That Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not a leader is something we all knew. We did not, however, know until recently that he is also insensitive. He, along with several of his ministerial colleagues, seems to be living in a world of make-believe. They have misjudged the temper of the times, marching from one blunder to another. One minister with a permanent smirk had the chutzpah to ask, “Who is funding these protests? How is Anna Hazare getting so much media coverage?” This is crap. A bright young man had the gall to declare on television that Mr Hazare was corrupt from top to toe and his followers were “armchair fascists, overground Maoists, closest anarchists ... funded by invisible donors”. Comment is superfluous except to say that the prime minister did not have the courage to discipline these loudmouths.
This government is suffering from U-turnitis: arrest Mr Hazare, release him, impose 144, then withdraw it. It is writing its own obituary. The untreated sewage odour emanating from 7, Race Course Road is nauseating. This country is not being ruled by its prime minister; it is being ruled by the Delhi Police. Who is going to buy the trash that the police acted on their own and the prime minister and the home minister were not aware of what was going on at the police headquarters. And what about foresight and judgement? “Oh! This Anna Hazare phenomenon is a two-day wonder and will peter out.” It is anything but that. The youth is with Mr Hazare — 65 per cent of Indians are under the age of 35.
What were the intelligence agencies doing? They need to gauge public mood. Did they not notice the rumblings of public anger and disgust? When will this march of folly end? When will the dithering stop? How long will this directional paralysis continue? Confusion prevails in the corridors of South and North Blocks.
Now a word about Mr Hazare and his public-spirited advisers and colleagues. Mr Hazare has won rounds one and two. We know his high-minded tactics. Once at Ramlila Maidan, what will be his strategy? The word “change” is in the surcharged air. Who will manage this change? Who will supervise this change? The eminent individuals who have drafted the Lok Pal Bill with Mr Hazare surely know that their Bill cannot be accepted in toto. Should efforts not be made to dovetail the two versions of the Bill? An agreed joint text might just click. This exercise is worth a try. The protesters have very high expectations. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) sowed the wind and is now reaping the whirlwind. In a democracy, perceptions matter. And the widespread perception is that the prime minister has lost it. He is a slow burn, but the raging political fires may consume his government.
The world is watching. Foreign direct investment will dry up, so will tourism. And India’s image will take a beating. Who are guilty of August 2011? The whole country knows who they are. Ministries are not functioning, civil servants are cautious. In a nutshell, governance is absent.
India’s first Cabinet consisted of 14 ministers. For all practical purposes, it was a national-coalition Cabinet. Of the 14 members, six were non-Congress: John Mathai (railways and transport), Sardar Baldev Singh (defence), C H Bhabha (commerce), B R Ambedkar (law), R K Shanmukham Chetty (finance) and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (industry and supply).
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No one in the Congress party raised an eyebrow. M K Gandhi suggested that Dr Ambedkar be included. This was reflective of magnanimity and wisdom. Dr Ambedkar had been an opponent of Mr Gandhi. When Mr Gandhi went on a three-week fast in February-March 1943, while in detention in the Aga Khan Palace, three members of the Viceroy’s Executive Council resigned — Homi Modi, N R Sarkar and M S Aney. Dr Ambedkar did not.
Let’s now move on to cricket. In my previous column, I wrote that the Indian cricket team would bounce back. It was a vain hope. These role models, who have been pampered and paid huge amounts, have now invited the wrath of their fans. They have let their fans down. The sponsors are having second thoughts. What has outraged cricket lovers in the country is the absence of determination in the team. Defeat is not a disgrace. But what kind of defeat? The Indian cricket team has lost its elan and brio. Its body language is pathetic. Finally, it is time for Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman to call it a day. They have done the country proud. But their futures are in the past.
TAILPIECE
Why do ministers of UPA-II appear on panel discussions on television? It’s not their job. Besides, some of them are not good at it. Can the prime minister put an end to this? Is he helpless here too?