They Do What They Shouldn’t!

The title to this post is inspired by the title of the book by Dr. Raghuram Rajan, I do what I do. This book was a bestseller on Amazon India even before it released and I had my preordered copy in hand the day it did. After having received it, I didn’t let go of it for the next three days, during which I read the book whenever I wasn’t doing anything else! The book was a reflection of the integrity of the gentleman, candid at times and reticent at others. Unlike others who held high office and released tell-all and no-holds-barred books after they demitted office, Dr. Rajan has been an epitome of integrity in balancing his high personal ethics with carefully measured candour, choosing only to share as much as fit his (highly respectable) personal standards. But it remains anyone’s guess as to why the NDA government didn’t make an offer for him to continue a second term. Just a few months before this book hit the stands, Dr.  Arvind Panagariya of the NITI Ayog had quit to follow his academic pursuits. I couldn’t but wonder if there were any dots to be connected between the two personalities, their exits, academic pursuits and the NDA lead government at the centre. As of now, one can only conjecture, but accept that it has been a loss to the government and, in turn, the Nation.

I must admit that my own enthusiasm from three years back of having a right-wing government at the centre has waned considerably. I did believe that we needed a fresh set of ideas to steer India further in its path of a knowledge and innovation economy, but I feel very disappointed with what I see today. When the Nation elected the BJP to power, with Shri. Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, I was proud of the vibrancy and maturity demonstrated by my fellow country wo/men. With one sweep, the people proved to the world that they could vote someone from humble beginnings into becoming their prime minister! And with that was also handed the huge responsibility of deciding the future of the country and Her people. Its a different matter that it was the most expensive election fought by a party in the history of independent India.

I have, on occasions, listened to his radio programmes and have done so with rapt attention. Without doubt, he is a good speaker and is able to connect with his listeners easily through his simple language and thoughts. It also makes him a great campaigner for his party! No wonder that he has spent about 360 days campaigning for his party at the assembly elections after he was elected into office. Fundamentally, a Prime Minister’s first duty remains with the nation and not her/his party. I wonder if spending so much time as a party worker can be perceived as being a dereliction of duty. Even if I were to set this thought aside, I wonder why a stable government has managed miscalculations in the understanding of the stimulant and dosage required to boost the economy. The government has been erring repeatedly and the result has been the lowest growth rate that we have seen in many years. 

Of course, the fact is that a Prime Minister need not be an economist, sociologist, politician, strategist, publicist, analyst etc., all rolled into one. S/he has carefully chosen advisors for this task. The important aspect is that the prime minister must be a good listener. Demonetisation, the GST and bullet train aren’t, by any stretch of imagination, stimulants to increasing growth, providing employment and encouraging private investments. We have bitten the bullet, and how! 

Right from the start, the main motive of the BJP has been to take drastic steps, whether needed or not, logical or illogical, sensible or nonsensical, timely or ill-timed. What was the need to disband the Planning Commission? If you read the reports of the NITI Ayog, they pale in comparison to the thorough documents that the Planning Commission prepared. All the government needed to do was revamp it a bit, to suit their line of thinking on what the Nation needs. Was demonetisation the only way to tackle the issues that they were set out to? Somewhere towards the first quarter, the intentions for the currency reform were changed; and again half way..and by the end of it, there were jobs lost, 99% of the money found its way into the bank and the RBI was at a loss, paying interests on all the deposits. Big mistake (the way Julia Roberts says it in Pretty Woman!). And about seven months later, the economy is given another jolt with the rolling out of the GST, in a rather dramatic fashion of the mid-night hour joint parliamentary session. (But sorry - I still love the impact of Nehru’s speech from the midnight of 15th August, 1947 way, way more! ). No one denies the fact that tax reforms were needed. But had it been with more preparation and less theatrics, it would have been a boost to the economy. It’s tough for an economy to handle two doses of disruption in quick succession. Now, top industrialists are coming out in the open, criticising the lack of preparedness and the resultant sluggishness in growth.

The CMIE reports and observations by leading economists, don’t support these policies. Rather, they have been quite critical of these and have begun to sound the alarm bells. The latest to join the chorus of critiques is a former finance minister, Shri. Yashwant Sinha, a senior leader of the party, sidelined like many others in the party. His article was pointed and clear in its attack. Ironically, his son, Shri. Jayant Sinha is a minister in the government and has been given the task of rebutting the article written by his father. (So much for dynasty - just saying!)  Apart from a question of dharma that the minister-son has to face, I find that the idea is absolutely distasteful, pegging the son against the father! What exactly is the message that is being sent across?

Somewhere in this three year long, eventful, journey, the BJP has forgotten its primary responsibility of giving the Nation a strong governance. It now seems to be more about winning elections, as if to prove a point, again and again and again. The best part is that while the BJP is getting more adept at this the Congress party, and other opposition parties, are sitting pretty twiddling their fingers! But it wont be long before the people realise the truth. The mistakes made by the earlier governments cannot, must not and does not justify the mistakes made by this government. 

But would you blame the PM alone for the state we are in today? Certainly not. We must blame all those in the party who placed their own greed for power higher than their duty towards the Nation and shied away from voicing their dissent against the policies. It is a collective responsibility, after all. 

There is a saying in Sanskrit that roughly translates as: Brave is the one who speaks the truth, but braver still s/he who has the courage to listen to it. For our own good, I wish the PM would surround himself with those who would disagree with him - the brave ones.