Editorial

New Perspective, New Resolve

When the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, told his first press conference that India must shine for the poor, it must shine for the scheduled castes, the scheduled tribes, other backward classes, and the minorities and that India must shine in cities and the villages, he was echoing the philosophy and the spirit of the Congress Party. As an internationally acclaimed economist with vast experience in different disciplines of economy and development, Dr. Singh knows what India needs. And as the man who masterminded the expansion of Rajiv Gandhi’s reforms in the earlier Congress government, he is the right person to identify economic priorities and he is the appropriate authority to formulate the perspective for the present and the future. When Dr. Singh said the UPA government wants "India Shining for all" he was, in his characteristic urbane demeanour, rejecting the slogan of the previous NDA government and its lopsided emphasis on development and white collar-oriented growth model. The short-sighted approach of the BJP-led NDA had not only distorted economic progress in the six years of its rule, but also frittered away the growth impulses that were generated by the reforms introduced by Rajiv Gandhi and expanded later by the Narasimha Rao government. In its haste to win temporary laurels, the NDA government resorted to policies that misdirected precious investment into areas that were of minimum relevance to the vast masses of this populous nation. Cities began showing signs of shining as villages languished in poverty and deprivation. What was truly shocking was that the leaders of the NDA were mesmerized by the illusion they had created themselves. The mirage of growth, which infact was only a flicker, seduced them eventually leading to electoral disaster which they never expected. Dr. Manmohan Singh’s conviction is that the NDA approach must be rejected lock, stock and barrel. It was a statement about his own government and also a caution to the state governments that they should not go overboard by giving cosmetic touches to a few cities and mistake it for development. The most glaring example was the case of Chandrababu Naidu who believed he had fulfilled his commitment to the people by getting a few roads cleaned up in Hyderabad. In the light of the new growth perspective, the UPA government has been trying to evolve policies that cater to the needs of the population as a whole. The rural development has been given high priority and the farmer is accorded the love and care he deserves.

The first formal press conference by Dr. Manmohan Singh after completing 100 days in office was a lesson in sobriety and purposefulness. Playing to the galleries was not his style, nor appeasing anyone for one reason or the other was his trait. He played straight and spoke seriously indicating the enormous tasks ahead. Dr. Singh was also against needless controversies as he was totally opposed to wasting time of Parliament.

The same message with an equal thrust and clarity was put forth by the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, when she spoke at the AICC meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. In her inaugural address she reminded the party rank and file that winning elections was not an end in itself. She said "we prevailed because the people of our country chose to entrust us with their confidence. How can we ever thank them for honouring us with that sacred trust? We can do so only by serving them with utmost dedication, and by fulfilling each one of our promises." She invoked the spirit of Rajiv Gandhi whose 60th birth anniversary marked the meeting of the AICC, and said his "sincerity and his dedication inspire us even today". Smt. Gandhi dwelt at length on the role of the party organisation. "We should not rest with rejoicing our victory." Taking notice of the fact that in some places the party candidates lost due to internal bickerrings, she exhorted party workers to remain active all the time. In states where we are in opposition we should not sit idle expecting people to vote for us just because they get fed-up with the ruling party. She made strong plea that the party at different levels must take up and strive to solve the problems of the farmers, labourers and other weaker sections. Smt. Gandhi made a particular reference to the relationship between government and the party organisation in the states where it was in power. She insisted that "there should be proper coordination" between these two. "Their bond should be strong and there should be exchange of thoughts and dialogue between the two". The address of Smt Gandhi is a charter of action for the party. What matters for her is concrete service to the people – the motto of the Congress Party.