Jun 6, 2009
The world has watched in amazement as India proved that the word democracy is still valued. That we are still secular and republic. That no matter who attacks us we will not budge. That we the power to choose our rulers. That all of us have the equal opportunity to build this nation. Wonderful ! Felt the world as it watched the great drama of democracy unfold in colors. What made such an event successful? Much of the credit of success goes to the media. Campaigns like “ Lead India”, “ Jago Re”, “ Make Every Vote Count” assured that every citizen was made aware of the sacredness of his/her duty. Print and Electronic media carried out seriously the analysis ,truth findings, Interviews, debates throughout the election days, bringing out the point, why we should vote?
UPA has come back to power with renewed vigor and zeal. The so called ‘ Nikhamma’(weak) Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has become the Prime Minister for the second time next only to Nehru. 204 is the majority with which UPA has not only silenced the NDA but also broken the back of the remaining fronts. Now who can stop it from ruling for another full term? As a student of Economics I see this situation as not a fight between two political alliances but it’s a fight of Economics against Politics and former has defeated the latter. No longer will Indians believe that it is the politics that will run the nation but Economics. We have come to a conclusion that to put India on the podium No.1 as super power we need Economics more than Politics. So I conclude by saying “ Good Economics makes Good Politics”. This statement of mine I would justify in the following paragraphs.
The people’s report card of the country in UPA’s rule has shoed that they value UPA’s economics more than its politics. When Manmohan Singh took over the reins many believed that this hardcore economist from Oxford would not know any politics and his Utopian politics would ruin countries progress. Leave him alone. Behind him were tow other Harvard return economists. P.Chidambaram and Montek Singh, the finance Minster and planning commission head respectively. They too were severely criticized for their faulty policies. But many have lately realized that they were not entirely faulty, they were some of the first steps to free this country from the clutches of poverty, unemployment and to put it on the track of progress. This effort yielded fruit of 204 seats to UPA. Was it not economics over politics? Once when Manmohan who had steered the country which was on the verge of bankruptcy now the same man with team has steered it again towards development. So at the end it is the economics and not politics.
What did economics do, that politics had failed? The Indian economy’s growth has been one of the success stories under this regime of economists. It was fir the first time ,in post-independence history of country, our economy registered a spectacular 9% growth rate for three consecutive years. And even after the global recession set in, while the world braced with contacting markets, defunct companies ad pink slips, India remained the second fastest growing economy in the world with GDP growth rate still 7% .These facts and figures visibly showed that what economics would do and what harm the party politics, vote bank politics had done for the country? All this was a good us of the economic environment and the resources available to address the need of a large number of constituencies –rural, agricultural, the incumbent and aspiring middle class, by UPA.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme the flagship socio-economic development proramme and Rs.70000 core loan waiver package announced by the Manmohan singh government brought much credit to the UPA .It re-enforced the party’s image as being pro-aam aadmi. This impact was clearly visible in states as UP.MP and Rajasthan. Projects such as Bharath Nirman and PMGSY had earned a lot of goodwill for the principle ruling party at the centre. Even Nuclear deal with US came very handy as industrialists supported it. These are some of the plans which have seriously affected the people even at the grass root level .And the minds behind this were none other than the three economist of our country.
Where did the politics fail? During the election many of the party’s got busy in blame game. Pulling each others legs and involving in mud throwing game. NDA and specially BJP made a collateral damage to it self by abusing the Manmohan and Soina and calling them by names. This coasted very dear to them. Now many party’s have realized that no longer caste, religion and region politics will work. Today poor people need Roti, Kapda, Makhan and with it Bijili, Sadak and Computer. The growing middle class needs employment and the industries need healthy economic policies. All of them will certainly vote those who will fulfill all of these no matter if it is UPA or NDA . They will turn back from those who want to build Mandir and Mosque and are not worried about building a nation.This time it was UPA who succeeded in convincing people. So it is the right time that political parties should take up a new agenda-good economics only then good politics is possible.
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