For months, the UPA mantra was growth and development at the cost of food and general inflation. Gigantic projects and investments at the cost of spreading Maoist violence. Infrastructure development over the rights of tribals and other indigenous people, no matter the environment.
Suddenly, the Congress seems to have done a u-turn at a hairpin bend. P. Chidambaram‘s my-way-or-the-highway approach has few takers in his own party. Dozens of projects are hanging fire under Jairam Ramesh‘s environment ministry. There is talk of giving locals a 26% stake in projects, etc.
Course-correction? Or just clever politics?
The veteran editor and wordsmith M.J. Akbar provides perspective on the Congress’ sudden leftward lurch, as evidenced by party general secretary Rahul Gandhi‘s rally in Orissa after the Vedanta project had been shown the door, in The Sunday Times of India:
“It is axiomatic that a largely impoverished nation needs a political party that the poor can identify with. The Congress has set out to be the party of the poor in daytime, and of the rich at night. Its sunlight politics will fetch votes, its twilight policies will enable it to govern.
“This is an extremely clever act whose opening scenes are being played out for a new generation that is vague about Indira Gandhi and amnesiac about Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The hero of this drama must have the charisma to dazzle the poor and the flexibility to keep the rich onside.
“That is the challenge before Rahul Gandhi. His avowed role is to be the guardian of the poor in Delhi, which means that the poor need protection from Delhi. He is at home with the elite in the evening and is now making the effort to capture the sunshine hours.”
Cartoon: courtesy Prasad Radhakrishnan/ Mail Today
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Tags: Churumuri, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, M.J. Akbar, Niyamgiri, Rahul Gandhi, Sans Serif, The Sunday Times of India, ToI, Vedanta
29 August 2010 at 9:29 pm
Indira Gandi – Garibi Hatao — she eliminated garibi from India instead brought emergency!
Rajeev Gandi – “If Government spend 100 Rs on needy ,only 14 Rs reaches them” — he eliminated corruption from India, I guess 86 Rs go to swiss bank and kickbacks!
Rahul Gandi – Messiah of tribal, who will make the tribal Indians the most developed.
Each Gandi is a jewel (24 carrot jewel). Each Gandi can be credited with a great achievement. Blessed is India to be served by this royal family! Blessed are the people of India who prefer to be served by Gandians.
Somehow their names appear better without the letter h!!
30 August 2010 at 2:28 pm
Somehow I feel like to sing the song from ISHQIYA, “Rahul to BACCHA HAI JI”. Boss, will he ever growup.
31 August 2010 at 12:25 pm
So what does M J Akbar (who by the way, is well past his prime) want?
Either all or nothing?
Either you completely support the rich corporates and give them carte blanche to set up industries and factores wherever they want, to plunder the natural resources whereever they want, to exploit the weak and the starving however they want.
Or you completely turn a blind eye to development and go back to the socialist days when you constantly subsidise the poor and churn out one pro poor policy after the other?
Isn’t there a balance? Shouldn’t there be a balance?
That is what Rahul Gandhi is attempting. Strandling the world of the rich and the poor with deftness. There is no other alternative.
You need economic growth (which UPA has shown that it is capable of sustaining 8 to 9% growth for years)
Economic growth has happened because UPA has been encouraging and facilitating industrial growth. So it is extremely stupid of anybody to suggest anything else.
The corporates have reason to be happy with the UPA for many reasons.
You need the nuclear deal. (which is good news for the industry)
You need lesser corporate taxes (which is good news for the fat cats)
You need lesser personal taxes (which is fabulous news for the urban aam admi)
At the same time, you need RTE, NREGA, loan waivers, protection of tribal lands, empowering women through Women’s reservation bill and many others, to make the have nots also a part of the economic boom.
UPA has done somethign remarkable.
While sustaining high growth, while ensuring fiscal deficit remains low, it HAS ALSO given sufficient doles to the weaker sections, who desperately require state support.
Contrast this to six years of NDA.
No relief for farmers or tribals or poor. They were dying all over. committing suicide.
WHy no relief? Because goverment had no money. Economic growth was low. Worse, they had a high fiscal deficit to contend with.
***
Look at the latest figures: (source: rediff)
India’s economy grew 8.8 percent year-on-year in the June quarter, the strongest performance in more than two years.
The economy, which has emerged strongly from the global economic crisis, was also boosted by better farm output, which expanded 2.8 percent.
Manufacturing production rose 12.4 percent, while construction was up 7.5 percent and mining increased 8.9 percent.
8.8% growth cannot happen if you are not industry friendly. So all you UPA haiters and Gandhi baiters, seal your lips, you have no defence