Onion’s unrivalled political charisma

The spectre of onion prices appear stabilised at Rs.35/- a kg, while the retail outlets are non-committal about the consistency, the pungency might be showing yet again.  A raging debate not only for  consumers, but economists and policy makers as well, the vegetable is routinely consumed and any spike tends to be politically sensitive. Last year, a truck was hijacked on the Delhi-Jaipur highway.  The precious cargo was 40 tonnes of onions.  A few eat-outs, last year,  suspended serving “onion dosas”.  The North Indian kebabs without the raw onion will lose its pride.  In rural India, a bowl of rice and onion is used as an indicator of poverty. The public anger over food inflation, if not controlled, can spoil the honeymoon period of the new government, which is empowered and has secured mandate.

With a bumper crop 19 m tonnes , a 14 per cent increase over the previous year, already reported, it defies logic for the price to rise, whereas the consumption  is about 15 m tonnes.    The toils of the farmers are gone astray while the ultimate consumers are bearing high costs, distinctly depicting the lack of magnitude afforded to agriculture in recent times. Indications are that onion price will surge by September as the stocks are expected to be exhausted by then, the delay in SW monsoon notwithstanding.   The consumers’ owes soar with the dawn of the rainy season and the intermediaries and hoarders silently encash the opportunities.  Short-term solutions like importing the vegetable and curbing the exports only does more long-term damages.

Onion growers have also claimed that they are pained by the non-availability of quality seeds.  According to National Co-operative Agricultural Marketing Federation (NAFED), “onion seeds are currently costing Rs.3,000/- a kg. as against Rs.400/- during normal times”.    India is one of the largest onion producers along with US and China. 

Last year, the erstwhile Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar asked the Chief Ministers to invoke the Essential Commodities Act against onion hoarders.  Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has recently blamed the hoarders and asked the state governments to act, while Modi asked the people to “be ready to swallow bitter pills”.  Read in tangency, not only likely it is to see the hoarders’ role in the price crisis of the edible bulb, but asking the common man to be prepared for a spurt.  The price has been rising across the country, especially in Modi’s town Ahmedabad, where it recently touched Rs.56/- a kg.

The high price of the vegetable has given the opposition parties an agenda.  Isn’t it minimal that controlling the middle-men can improve the supply chain considerably? According to National Horticulture and Research Foundation, the “price has gone up and it may increase further”.The government must procure directly from the farmer at a fair price, enable modern storage facilities to regulate flow into the market and make it unremunerative for the middlemen.

Traders operating in the local market committees stock the  onions, which they procured from the farmer for a paltry price less than Rs.10/- a kg. and stored it, which has a shelf life of upto six months.  The hoarders and big traders have got the taste of blood last year which forced onion prices to dictate Rs.100/- and above.  It is hoped the big daddies are not resorting to American policy of dumping the produce into the sea and jack up the prices.

Need for more than quick-fix solutions

Reform of procurement practices and agricultural marketing is overdue.  Being a State subject, the Centre even a decade ago circulated amendments to Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act.  The main amendment targeted at minimising the wholesale dominance in the marketing chain.  High onion price has been a key factor for the ugly food inflation.  Retail inflation quickened to 8.59 per cent in April from 8.31 per cent in March, primarily driven by food prices.  At the moment, RBI is more worried about tackling inflation, which is necessary for sustaining economic growth in the long-term, while the central bank at the same time would need some clarity on how the monsoon will pan out and the impending union budget.  Lower rainfall may pinch farm output and spur inflation.  Modi, who steered the BJP to a thumping victory in the last three decades, has induced  the optimism that he will take measures to boost economic growth.

The returns of the farmer and cost to the end-user shows a yawning-gap and thus the enormous returns in the supply chain of agri-produce are usurped by the intermediary forces.  Probably the sapping phenomenon is also a reason for the youth being averse to pursue farming.  Among the host of interventions required to induce vibrancy in the sector, reforms in the APMC are paramount that will ensure remunerative price to the primary producer and eliminate the other villainous forces, which can be in any form – bad crops, market forces, over-export or hoarders.  At times, it takes the form of nationwide transport when essential goods are not available and price rise.   That the economy’s health is at stake, will Modi be able to crack the whip? The speculation that onion hitting the three-digit mark by September might lead to further hoarding.  And it sounds vulgar.  The government should thoughtfully consider take-over of all onion warehouses and start selling through Public Distribution System. 

