Of rallies and smokescreen

There is a clear disconnect in the assertions of the scion of the Gandhi family Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Congress is giving a sense of hiding behind the smokescreen created by the Prime Minister, which perpetuates crony capitalism. 

“Maen jaantaa hun ki aap log system se tang aa chuke haen…aap log system maen change chaahate haen…maen aapke saath iske liye khada hun (I know that you all are fed up with the system and want a change and I am standing with you all for this),” the Gandhi scion and heir to the political legacy of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, trumpeted at the Ramlila Ground.

My ears instantly plugged in to sound boxes blaring out Rahul’s speech, as I forced my way to the front of the ground. But for a moment I doubted if my ears were hearing properly. Rahul was with those who are fed up with the system!

Since 1947, the Congress has ruled the country barring the phases of 1977-1980, 1996-2004 (eleven years in all). Further, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi (all from the first ruling family) have headed the governments. So, “system” is very well the product of the hegemonic rule of the Gandhi family. But Rahul wants to change it; good to hear this.

Earlier, Rahul blared “the Congress was a party of a dozen people until Mahatma Gandhi opened its door for the mass”.

Having been a student of history, Rahul’s statement was clearly a new revelation.

A number of history books, including the government censored NCERT books, mention glowingly of the contribution of the likes of Dadabhai Naoroji, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and many more before Gandhi appeared on the horizon. There were definitely more than a dozen people in the Congress.

“After Gandhiji opened the doors of the Congress for the mass, the English ran away to London,” Rahul further blared out.

The history is, however, less dramatic. Gandhiji came to India in 1915 and the English left India in 1947; and there lies a whole 32 years in between.

Therefore, I too wish to open the door of the Congress for the mass, Rahul continued. So, Rahul also wants to do a Mahatma Gandhi for the people; but he should have explained why the mass deserted the Congress in the intervening period.

But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, speaking after Rahul, listed the achievements of the government and mentioned hard pills that he has administered to the ailing Indian economy. “Manzil pahunchane ke liye abhi kaaphi lamba safar karma padega (destination is still far away and will have to undertake a long march),”

Prime Minister was clearly not buying the “change the system” slogan of Rahul.

Speaking last, Congress president Sonia Gandhi took pains to say “aajkal galat khaboron ki aandhiyan chal rahi haen (these days the storm of wrong news is blowing)”. Poor Rahul; neither the Prime Minister nor the Congress president subscribe to his views to change the system.

The world acclaims Manmohan Singh as a top ranking economist. So, his analysis of Indian economy should be seriously paid attention to. But what he offered as defence for allowing FDI in multi-brand retail baffled whatever little understanding of economics I had.

Sample it. “In cities like Delhi, domestic companies are already into multi-brand retail. By allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, people in smaller cities will benefit,” he said.

But what about the concerns, that the sharks of the multi-brand retail, like Walmart, Carrefour, etc, would siphon Indian wealth abroad and capture Indian market for foreign products. No answer from the Prime Minister.

“This will ensure that the wastage of foodgrains is curbed and farmers get the right price,” the Prime Minister said.

The government is sitting over more than 90 million tones of foodgrains this year alone, which is more than double the prescribed buffer limit. The wastage of foodgrains is due to incompetence of the Food Corporation of India and not the other way round.

Member of the Sonia Gandhi headed National Advisory Council (NAC), N. C. Saxena, who is considered a top ranking poverty expert, is of the view that the government should release the stock of the foodgrains in the market, either through open market allocation to bulk buyers or through the public distribution system. This will address to the demands of the food security and curb price rise.

But the Prime Minister reminds that the rising subsidy burden would make India unattractive for foreign investment and claims that wherever FDI in multi-brand retail has been allowed both the organised and small retailers have flourished.

For over three years, the UPA managers have been struggling to curb the runaway subsidy. A union minister is of the view, that if the government stops the subsidy given to corporate (cheap 2G spectrum, coals, land, etc.), the subsidy for the welfare scheme will not be a pain at all. The Prime Minister may well be accused of hiding behind a smokescreen.

A number of Asian tiger economies, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, who had to open their retail market for FDI as part of a World Bank bail out package in 1990s, have seen the large retail business growing in double digit, while the small retailing has shrunk. So, they have begun to take a number of remedial measures now, which, however, India is oblivious of.

As we took out a long walk out of the Ramlila Ground, a fellow scribe summed up the grandiose exercise of the Congress in demonstrating its show of strength. “People are walking over all these pamphlets with pictures of Manmohan, Sonia and Rahul. What respect people have for these leaders,” he said; and I took a hard look at the street littered with pamphlets crushed under the feet of teeming flow of people mobilized from Haryana and Rajsthan.

Summer of 2012

Pranab Mukherjee's nomination for Presidential election has cast a shadow over the political process, which is fraught with many ramifications.

Indian summer of 2012 will stay in memory for long. A lot of political drama took place in New Delhi, while more may also unfold. Aftereffects of the way India's next President has been chosen may be felt for a long time. Authorities have been challenged and belittled.

Pranab Mukherjee has impressive political experience matched by few

Seventy two hours after two regional kshatraps -- Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee -- outmaneuvered UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in picking India's next Presidential candidate, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee profusely thanked all for showing trust in him. 

Another forty eight hours later the self-declared crusader against corruption -- Arvind Kejriwal -- cast his doubt on Mukherjee. He tweeted that there are serious allegations of corruption against Mukherjee. He had earlier done what no politicians had dared to do by accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of corruption. 

Kejriwal may not be just a stone pelter. He is standing up to the might of the establishment. It's not a joke. 

Mulayam Singh Yadav has gone on records to say that he pressured the Congress to declare Mukherjee's name. What he is not spelling out is that he played his role in the act which might have been scripted by Mukherjee himself. As a politician with tonnes of experience in outsmarting others, Mukherjee may have known that Sonia Gandhi could have cut short his journey to Raisina Hill. 

Authority of Sonia Gandhi has clearly been belittled. She is stated to have met Mulayam Singh Yadav twice in those 72 hours. This was a job that her political advisor Ahmed Patel did all these years. If Mukherjee was not her choice and she was forced to name him, then her political hold has clearly diminished. The perception of weakened political grip would make her vulnerable. This is a bad news for Congress.

The UPA-II has been damned as one of the most bureaucratic government that India ever saw. Likes of P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibbal and Salman Khurshid represent UPA-II. Commentators have already written their political obituaries. 

Mukherjee is one last political face surviving in UPA-II. His exit would strip UPA-II of all political credibility. Though he rushed to welcome Ramdev at airport and watched while scores of CAG indicated scams unfolded, Mukherjee still blunted all round political attacks on UPA-II so far. 

Mukherjee's absence from treasury benches in Lok Sabha will surely make UPA-II a sitting duck. 

Irony is that after a semblance of consultation on Presidential election, which included Sonia Gandhi's talks with Ajit Singh, Ram Vilas Paswan, T R Balu -- consensus is being thrusted on Opposition NDA on Mukherjee's name. Worse is that the NDA is wavering in calling the bluff. Therefore, Mamata Banerjee has rightfully emerged as the true voice of dissent.

Positioning of 2014 or a mid-term poll has already begun. NDA, which looked as if dead for some years, all of a sudden appear netting many friends. Summer of 2012 will prolong, as even Monsoon wants so.