[ Op-ed views ]
Inclusive governance
The triumph of India’s Congress Party in the recent elections has stunned the media, internationally and in the country iteself. In retrospect it is clear that the Manmohan Singh’s incumbent government had done a better job than urban-based punditry had been aware of. Some pro-poor policies were implemented with considerable success, for instance the National Rural Employment Guarantee, which safeguards livelihoods for poor villagers. Voters rewarded the prime minister and his party, as leading Indian newspapers agree.
The Times of India, Mumbai (Bombay): Indian voters throw out 80 % of all incumbent governments, especially in bad economic times. The global recession has hit India hard – industrial production slumped into negative growth, and exports were down 33 % last month. Rural consumer prices are up almost 10 %. For Congress to get re-elected in such circumstances is remarkable. The main reason is prosperity in rural areas, which have 70 % of the population. (…) In the last two years, we have witnessed the extraordinary combination of bumper harvests and high prices. The background to this is global. Record global growth, spearheaded by China, has hugely increased the demand for all commodities, and international food prices went through the roof after late 2007. (…) High food prices are good for farmers but terrible for landless labourers and urban workers. Why was this not fatal for Congress in rural areas? Mainly because labour incomes rose even faster. A series of good harvests greatly boosted rural employment, in agriculture and in allied activities. And the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), despite several abuses, reduced rural underemployment and raised wages.
The Telegraph, Kolkata (Calcutta): Mr Singh revealed that he has in him the qualities to rise to the big and demanding occasion. His handling of the Indo-US nuclear deal and the threat that loomed over his government because of it was proof of his real mettle. Mr Singh’s soft-spoken personality redefined the idea of strength in politics. He replaced arrogance by humility. One important aspect of Mr Singh’s government was its genuine attempt to reach out to all sections of the people. It did not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste. (…) A new dimension was added to this inclusive character of the government at the initiative of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. She pushed through the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (the term means “Education of all”, D+C). Both these schemes successfully reached out to the poorest in the country irrespective of their caste or creed.
D+C, 2009/06, Media, Page 262