Onion is said to be good for heart, but the unfriendly price movement is not conducive to the organ that pumps blood and continue its business as usual.   The existing monopolistic control of APMC must be dismantled.  Is it a rocketry for farmers to build storage sheds? 

The Centre should come up with more than quick-fix solutions, else the parties may have to pay a political price.  The 1998-Delhi Assembly election debacle for BJP is attributed to the rising price of “onion” factor.  Maharashtra, the main hub for growing onions, must pro-actively show urgency in tackling the hoarders and where the stocks are piled up.  There is no gainsaying the fact that most of the 300-odd local market committees that control the price of onions in Nasik district of Maharashtra are henpecked by politicians.   Also, this could be a harbinger of the Congress fall, if the Centre exhibits the political will to control the surge in onion price.Export curbs on onions would have little impact on the prices of the commodity, as the price of Indian onion is more than local price abroad. Onion can be a game-changer.

Congress, good riddance

“India has won.  Good days are coming again”, tweeted  a beaming and victorious Narendra Modi.

The Congress touched its lowest ever tally in the 16^th Lok Sabha election, raising  serious questions about its political future.  The party failed to open its account in some states and could not reach the double digit in any state.  The 128-year old party has been pulverised, the results corroborating it as a rejection of “dynastic politics”.  The last nail has been hammered on the coffin of the Congress party’s brand.  People showed that they can be ruthless in punishing erring parties.  The Congress party is synonymous with corruption.  On the poll day, the people dutifully discharged their electoral obligations, remembering  2G scam, coalgate, CWG scam, DLF-Vadra scam …. the list is long.

The BJP has finally become an all-India party, winning seats all over the country on its own, not in just a few states.

The Sonia Gandhi’s Congress fought this LS polls not to win, but attempted more on a negative agenda – to prevent Modi  from becoming the PM.  They also mistakenly believed that the Advani-Modi fraction will play to its political gain.  They did not show anything to convince about development, containing inflation and job creation. 

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination over two decades ago created sympathy wave for his widow Sonia Gandhi.  No such tragedy happened this LS polls.  The Nehru-Gandhi label has lost its sheen in India.  This election has recorded more of youth electorate, for many of whom Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi are mere historical figures, and for others also it becoming a distant memory. 

It is also not surprising that Rahul Gandhi, given his political IQ, is unable to bring any significant impact for the Party in the recent polls.

The anti-corruption movement initiated by Anna Hazare and subsequent emergence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) firmly generated the anti-Congress mood.  The 2G scam (2010) triggered the momentum for the impending disaster.  The think-tanks of the Party failed to foresee the writings, let alone take any corrective measures.  They sucked and looted India like parasites.

 A serious wake-up call

It calls for a forthright introspection.  If you think of internal reforms, this is the first reform: Self-critique.  The party is rudderless.  When you are routed in an election so badly as the Congress has been, you might not even see yourself in the Opposition. “Enough was enough” is the resounding message of the people.  A BJP victory can be synonymously dished out as Congress decimation.  Interestingly, the verdict says it loud and clear that no price is to be paid to any LS Member to help forming a government. 

If Modi, in the next  5 years, doesn’t commit any blunders, even if he doesn’t do anything good to the nation, it will be good enough to bury the “dynastic party” to its abysmal depth.

The political role of the Indian National Congress must have been long over.  Mahatma Gandhi demanded this soon after India attained independence.  The Congress today is only a fake avatar of the original Congress party of stalwarts and freedom fighters.  Sadly, the bankruptcy of Congress has seen to it that it had to rely on foreign origin, once led by Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and the likes.

Can new leaders be created?

