Issue 40 Vol II, May 31, 2007

E D I T O R I A L

Aam Admi and the Government

HERE is India’s prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the proclaimed architect of ‘reforms’ or the free booting economy  that has put billions in the pockets of the rich and the neo rich now  begging of them to stop ostentatious  living . He bemoans at the meeting of the captains of industry, India’s filthy rich lords that their fat salaries into crores per year are disturbing the common man. This is causing heart burns and disenchantment and could lead to serious social tensions. Beware of the anger of the common man. He is rebuffed next day by the neo rich, fat cats and the tax evaders including their supporters, the rich media.

Poor Dr Manmohan Singh whose heart bleeds for the poor Indians whose lands he is devouring to add to the richness of these philistines.

And, the prime minister does not stop here. He is in mood and reveals a great truth. Fifty per cent of what is meant for roads is eaten away by corrupt offices, contractors and their ilk.  It makes the headlines next day. Editorials come in dozens as a great truth has come to the knowledge of the media and the Aam Admi must be properly informed.  Pray what this economist is doing about it.

After two days, he stuns the Indian public with another disclosure. There is widespread theft of electricity and it is jeopardizing the development of power projects, leading to inefficiency and paucity of power. India can neither be self sufficient in electricity generation nor march towards progress, the economist prime minister reveals. He, perhaps, knows that these fat cats and their friends in the bureaucracy are responsible for this sad situation.

Who will bell the cat? Not the prime minister or his ministerial colleagues.

There is another minister in the united Progressive Alliance government in India   who too speaks for the Aam Admi, the common man in whose name the government came into existence and exists. As Dr Manmohan Singh sings paeans like his other colleagues for historic 8.5 or above annual growth rate during the last three years, one minister Mani Shankar Aiyar stands out to tell that the benefits have not traveled as these were to the common man. Rising prices, scarcity of employment and ever increasing poverty are haunting him as it should the government that must seek vote in just two years time.  There are neither education facilities nor any health care system. Not even drinking water for over 300 million people. India is home to the largest number of poor in the world.

Mani Shankar Aiyar, Minister for Panchayati Raj, Sports and the North East, says, "I fear that a government that is attempting to have an economic policy for the `aam admi' may not get the Aam Admi's endorsement." When asked for confirmation that he was saying that if the UPA did not correct course at this mid point in its five-year term it could end up losing the support of the `aam admi,' the Minister replied "absolutely."

In an interview for the CNN-IBN programme "Devil's Advocate,” with Karan Thapar Mr. Aiyar was asked if this meant that government policies were not always in the best or complete interest of the majority of the people of India, he replied: "Sometimes. I have no doubt about it at all." Asked further if he was suggesting that the Government's policies were unduly influenced by elite interests as represented by institutions like the Confederation of Industries , he said: "Yes and I was also suggesting that if we are aware of this, then we can always take countervailing action... industry interests need not necessarily be the country's interest."

Here are points to ponder over.

Karan Thapar: Are you also suggesting that the `aam admi,' despite the rhetoric, is not always at the centre of the Government's policies?

Mani Shankar Aiyar: He ought to be. And the whole point of what I was trying to say was that we ought to constantly remind ourselves of the Common Minimum Programme's commitment to the `aam admi.' And if there were a conflict between the interest of the growth rate and the interest of the `aam admi,' we must take both into account before we take a decision... My point was to underline that there can be a conflict between the demands of growth and the demands of equity. Not always but this is quite often so. If we are framing an economic policy for a democratic polity, as we have to, then we must resist the tendency to look at the interest of the classes and instead take into account the interest of the masses... [Otherwise] the priorities could get misplaced, is my point... Actually, we ought to be all the time conscious of the demands of the masses.

Q. What is it that you fear might happen if correct remedial action is not taken?

A. I fear that a Government that is attempting to have an economic policy for the `aam admi' may not get the aam admi's endorsement... It's our job to understand this at the midpoint, because that's where we are, and to take course correction. And it's the job of any responsible Cabinet Minister to not only take into account what the [Government's] achievements are but also what further needs to be done.

Q. You're saying something very important. If at midpoint you don't take course correction you could end up losing the support of the `aam admi'?

A. Absolutely.

Q. So the Government is coming close to losing the support of the `aam admi' in whose name it actually exists?

A. We've got another two years and there is time enough to take certain special measures.

So the prime minister has started the course correction with a begging bowl , the only property the poor has got  and that too might be snatched by the rich to turn into a corporation.

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