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Editorial Posted On Sunday, May 10, 2009 | We have all seen that irresponsibility characterizes the present day political leader and their parties. When in opposition, they would criticize everything that a ruling party is doing and would merrily indulge in competitive outbidding their rivals.
What is going to be the economic strategy of the next government in Delhi to meet the challenges posed by the impact of the global meltdown is a question which continues to haunt the discerning voter and experts alike.
Neither the pronouncements nor the manifestoes of any political party give any clue to the approach that the next government will adopt to bring back the country's economy back on rails of growth. There is no roadmap.
In absence of any coherent plan, the nature and shape of the government would determine the economic path. Precisely, here is a problem galore. Theoretically, there are following possibilities.
There could be a Congress led UPA government with or without Manmohan Singh as the next prime minister. There could be a BJP led NDA government with LK Advani heading the government.
The last and possibly least chance is of a non-Congress and non-BJP government. Who would lead this government is a question, answer to which no body knows. But one thing is certain that this government would have a major influence of the Left parties particularly of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
If one chose to proceed from the Left's ideological stand then a non-Congress and non-BJP government would oppose foreign direct investments and would generate financial resources by taxing heavily the rich and industrialists. This government would also be opposed to consumerism.
Will the Left's economic policy prescription would be acceptable to other alliance partners like Mayawati or J Jayalalitha, HD Deve Gowda, Chandrababu Naidu, Naveen Patnaik or even Nitish Kumar? All the above leaders have, in past, pursued the capitalist path.
These glaring contradictions, the Left leaders dismiss and push obvious questions under the carpet. On the other side, the Third Front leaders have not even cared to have a look at the performance record of the over three decade old rule of the Left Front government in West Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has tried to adopt the policy of industrialization and was successful in attracting investments to the state but the opposition by the Trinamool Congress created obstacles resulting in flight of many industries away from the state.
It was interesting to note that the Left parties were opposing the very economic policies elsewhere particularly at the Centre which their own Chief Minister was keen to adopt and follow.
In their hasty pursuit of power or rather mutual antipathy towards the Congress in general and Prime Minister in particular, the Third Front was cobbled up just few weeks before the announcement. One is reminded of numerous statements of CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat who while emphasizing the need for a Third Front always reminded that it can only come into existence through common struggle and common programme.
It is certain that any non-Congress, non-BJP Third Front would need the support of either the Congress or the BJP to reach the magical figure of 272 in the Lok Sabha. By no stretch of imagination, the non-Congress and non-BJP parties can win 272 seats on their own. Then, would it be possible for the Left to take parties like the Akali Dal, Shiv Sena on board and if not then how such a government would last a full term of five years.
While it is true that neither the Congress nor the BJP has given any indication of the strategy that would be followed if either of them leads the next government but one thing is certain that their regime would be investment friendly and open to new technologies.
Being the leading party in any coalition, either of these two national parties would have their way on economic issues. A UPA or an NDA government would have lesser number of contradictions than a Third Front government.
These contradictions exist essentially because of an out of tune and out of sync with time ideology and lack of understanding of the changing aspirations of people at large. Over and above, there is another problem with which majority of the parties and their leaders suffer from. Their understanding of the role of opposition is totally outdated.
The political players continue to believe that they have to oppose everything and every policy of the ruling combines. In that process, they come to oppose for opposition sake thus creating a big gap in what they preach and in what they practice when they come to power.
Every political leader believes in wooing the electorate by offering freebies and promises but no one is ready to tell the truth fearing rejection by the voters. All tax proposals are opposed by the opposition forgetting that what recourse they would have if they come to power.
We have all seen that irresponsibility characterizes the present day political leader and their parties. When in opposition, they would criticize everything that a ruling party is doing and would merrily indulge in competitive outbidding their rivals.
Unfortunately, even the media is not taking the parties and their leaders to task for running away from their responsibility. Political parties do talk of the development, promise the electorate clean drinking water, roads, power, educational and health facilities etc but none rather none tells as where they would get resources from for turning their promises into reality.
Political parties and their leaders can only be forced by the electorate to change their approach to economic issues. Results on May 16 will largely determine the economic path of the next government?
Dr Satish Misra, NPA
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Friday, September 03, 2010