Is “Charismatic Priyanka” , wife of the land baron who is the very definition of cronyism, the answer for the future  of the Party?  That opens up a bigger debate.  If yes, will it tantamount to undermining the Rahul’s role?    Rahul Gandhi, probably a boy was sent to do a man’s job?  The Gandhian appeal, name and dynasty suddenly and instantly crumbled.  Or, Congress sans dynasty can make a better equation?  Or does the equation opens up a choice of a defunct outfit?

Let the national party sit in the Opposition for a full term and contemplate on quality governance.  A tall ask, of course.  For the Congress, the task is to rediscover itself.  One way is the Party must cooperate in the House.  A rethink from the Party’s perspective is certainly warranted, urgently. 

If you see in a different perspective, the Congress party has no worries about its future.  If Congress tows the Nehru dynasty, the party has no future and has no worries.  Whereas, if it builds up a new party independent of the Nehru family, then it needs to worry about how to contest and win the elections in the future.

It was arrogance to the extreme when the Congress President and Vice-President showed no respect or appreciation of Indian voters for their democratic maturity.  The two have clearly demonstrated that they don’t belong to this land. If any self-respecting Congressmen from the original Indian National Congress  is still left in the Party, he should file a petition with the Election Commission to bar the trio (Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka) from using the Congress name any further. Those who offered tea-boy’s job will have to stand in queue to apply for sweeper’s job in Modi’s office.

Mahatma Gandhi saw its birth.  It will be Sonia Gandhi who will be overseeing its demise.

It is a fall which will be good for the country. Amen.

                                                      ========

Also read:

http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/mani-shankar-aiyar-hosts-tea-party.html

http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/congress-then-and-now.html

Can we be AAPtimistic?

"To endeavour to understand the India of today would be the task of a brave man.  To describe tomorrow's India would verge on madness" - so said Jawaharlal Nehru, in the Maulana Azad Memorial Lecture, 1959. What foresight! The first Prime Minister was able to predict his own party's realistic future.

Narendra Modi says, “Congress has destroyed the country.”  Manmohan Singh says, “If Modi were to become the next Prime Minister, it will be disastrous for the country.”  Arvind Kejriwal says, “Both Congress and BJP have robbed the nation.”

A moment about the AAP

The most visible Indian movement in 2013 was the anti-corruption movement.  The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) showed that “winnability” in politics can be redefined.  By their resignation in Delhi, AAP unequivocally displayed that they will not compromise in their fight against corruption.  AAP can more be identified as a cohesive anti-corruption movement, capable of commanding greater support from the aam aadmi, slowly but steadily.  The depth of corruption has made the common man to raise his head and look up at the emerging party, the AAP, beyond the usual considerations of religion, caste, money, and muscle power.  Corruption has become an overwhelming attitude and way of life and India definitely lacks grooming and character-building methods.

Clean politics and good governance appear impractical words for the two so-called national parties.  When a scam is exposed, Congress says, "It's rubbish…there is no loss to the government."  BJP says, "We won't let parliament function...Congress is corrupt...vote us in for a Congress-free India."  BJP keeps mum till the corruption is exposed; then it starts the blame game.  AAP says, "We have filed FIRs...investigation will follow…passing a strong Lok Pal bill... giving more power to the people...AAP is only for a corruption-free India."  All scams of the Congress are not possible if BJP does not extend its tacit support. We have consistently tolerated the Congress party for nearly six decades.

Arvind Kejriwal, an IIT-pass out, a pioneer of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, has the ability to identify himself as the common man next door, that someone every Indian seemed to have met in a bus or on a train – basically a reflection of you and me.


AAP, a fledgling party

AAP has a lot more jobs to do.  They have to face not only corrupt politicians, but they also have to handle criminal politicians; in which case, they must be prepared to face worse opposition. Gone are the days of perfume spray, they are now replaced with “pepper” spray.  One should be grateful to the “pepper” MP for not carrying a hand-gun.  To blow up parliament, we don’t need terrorists from across the border. We are ‘self-sufficient.’  The sanctity of the House has been routinely violated.

