In Tehelka, Sai Manish writes about the mismanagement of natural disasters in the northeastern state of Sikkim. One year after an earthquake wreaked havoc in the state, a deluge has caused landslides, landing yet another blow of devastation. The author argues that the lack of timely government intervention has intensified the effect of such disasters. He writes:
Even after three days of floods and landslides due to incessant rains, the chief minister had no clue that people were holding on to dear life waiting for a response from their government. Finally, on 24 September, Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso flew over destroyed hamlets and severed towns. When asked about the CM, Gyatso shot off: “ Why should the CM come? What is his need when I am here?â€
Mr. Manish notes that the haphazard distribution of funds without properly maintained records means that those in trouble do not receive the aid they are entitled to, while the government bleeds money. Public ire is quelled by a combination of coercion and bribery. The author writes: “The tragedy is not just about missing persons or the damage that has been caused. The bigger tragedy is the sheer apathy of the government towards its people who have been suffering since last year's earthquake that jolted their world forever.â€
In the latest issue of Open magazine, Hartosh Singh Bal analyzes the impetus behind the recent economic reforms introduced by the Congress Party-led coalition government. In the article titled “The Rebirth of a Prime Minister,†Mr. Bal contends that there were many political factors that played into the timing of the announcement of reforms. He writes that with Palaniappan Chidambaram holding the finance portfolio the task became easier, adding that with Mr. Chidambaram's predecessor, Pranab Mukherjee, the “approach to the Finance Ministry virtually left no room for the Prime Minister.â€
Mukherjee enjoyed the confidence of the party and he was seen as someone who brought political pragmatism to the Finance Ministry. But he seems not to have realised that the country had changed since the 1970s, when he was first appointed minister. Attempts at policymaking through bureaucratic tinkering during his tenure in the end yielded neither economic nor political benefits.
The author takes the example of opening up of multi-brand retail to foreign investors saying that it was unlikely to have any immediate impact on the economy. “It is at best a signal of the Government's intent.†Mr. Bal argues that the government was anxious that the recent Coalgate scandal exacerbated the worry about corruption . By linking the reform to “pro-poor†programs, he says, the current government will be able to re-establish its popularity with the electorate.
In the article entitled “In Search of a Dream†the Economist postulates that stalwarts who laid the foundation of the Indian democracy failed to articulate a vision for the economy, which has cost the country dearly. The article argues that economists and analysts broadly agree on the measures required to solve India's current economic problems, but the “political elite†resist them, because of the “risk of being tipped out of power.†The piece gives the example of countries such as Brazil, Sweden and Poland who have successfully pushed through difficult economic reforms despite being democracies.
If the country's voters are not sold on the idea of reform, it is because its politicians have presented it to them as unpleasant medicine necessary to fend off economic illness rather than as a mean s of fulfilling a dream.
The piece draws a parallel between India and the late 19th century America, and says that it needs “its own version of America's dream.â€
It must commit itself not just to political and civic freedoms, but also to the economic liberalism that will allow it to build a productive, competitive and open economy, and give every Indian a greater chance of prosperity. That does not mean shrinking government everywhere, but it does mean that the state should pull out of sectors it has no business to be in. And where it is needed - to organise investment in infrastructure, for instance, and to regulate markets - it needs to become more open in its dealings.
