First date

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not say anything earthshaking, or particularly newsworthy, at his first press conference.

That is to be expected; after Rajiv Gandhi's experience at such conferences (he got into trouble not once but twice, through off-the-cuff responses), Indian Prime Ministers have been reluctant to meet the press in open forum.

So Dr Singh's willingness to "have the pigeon thrown among the cats" (as he put it) must have been accompanied by a determination to be cautious and careful in anything he articulated.

Nevertheless, it was a useful exercise, for it helped convey the presumably accurate image of an intelligent if diffident Prime Minister who is applying himself to the issues of the day, without fuss and without any intention of throwing in the towel.

There were some news gleanings too. Dr Singh indicated that he is willing to give in to some extent on the foreign investment issue in order to bring the Left around. On the creation of a new Telengana state, he gave a firmer commitment than exists in the UPA government's common minimum programme.

On talks with Pakistan, he has successfully managed to dampen hopes so that expectations are minimised. On the contentious issues of Punjab water and Manipur, he has been frank enough to say that the only solution to the first lies with the Supreme Court, and that the state government is coping with a difficult situation in the second; and in order to minimise the impression of a helpless central government, he tried to place both in a historical context.

On these and other issues (such as the re-writing of history), even the basic level of questioning on display yielded a slightly better understanding of the Prime Minister's thinking""for Dr Singh has functioned mostly behind a purdah for the 100 plus days of his government.

However, on the economic issues in particular, the Prime Minister could easily have been more forthcoming and more definitive, at little risk to himself.

He was less than convincing on inflation; no one expects this Prime Minister to be uninformed on monetary policy correctives. But on growth, he did manage to make the point that the economic slowdown is only on account of the imperfect monsoon, both industry and exports continue to do well. The question is, for how long?

Among the headline-hitting controversies, Savarkar got a decent burial with an evenhanded statement. The Prime Minister could have been harder on the Opposition for preventing Parliament from functioning, but presumably restrained himself in order to not provide further provocation to a BJP that is waiting to take offence at everything and nothing.

On Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister made himself quite clear, but the doubting Thomases will give credence to the reported statement of the external affairs minister that he considers Ms Gandhi to be his boss.

As for the tainted ministers, Dr Singh's formulation simply does not wash. You are innocent until proven guilty. So no one can be prevented from standing for election because there is a charge sheet; the charge has to be proven. But being made minister is on another footing, for it now becomes a matter of propriety, not law.

Also, a minister is in a much stronger position to subvert the law enforcement process than an ordinary member of Parliament. The government has started off on the wrong foot on this issue, and seems determined to stay there.

On many issues, Dr Singh was able to get away with the statement that his government is only 100 days old. Fair enough, though it bears keeping in mind that the Budget was a lost opportunity.

What should concern him is the successes that he must show whenever the next press conference comes round""say at the end of his first year. This government needs to go after some low-hanging fruit. If it can't find them, blame a poverty of imagination.