Poor show by the major parties on Black money

Over 70 lakh crore rupees (about US $ 1,500 billion) of unaccounted Indian money are lying in numbered accounts in Swiss banks.  This is the highest amount lying outside any country, from amongst the 180 countries of the world, as if India is the champion of Black Money.  Swiss government is willing to share the information if the Indian counterpart officially seeks the details.  Neither the ruling Congress nor the BJP (Opposition?) shown any serious interest as if the problems pertained to some other country, obviously because most of the amount is owned by the politicians of both Congress and BJP.  The interest on the stashed booty alone can take care of our annual budget, year after year.  India has more in Swiss banks than all the other countries put together.

What is transparent is that AAP is not desperate for power unlike other major political parties.  They are willing to be an effective AAPosition. They are in the process of changing the politics in the country purely based on the promise to remove corruption.

They are fighting the electoral battle without Black money and muscle power. Some small aberrations, part of the political process, will pale into insignificance when compared with the Himalayan blunders of the traditional parties, more so reported in recent years.

AAP has categorically demonstrated that it can cut into the votes of Congress & BJP.  AAP frankly admits that they cannot make a dramatic change at the national level overnight, but they certainly can decimate the Congress. Though new, untried, and untested, Kejriwal’s unconventional brand of politics has become a thorn in the flesh of both the Congress and the BJP.

Soon after its spectacular showing in Delhi elections, the evolving-AAP had made it clear that it had national ambitions and would contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Elections in India are won based on speeches, allegations, and counter allegations.  Government is run on experience, and it takes years to learn the niceties of governance.  Kejriwal may be honest, but in politics, dishonest people are usually more successful.

This is a new freedom struggle for India! 
Expectations are high.  And we have an interesting party to look out for!
AAP doesn’t have a magic wand, but definitely a broom which seems to scare the other mainstream political parties!

==========

Also Read:
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/04/my-mission-is-to-make-politics-good_1.html
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/03/nandan-nilekani-square-peg-in-round-hole.html

CONGRESS – THEN AND NOW

Soon after India attained independence on August 15, 1947, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi suggested to the then Congress leaders that the main purpose of starting the Congress party was to fight for freedom.  In the process, the Congress completely dedicated itself to this herculean task amidst enormous stress and distress. Subsequently, we became Free India, delinked from British clutches.  The goal of freedom was accomplished and it was time to wind up the party.  Senior Congress leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel, and Rajendra Prasad, should meet, review, and expeditiously take a decision in this regard, said Gandhi.

Gandhi would have probably forethought that in the latter days, Congress party leaders of subsequent generations would recall the party’s active role in the freedom movement and gain political mileage, which he felt was wrong and ought to be halted.  The aforementioned senior leaders of the party did not pay heed to Gandhi’s suggestion to close the shop.

The Congress party plunged into the electoral battleground.  India was proclaimed a Sovereign Republic on January 26, 1950 and the Indian Constitution came into effect.  Accordingly, parliament at the Centre and legislative assemblies in the states came into existence.  On the basis of the Constitution, the Congress party appealed to the people to elect their representatives.

The Party highlighted their role during the freedom struggle, amplified the sacrifices made by the Nehru family, and enticed the electorate.  For over 30 years since Independence, the Congress party reigned in the Centre and in many states.  During that period, the opium of power slowly but surely raised its head.  Corruption also in small and definite doses started showing up.  The leaders of the Congress party during the freedom struggle movement were spotless nationalists.  When they jumped into the freedom struggle, they sacrificed all their comforts and luxuries.  They even forgot their families. 

Due to the selfless sacrifices of the erstwhile leaders, we initially had corruption-free governance.  Sardar Patel was a remarkable leader-cum-administrator during that period.  Due to his diplomatic efforts, many princely rulers surrendered their sovereignty and agreed to annex their jurisdictions to streamline with India.  

During the Nehru era, the India-Russia pact was signed.  Also, the other leaders - Abul Kalam Azad and Rajendra Prasad, in particular – played an exceptional role in the discharge of their administrative duties.   India began to advance in many sectors.  However, after the departure of these leaders, subsequent generations deviated from the path of honesty and integrity, eyed only power, and indulged in corrupt practices.  Corruption which started in small trickles began to multiply to the highest proportions.  Whenever elections approached, the Congress party would highlight the past struggles of their predecessors, the sacrifices of the Nehru family, and of the Indian National Congress leaders to hoodwink the voters, and they merrily exploited the electorate.

