For a Government that apparently won a general election with probably a renewed vote of confidence (though it has to be admitted Congress or UPA still did not get an absolute majority) and without the baggage of the left parties who were supposed to have shackled them in the previous tenure, the Manmohan Singh 2 version has been blundering along from one disaster to another.
First there was the considerable delay in forming the Cabinet. Then the imbroglio over DMK ministers and their portfolios when MMS was forced to concede defeat and allow the corrupt and inefficient Raja, against his wishes, to be a Minister.
Pranab Mukherjee came up with a disaster of a Budget, which blew away all pretensions about this Government being pro-reform. The focus on wasteful (in the sense that the beneficiary hardly gets the benefit with leakages in the system) social sector spending coupled with spiralling deficit has long term implications for the economy. We are moving back towards the disastrous policies that Congress adopted in 1970s and 1980s that led to the financial crisis in 1990's. This does not augur well for the country and has long term consequences.
The Prime Minister made a big show over 100 day programs of various ministries. Some of the ministers who took this seriously like Kapil Sibal found that there was no support forthcoming and retreated to the status quo. The 100 day initiative has died a natural death. And no word of PMs promise to 'eradicate' poverty within 100 days of coming to power!!!!
The spineless lack of response to the racial attack on Indian students in Australia left many wondering whether this Government cares for the Indians. The character of an individual or a Government is judged as to how they handle difficult situations and not based on how they run the show during good times. This Government let Indian citizens in Australia down very badly.
The bigger goof ups were to follow. The Sharm-El- Sheikh joint statement with Pakistan was where the PM blundered, and blundered badly. Allowing Pakistan to include the Baluchistan issue and letting Pakistan off the hook on terrorism did not go down well with even Congressmen, especially when the then Foreign Secretary Menon, who is quite articulate, let it slip that it was the PM who virtually ordered him to include these in the draft in front of Pakistan PM whereby not giving him a chance to correct a disastrous situation. That MMS did not stand by his Foreign Secretary when the roof caved in diminished his image further.
The much publicised Hilary Clintons visit (for god's sake, she is just the Foreign Minister of USA) where India fawned on her and the end used agreement signed by India for arms procurement strengthened the suspicion of many Indians that the PM is more of a poodle when it comes to USA and he will go to any length to compromise Indian interests for the sake of USA. In this context, one has to go back a year in time and the noise made over the nuclear deal for which MMS was forced to stake his Prime Ministership. A year hence, India has hardly got any benefit from the deal and USA has quietly shifted the goal post by saying we should sign the non-proliferation treaty, which in effect kills our nuclear weapon making ability.
In the month of April, a small US airline insulted the nation by frisking the much revered and humane ex- president APJ Abdul Kalam. It was bad enough that the security around Kalam was impotent when he was frisked, but the Government kept this under carpet for 2 months till a leak through the newspaper blew up the issue. Even now, a month after the furore, the concerned airline has not been taken to task.
Ignoring Kargil's 10th anniversary celebrations, not even querying Minister Raja when he apparently tried to influence a High Court Judge, accusations of partisan behaviour in the case of the Gas row between Ambani brothers and the hastily introduced bill on (non) disclosure of Judges Assets bill ................................................. the list of bunglings are endless.
The PM does need to buck up or we may end up seeing the reign of the Worst Prime Minister ever. The country will be the sufferer.
