economic crisis due to the depreciation of rupee against Dollar and growing inflation which has seen the common man suffer.
There is no denying that the 2G and other scams have also cast its huge shadow and overshadowed all the UPA’s achievements giving rise to the inerasable perception that it is corruption-ridden. The fact remains that whatever progress India has made is solely due to her dynamic private sector. Whatever UPA government is boasting about on development, education, health care, and power progressed is a process of natural change which could have been much better. The country would have made more strides in every sector had the huge funds allocated for national level schemes been honestly and efficiently implemented. It is unfortunate that instead of spending the earmarked funds on deserved, deprived and unemployed people they are hijacked by politicians of ruling class.
The UPA leaders maintain that depreciation of rupee with respect to Dollar is result of uncertainty in European economy. The UPA leader’s further boasts off that country have surplus agricultural production in terms of food grains, sugar and turmeric for which we don’t have storage facility. One very peculiar and weird thing noticed with this government is that it passes the buck of every problem and issue on the current global slowdown, Euro crisis, and economic turmoil. Economic turmoil occurs due to faulty and unhealthy economic and banking policies and that it does not happen by itself. Therefore, prudent policies and practices need to be adopted and implemented.
There is no doubt that corruption is one thing that cannot be rooted out overnight, but the shameless and unhindered manner in which the corrupt are being shielded by the government machinery is what concerns the country and the citizens of India. India needs a lot of honest and fearless people who will not wilt under pressure of politicians and bureaucrats and expose the corrupt. The fact remains that people are not as angrier about corruption as they are about the manner in which Prime Minister is handling it. The misuse of CBI, moving slowly against the corrupt ministers representing the coalition partners indicate that UPA is not against corruption, but eager to retain power this way or that way.
Indeed, introspection and celebration should go hand in hand. UPA should honestly and with all sincerity look back and make a self assessment as to whether this government has indeed able to reach out to the people of this country and that it has lived up to their expectations. The latest raising of oil prices has indeed made things difficult for the middle class and low income people. There is also urgent need to give due importance to drinking water, electricity and clean environment and sanitation facilities for all. Inspired by many scientific and technical advancements, many people of our population are lacking for the above. Otherwise, Manmohan Singh will be remembered for rescuing the country from economic crisis in 1990s and dragging the country into economic crisis in 2000s.