  

However, over a period of time, people identified their true colors and slowly stopped voting for them.  Result:- The 30-year Congress rule at the Centre was disturbed. 

New political parties emerged in the states captured power.  In spite of all these,  Congress continued to remain a reasonably powerful party.  At the same time, the party tried to cover-up the corrupt deals indulged by its representatives while in power.  A stage has come that they cannot fool the people by singing the old songs.   There is a huge difference between the Congress prevailed during/soon after Independence, and the Congress ruling today. One need not look at BJP and other political parties for Anti-Congress forces.  Make a simple comparison between the Congress that stood for Indian freedom and the corrupt-tainted Congress of today.  The latter is a distinct Anti-Congress in itself.

Dissolve the Congress party

Keeping this in mind and to cherish the historic Indian national ethos, the present-day Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi, in deference to the original wishes of the Mahatma should dissolve the Congress party.  Let her start a new political party under a different name.  Though she is of Italian origin, she has become a naturalized Indian.  She has all the competencies to start a new party.  After all, the original Congress was started by a British civil servant, Allan Octavian Hume.  If Sonia Gandhi can initiate a decision to that effect, she would be rendering yeoman service to the cause of Indian democracy in general and the Indian National Congress in particular.  Referring to Mahatma Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the same breath is akin to equating Swami Vivekananda with Nityananda!

Happy Republic Day Greetings.

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Also Read:  http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/05/congress-good-riddance.html

                   http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/mani-shankar-aiyar-hosts-tea-party.html

Mani Shankar Aiyar hosts the 'Tea Party'

When I used to prepare for my examinations , my mother would make tea for me to stay long awake at night and study hard.  But I didn’t know that the hot cup of tea can also stimulate “sleepless nights” to many politicians and political parties. Probably the ‘tea’ is strong, the ‘tea-vendor’powerful and the 'flavour' political.

For the first time after the post-1975-Emergency elections, it doesn’t require any astrologer to foretell the fate of the Congress in the coming Lok Sabha polls, which is deafeningly loud and distinctly clear. Quite a few seasoned leaders of the party are in the process of maturely reconciling with the offshoot.  Of course, there are bound to be a few aberrations.  Mr.Mani Shankar Aiyar, the diplomant-turned-politician belonging to the Congress party, is one such deviation.  He mocked at  Mr. Narendra Modi's Prime Ministerial ambitions and said a place will be identified for the Gujarat Chief Minister to distribute tea.  He also said that "I promise you in 21st Century Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. ...But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him," Mr. Aiyar said at the venue of the AICC meeting in New Delhi.  Sometime back,  the Samajwadi party leader Naresh Agarwal  also echoed a similar comment. 

From a media perspective, anything nonsense one speaks also becomes “news” due to the so-called element of personality.

While the ‘beverage’ is brewing up, the BJP and other anti-Congress outfits are milking the opportunity, mixing the requisite quantity of masala and maintain the political aroma.

A cursory view at Mr.Aiyyar’s comment not only insults the communiTEA, but all the Indians. It also prompts you to perceive his feudal and sub-standard mindset. The bulk of the Indian psyche has digested the familiarity of goondas and criminals in Indian politics and the same logic is now arguing for “why not a tea-vendor?”  If a tea-boy becomes a PM, it would be a better success story, says another theory.  True, have we not witnessed Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi elected to parliament from the Samajwadi party?  And scores of tainted MPs and Ministers?

It is not new to Mr. Aiyar to indulge in such shoddy controversies.In an article in The Telegraph on Sep. 12,2002, Mr. Aiyar wrote, "When J.Jayalaithaa became Chief Minister, she donated a baby elephant to the Guruvayoor temple. When I become CM, I intend donating Jayalalithaa to the Guruvayoor temple. And to become CM, I am planning to move a bill in parliament to ban fading actresses of cinematic origin from becoming Chief Minister." (Ref. The Hindu, October 16, 2003- See link below).

