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Analysis
100 Days of UPA Government
Price Rise, Food
Insecurity Mar UPA Performance
by
Manish Chand
Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's second stint may be bristling with plans to
mitigate poverty, disease and illiteracy, but most Indians remain
unimpressed. Spiraling food prices, along with the handling of the swine
flu pandemic, have offset gains like the enactment of a landmark right
to education bill.
As the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government completes 100 days
in office, the brunt is being felt across India and across all sections
of society -- from the vegetable seller and the middle class homemaker
to the techie and the financial consultant.
Food security has become elusive. An unprecedented rise in the prices of
essential commodities, including rice and pulses, has smashed the class
divide, making even daal-roti a luxury for many.
Said Saibal Sahoo, a vegetable seller in Kolkata: "The prices of
essentials are so high that it is difficult for me to sustain a family
of five; and because prices are so high, people are also buying less
vegetables. So my business is suffering."
R. Shanti, a housewife in Chennai, had a similar tale of woe. "Income
has not gone up whereas prices have in the last 100 days, leaving me
poorer by Rs 2,000 per month."
While appreciating the prime minister for doing a "reasonably good job
given all constraints, natural or man-made", Mumbai-based Arun Jain also
said there was a lot to be desired.
"The inflationary figures released each week are quite heartening, but
the ground realities with spiralling prices are a matter of concern,"
said Arun Jain, a financial consultant who is also engaged in the ship
breaking industry.
The hike in petrol and diesel prices, according to Shimla-based
transporter Vinay Sharma, had a cascading impact on the prices of
essential commodities. Others blamed an erratic monsoon.
"While the country is facing the worst drought in 100 years, the
government has not yet come out with any concrete action plan. The
plight of the farmers is worsening," said Jagdish Pradhan in
Bhubaneswar.
If escalating prices touched a raw nerve across the country, there were
other concerns. The government's handling of swine flu has also faced
flak.
"Had the centre done enough in the early stages of the spread of swine
flu, the death toll could have been checked," said Mandira Ghosh, a
schoolteacher in Bangalore, where 19 people have succumbed to the
disease.
Intellectuals had big-picture grievances and hit out at the government
for its perceived failures on the foreign policy front.
Paras Nath Choudhary, a socialist intellectual based in Agra, criticized
the government for giving in to Pakistan by including Balochistan in the
Sharm el-Sheikh joint statement that delinked actions against terror
from the composite dialogue process.
"At the international level, one feels that India has become meek.
Attacks on Indian students in Australia still go on and the government
is not able to do anything," added a salaried executive in Chennai.
But it was not a uniformly grim picture. Path-breaking initiatives like
the enactment of the right to education, which universalises primary
education, earned high praise.
"The government's performance is not all that bad. Price rise can be
attributed to global inflation rates. The right to education has so far
been the landmark achievement of this government, which we cannot
ignore," said Shazia Salaam, 23, a student at Jawaharlal Nehru
University in the national capital.
Fakhra Siddiqui, 28, who conducts workshops on life skills and
coexistence, conceded that the education act was a great achievement,
but reminded the government of the promises to keep.
"I will count you the targets they (the government) themselves set for
the first 100 days. Women's Reservation Bill, right to education, food
security act, judges' assets bill, plus a plethora of other
infrastructure building promises. And then look what we have achieved,"
she said.
Others were more realistic in their expectation and were ready to swear
by "honesty and humility" of Manmohan Singh but thought he needed some
more time to deliver.
"The government seems to be functioning smoothly as there are no
internal problems in the coalition. There were also no terrorist attacks
or communal disturbances," said Narendranath Reddy, a software
professional working in Hyderabad.
G. Surendranath, an engineering student at Osmania University in
Hyderabad, appeared optimistic. "It's not proper to judge the
performance of the government in 100 days. Let's wait and see how it
responds to various challenges," he said.
According to Mumbai realtor Nitin Shah, the prime minister and the
Congress should grab this second opportunity to make some lasting
changes in the country.
"Getting a second term is a measure of people's confidence that they
enjoy. They must not let them (the people) down," he said.
Is the government listening?
August 28, 2009
100 Days of UPA Government
Price Rise, Food Insecurity Mar UPA Performance
by Manish Chand
Miles to Go and Many Promises to Keep by Murali
Krishnan
UPA Economic Drive Moves in Fits and Starts by
Anuradha Shukla and Sanjay Singh
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