Sanjaya Baru has set out a challenging agenda of fiscal, national security and administrative reforms/measures for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to transform “Bharat” into an India aspiring to “make her tryst with destiny” (“Benegal’s Bharat”, April 12). The prime minister has the capacity to achieve it, but has, so far, shown the disinclination to tide over the two hurdles he faces.
One, he needs a team of ministers that is equally committed to the goals and has the expertise to accomplish them. He is saddled with the likes of a reluctant home minister, a casual agriculture minister, a philosophical defence minister and a motley team nominated by its political bosses. With his experience and expertise he could have resolved the Gordian knot of growth vs inflation but is helpless as collaborating ministers have their own axe to grind.
Second, he runs a system that has placed India in the ranks of highly corrupt countries. There may not be any major scandals coming to light, but the common man knows that corruption is all-pervasive in the administration, judiciary, railways, telecom, public distribution system, and so on. The nation hopes that the prime minister will not yield to the system, but time is of the essence.
Y G Chouksey, Pune
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