I don’t know if BJP would get a clear majority, but the self-seeking political “Aiyyars” and “Agarwals” have clearly ensured playing into the prospects of BJP. All the more, when the Congress party is already tormented by their performance balance-sheet presented before the people , spewing such outbursts only hammered the final  nails.  Further, despite being a highly qualified academic and also having  authored many titles to his credit, Mr. Aiyar has catered to wicked public mudslinging. The chances of the Congress party is comprehensively and convincingly doomed.  Now tell me, Mr. Aiyar, who is more realistic: The “educated-you” or the enterprising tea-vendor?   All the non-congress parties are grateful to you and your likes, thanks to your verbal diarrhoea (due to fear).

In spite of knowing fully well that such discretionary abuse of choicest epithets will be counterproductive, you have pandered in “poll-fixing”, like spot-fixing events frequented in cricket. After all, there is total unanimity that ethics  and fairness are bad words in politics. 

If you want to attack your political rivals, you could have done it any number of ways, but it is puzzling why you opted to affront the tea vending community?  "Can’t a tea-vendor have a national perspective" is a natural query of any aam aadmi (no pun attempted). Selling tea is more honourable than an Honourable Minister looting the public funds, true or false?

Mr. Aiyar, please wake up! A newspaper seller made us proud by becoming the President of India; in fact, Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the most respected visionary,  the free India  ever had.

Abraham Lincoln, the son of a shoemaker, became the President of America.. 

Every time we drive a car, it is good to remember Henry Ford, who started from scrap, yet managed to steer his way through to riches and harness the benefit to mankind.

Dhirubhai  Ambani was born to a humble school teacher.  While there was nothing to indicate that he would rise above the lower middle-class level, the corporate giant Brand Reliance is an icon to reckon with.

The chapter on Rajnikanth’s life story has been incorporated by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board to motivate children to be successful and take pride in whatever work they do, just like their favourite superstar has , no matter what the job was – being a bus conductor or the most loved super star of India.

Washing your own clothes, cleaning your own utensils, doing all your things by yourself is considered below one's dignity. This attitude was attacked by Gandhiji, who is not only the Father-of-the-Nation, but also a founder-member of the Congress party, to which you proudly belong to.

History is replete with plenty of inspiring success stories.  May be, any day ahead, a tea vendor too would nail his national identity.

By your utterances, Mr. Aiyar, you have failed to honour the dignity of work, caused unlimited disrepute to your party and hurt all your fellow-citizens.

Well, its time for a cup of hot tea, not to be haughty!

http://www.hindu.com/2003/10/16/stories/2003101605230400.htm

Dr.Manmohan Singh’s tenure : A corruption decade decayed the system

In a rare press conference, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh called Mr. Narendra Modi as a “disastrous choice” if he becomes the Prime Minister, in addition to declaring that  he will not seek the PM’s office for the third term.  Mr. Rahul Gandhi will be the appropriate choice with all the credentials as the Congress party candidate, Dr. Singh added.

I am not a big follower of politics.  I, however, happened to watch the entire press conference yesterday (03/01/2014) and it left me with a disgusting impression.  When Dr. Singh was long ago introduced to the parliament, for a moment I thought that we are going to be blessed with a statesman amid tainted politicians,  but yesterday I noticed to see the body language of an apologetic guilty-Singh.

It was childishly ridiculous that Dr. Singh gave a clean chit to himself during his tenure for nearly a decade.  During his interaction with the media, he mentioned that history would be kinder to him than the media and the opposition parties.  He floated the flippant theory that most scandals of UPA-2 occurred during UPA-1.  It is unfortunate that he sought to take refuge that people endorsed Congress to power in 2009, desperately attempting to ratify the wrong-doings of UPA-1.  It was also sickening to listen to him when he bid to distinguish between his personal conduct and the performance of the government.

