22 May 2013

UPA-II has completed four years in power. An anniversary is ordinarily an occasion to celebrate. UPA-II’s anniversary is being celebrated in an environment of gloom, pessimism and negativism. Rarely has the Nation witnessed the kind of cynicism against the government as is prevalent today.

The principal achievement of the UPA appears to be that it has completed four years in office History will not judge the UPA government by the number of years in power. It will make a very harsh judgement due to the damage the UPA has inflicted on the country. The footprints one leaves behind are always more important than the longevity.

The UPA’s model of leadership has been structurally defective. Power does not vest in the Prime Minister. The vestige of power in extra-constitutional authorities outside the government has created an inability of the government to be decisive. It is the UPA’s chairperson who is the last word on the policy and not the Prime Minister. For the future, the party cadres look at the heir apparent of the Congress Party’s first family and not the Prime Minister. The legitimacy of the office of the Prime Minister has been denuded. Today, the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh is synonymous with indecision, inability and silence. Never in history has been the institution of the Prime Minister at the receiving end of wit, sarcasm and ridicule.

The UPA inherited a growing and booming economy in the year 2004. The initial years of UPA witnessed economic growth on account of impetus of the past policies. Soon the ‘Dream team’ for economic policy turned into a ‘helpless spectator’ inflicting a policy paralysis on the Indian economy. Unprecedented price rise during the UPA years has caused immense misery to the Aam Admi. The investment environment in the country has been disturbed. The Indian economy which was being show-cased to the rest of the world as an investment destination, lost its’ attraction. The investment, both domestic and foreign, started slowing. A reverse flight of investment from the country has started. Indian industry found better investment destinations abroad. Job creation has taken a hit. Not only have the growth figures plummeted to below five percent, employment generation has suffered a serious setback.

The success stories such as Telecom, power, National Highways, Rural roads, Sea ports have suffered a serious setback.  The Rupee has been weakened. The Government’s move to allow foreign direct Investment in the multi brand retail sector is a matter of serious setback both to domestic retail, manufacturing and the consumers. The government has not been able to take any corrective steps to take India towards becoming a low cost manufacturing hub.

The agricultural sector is amongst the worst hit. The Indian farmer continues to suffer from heavy indebtedness. Irrigation facilities are meagre. The agricultural growth rate in most parts of the country is inadequate. Farmer suicides continue unabated. The agricultural growth in the country is predominantly on account of the significant growth in States like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar.

The single most factor which has destroyed image of the UPA government is corruption. The Commonwealth Games scam destroyed the legitimacy of the prestigious international event.  The 2G spectrum allocation scandal shook the conscience of the entire country. Ministers, bureaucrats and beneficiaries had to be arrested. The Prime Minister continues to defend the scandal till the very last. Even though the Supreme Court and the CAG have made adverse observations and charge-sheet has been filed by the CBI, the UPA has attempted to subvert the Joint Parliamentary Committee by playing down the corruption in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The Coal Block allocation scandal was a loot of the valuable national resource. The Electricity Act was enacted in 2003 and was a major step in power sector reforms. Today this has resulted in scarcity of coal resources being available to most power plants. The UPA not deterred by the magnitude of the scandal, the ministers of the Central Government and the Prime Minister’s office have continued to interfere in the CBI investigation and doctored the CBI status report being presented before the judicial institutions. Instead of taking the corrective action, the UPA effort has been that the truth does not come out. The cash for job scandal of the Railways is the latest to hit the UPA. Senior posts in the Railway Board are being auctioned by the ministerial proxies. Instead of going to the root of the matter and taking action against the guilty, there is an air of go slow against the politicians who are prima facie liable.

The policy of the UPA has been callous disregard of all democratic institutions. The quality of appointments made to constitutional and statutory offices establishes that the policy of the government is to subvert these institutions. The UPA owes its survival to the CBI. The CBI’s policy is to help the UPA as a pliable investigating agency. Offences of the UPA and its’ allies are covered up. Vindictiveness is shown towards the opponents of the government. Parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj are managed through a carrot and stick policy followed by the CBI. Be it the Election Commission, the National Human Rights Commission or the CVC, some of the appointments that the UPA made are highly questionable. At times the judiciary had to intervene for institutional protection.

A failure of the national security is a hallmark of the UPA’s non performance. There have been periodic terrorist attacks which keep reminding us that India is still high up on the terror radar. The Maoist violence has continued in several States unabated. The UPA has no clear cut policy on curtailing terror and insurgency.

Never has the relationship with our neighbours been so precarious as it is today.  Pakistan has been the bleeding ground for a lot of terrorists activities taking place in India. From cutting off the heads of the Indian soldiers, to killing Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails, there are repeated provocations from across the border. The Chinese have been increasingly aggressive in dealing with India. Stapled visas, encroachment into Indian territorial sovereignty, non-recognition of Line of Actual Control are a part of aggressive Chinese behaviour in the last few years. Construction of roads and dams around Indian Territory add to the provocation. The government is reluctant to disclose the behind the scene negotiations and the compromise which has taken place recently in Ladakh. Even Maldives continues to defy India notwithstanding its’ vital position in the Indian Ocean.

The UPA’s journey in the past four years is one of disappointment. The Bharatiya Janata Party shall continue to expose the popular disappointment with the UPA across the country.

The atrocities on women have peaked during the past few years.  Rapes, Gang rapes, sexual assaults, acid attacks are a regular every day development.  The popular protests against atrocities have compelled the government to amend the law but the ground situation has not improved.

The UPA’s journey in the past four years is one of disappointment.  The Bharatiya Janata Party shall continue to expose the popular disappointment with the UPA across the country.