Congress governing the country under extreme pressure from the communists - Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh confesses
Sudhir Chadda
Oct. 9, 2005

Why rule then? Why not resign and call for a fresh mandate. Why compromise with the communists?

According to media sources, Giving a clear hint about the pressures from Left parties over various issues, Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh on Saturday [8 October] asked Congress cadres to "educate the people" about "limitations" under which a government functions so that false expectations were not generated. In his address at the concluding session of the two-day Congress Chief Ministers'' Conclave here in the northern Indian town of Chandigarh, he also expressed disapproval of "populist gimmicks" like free electricity while emphasizing on good governance and austerity.

Singh emphasized the need for "massive infusion" of investment in infrastructure, improvement of fiscal health of central and state governments and reversal of "alarming decline" in agricultural growth. Asserting that his government had fulfilled three-fourths of promises made in National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), he underlined the commitment towards empowerment of minorities, Scheduled Castes, Schedule Tribes (backward communities who are given protection in the Indian constitution), women, children and the disabled and announced to launch a new 15-point programme for welfare of minorities and enact a "path-breaking" legislation to protect land rights of tribals. The prime minister, speaking in the presence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, also announced that an Urban Renewal Mission would be launched on the occasion of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday on 14 November to meet the challenge posed by increasing urbanization.

In an apparent reference to the attacks being faced by his government from Left parties on various economic policies like disinvestments and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and certain foreign policies, including the nuclear deal with the US, he said: "I do sincerely believe that the party must educate the people about the limitations under which a government functions so that false expectations are not generated."

"Our people are patriotic. They understand what is in the best interests of the country. But this must be explained to them," Singh said. "Be it our economic policy, foreign policy or national security policy, the party must explain what our thinking in government is to the people. It must ensure that false expectations are not generated," Singh said.

Without naming anyone, he said the Congress must also ensure that "deliberate disinformation by vested interests" is countered and exuded confidence that the people of the country would never question the patriotism of his party.

"Let no one question our intentions and motivations, even if they disagree without policies. We have only one intention and one motivation - to build an India that is strong, that is prosperous, that is liberal and caring, that is inclusive and secular, the India that our great leaders, almost all of them lifelong Congressmen and women, fought for and died for," he said, assuring the people that the future of the country was safe in the "caring hands" of his party.

The prime minister asserted that Congress had returned to power at the Centre "not just on a wave of resentment against the NDA [National Democratic Alliance], but equally on a wave of hope and faith in our ability to provide a government that cares. It was a positive vote for a secular and liberal government, a forward-looking and modernizing government, an inclusive and transparent government.

"I am pleased to report that in the 16 months that the government of the UPA [United Progressive Alliance] has been in office, we have implemented nearly three-fourths of the commitments undertaken in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP)," he told the first such conclave since the Congress came to power in New Delhi last year. Singh said the most important contribution of Congress in government has been to bring the nation back to the politics of moderation and the economics of equity and development.

The weaker sections of society "the marginalized, the depressed, the minorities" feel a new sense of belonging and ownership in the destiny of the country, the prime minister said. Asserting that his government had taken steps to empower minorities and weaker sections, Singh today said a new 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities with "specific timelines and targets" and a "path-breaking" law to protect the land rights of tribals were on the anvil.

He said scholarships for higher education for SC/ST [Scheduled Caste/Scheduled] students have been significantly increased. The UPA government would ensure that 80 per cent of the vacancies in SC/ST reservation quota jobs in government will be filled on a "time-bound basis" and asked state governments to be "pro-active" in ensuring implementation of the proposed welfare schemes, he said. "We have taken several steps to empower Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women, children, the disabled and senior citizens and people living in the far reaches of this vast land," he said.

Maintaining that his government had taken steps to economically and socially empower the minorities and widen education and employment opportunities for SCs, STs and minorities in the private sector, he said; "We propose to come forward with a new 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities, with specific timelines and targets." A high-level committee was putting together information on the social and economic status of the minorities in the country, he told the second day of the meet.

"A path-breaking legislation to protect the land rights of tribals is on the anvil," Singh said as he gave lessons to the 15 party chief ministers and a deputy chief minister on governance and advised them against indulging in populism. He noted that his government had brought legislation to prevent domestic violence against women and to secure their property rights.

The government had taken several steps to ensure that commitments made in respect of the empowerment of SC and ST are fulfilled in a time-bound manner and noted that a Group of Ministers on Dalit Affairs was monitoring the efforts to promote welfare of SC, the prime minister said. "There can be no better way of empowering the weaker sections of our society than investing in their capabilities and this is what we are doing," Singh said.

Observing that the most important contribution of Congress in government had been to bring the nation back to the politics of moderation and the economics of equity and development, he said: "The weaker sections of society, the marginalized, the depressed, the minorities feel a new sense of belonging and ownership in the destiny of our nation."

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