His utterances lacked even political logic.  Dr. Singh accused Mr. Modi  of “presiding over the massacre of 2002 riots” in Ahmedabad.  That the Supreme Court has already cleared Mr. Modi of all the charges is public knowledge, Dr. Singh’s allegation against Mr. Modi amounts to reviewing the Court ruling.   Can somebody clarify that under the recently enacted Lok Pal Bill, can a contempt petition be filed against a sitting Prime Minister?  As a PM , Dr. Singh could have, nay, should have initiated appropriate action against Mr. Modi.  Yet again he exposed his inability in saving the situation.   In the same breath, did not Congress party instigate the anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination?  Applying Dr. Singh’s formula, are we to believe that Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was a “disaster” for presiding over the 1984-riots?

For once, I was able to observe a decisive politician in Dr. Singh.  The more he smacks of Mr. Modi, make no mistake, the more stronger the latter will be.  Hate speech against Mr. Modi only diminishes Dr. Singh’s stature.  Or is it that Dr. Singh is subtly playing the self-side goal as a settling score to the ignominy he suffered  all these years in the hands of the Gandhi family? After all, when it comes to politics, there is no permanent friends or foes!    On a serious note, it felt like a contrite looser talking to media, not like a PM of India.

The best joke comes when he says that Mr. Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to become the PM, showing how low sycophancy can take you down.

Hopes were aplenty with the people, because as a former bureaucrat before joining the government, Dr.Singh knew all kinds of inefficiencies existing in the bureaucratic system.  Alas, he failed to apply his knowledge for the improvement of the economy.  Or is it because he had to work under remote control?   In the whole of media comments and analysis, I found one thing common – corruption and inflation, huge issues we are facing today.

Pause for a moment.  Recall the series of scams – Common Wealth Games (CWG), Adarsh Housing scams,  2G scam, Coalgate – to name a few.  If you can restore the swindled amount, the Finance Minister will be presenting “Surplus” budgets, year after year; and I don’t have to pay Rs.100/-for a kg. of onions.

Or does he want to come to the open and say that the black money or hoards of it, all these, are due to “coalition partnership”?   Well, if you want to enjoy power, you should as well take ownership, Dr. Singh.  Or does he want to say that these are entirely the misdeeds of the Congress alone and the “beneficiaries”  have taken monstrously unfair leverage of the meekest PM we have ever had?  Or does he want to say the Congress had used the most qualified PM, as a shield and made him the obvious scapegoat who will be blamed for the Congress’ failures and the party will emerge out of this whole shoddy affairs as an unintended victim of a  bad prime-ministership and in the same stroke Mr. Rahul Gandhi will emerge as the savior?  Or at least, does he think that he could have done a better job as a Finance Minister than a thankless Prime Minister?

The reality is that after 10 years to Dr. Singh and 60 years to Congress, we are flooded with scams and rapes and inflation.  The people are visibly angry and disappointed.  Public opinion is severely against the Prime Minister and the Congress government.  India is potentially a rich country, but its fortunes are stolen by a few and stacked offshore.  Dr. Singh has grossly failed to communicate effectively what his government was, is and intended to do to curb corruption at high levels.  The anger and anguish of the people shoots because Dr. Singh is most educated and a seasoned economist.   He is relating the inflation to international economic changes.  Is the price rise happening in all countries?

But as a top leader Dr. Singh should know not the price increase, but the rampant corruption that led his party down in the recent assembly elections.  He can explain the price rise and always say it was beyond his control, but it would have been qualified statesmanship if he had taken  cognizance that corruption was the chief factor for the crisis.  Never in free India’s history has food inflation touched the dreaded double-digit.  All the hopes aspired by the people of this country are belied, thanks to the spinelessness displayed by the technocrat-turned-politician.  Sadly, he was unable to rule or control.  The people of India should be very careful in exercising their franchise.  Even if they poll for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the coming Lok Sabha elections, it tantamounts to allowing the same corrupt Congress through the back door.

Yet with all the failures, Dr. Singh still claimed that he was not a “weak leader”.  He has dented his goodwill.  His arguments were totally indefensible.  Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has paved the way for Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Narendra Modi, leaving the government with a legacy of guilt and shame.After all, there is a huge gap between a good man and a good Prime Minister.

Let historians script their documentation.   Can we simultaneously expect the PM-in- office-not-in power, Dr. Singh relax and pen a memoir annexed to his conscience? 

Jai Hind!