Failure of UPA Government-Second Innings

Laimayum Bashanta *

The second innings of UPA Government led by Congress under Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister in May, 2010 is completed one year is a great disappointment. It is a sad story of false promises and hardly any performance worth the name. There is no field of administration where Manmohan Government could pat its own back.

On the other hand, the UPA-II government has failed on every front- be it the home, internal security, cross border terrorism, increasing Naxalite-Maoist threat, rising prices, shortages of essential commodities, mounting unemployment,unending suicide by farmers, and what not. The government has lost the will and capacity to work on its own promoting and safeguarding the interest of the nation.

There is an increasing perception in the mind of the people that whether it is the case of dealing with Pakistan, Kashmir problem, and aftermath of the Indo- US Civil Nuclear Deal, the Manmohan Singh government is buckling under US pressure. The only field where it has gained is the number of scams increasing every month.

The Prime Minister has, time and again, acknowledge that Naxalism-Maoism is the greatest threat to internal security. Yet, there is hardly anything that this government has done to deal with it politically, administratively and militarily. These anti-social elements are killing innocent people and security forces at will and the government has now exhibited the will to retaliate. This has only emboldened the Naxalites-Maoist who have outrightly rejected the government offer of talks.

Fails to deal with Pakistan- On dealing with a belligerent and intransigent Pakistan, the story is no different. The Manmohan government which at the height of 26/11 was bold to declare that all option to deal with Pakistan promoting terrorism against India, including military strikes, has always staged sheepish about-turns.

Numerous times has the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues declared that there would be no dialogue unless Pakistan smashes the terror modules operating from its soils and takes action against those involved in the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Manmoham government has provided proof of Pakistan's involvement and that of its ISI in the terrorist strikes, the details of terrorist training camps operating on Pakistan soil, and demanded handing over to India of people of Indian origin involved in terrorist crimes, but Pakistan remains as adamant and obstinate as ever.

It has done nothing to justify resumption of composite dialogue. Pakistan has never reciprocated India's goodwill gestures. Yet, each time India had to climb down and declare that the peace process with Pakistan will continue. This situation has only emboldened Pakistan to be more aggressive and uncooperative. When India resiled from its tough stand and declared that India-Pakistan foreign minister level talks will be resumed, it emboldened Pakistan Foreign Minister that it was not Pakistan but India which "blinked first".

Threat from China- The UPA-II is continuing to ignore the military threat from China. It has failed to match the military and strategic preparations made by China on Indo-Tibetan border. The infiltration by China on the border is continuing to rise , but UPA is trying to play down the threat. Relations with the neighbours like Bangladesh, Srilanka, Nepal are not that friendly as these used to be earlier.

India has lost its standing in the eyes of the world as a nation to reckon with and to take note of. The voice of India was heard respected the world over, but that is not so now. India has lost its leadership of the developing nations and the non-aligned world. The efforts to get a permanent seat for India at the Security Council have not borne fruit as yet.

Government of drift- UPA-II has proved itself to be not a government of action but of drift. When recession hit all over the world last year, India was the worst sufferer. Unemployment multiplied and those already in employment either lost jobs or were made to accept less.

The government failed to visualize the situation and its likely impact on the nation. It failed to take timely preventive and corrective measures to stem the negative impacts.

First it exported foodgrains and sugar at low prices claiming that these commodities were surplus in the country. But soon food shortage struck the country and in panic the government had to import foodgrains and sugar at much higher rate putting the State exchequer to great loss. All this happened because of lack of vision and planning at the hands of UPA-II. The Indian farmer was paid much less for the produce purchased from him and the foodgrains from abroad were imported at much higher rates.

The problem of farmer suicides has not been addressed honestly and sincerely. The farmer is not being allowed remunerative prices for his produce while the cost and prices of inputs continues to rise. This is the main cause for mounting debts of farmers and their resort to suicides.

The government has now come out with an astrological prediction that prices and inflation will come down by the end of the year. But this is what this government had been assuring people time and again during the last one year and what happened was the reverse of the government claims.

Misuse of CBI-The government continues to misuse the institution of Central Bureau of Investigation which has now come to be known as the Congress Bureau of Investigation. The CBI changes its stand on important criminal cases against politicians as it suits the political and electoral fortunes of the Congress. This was amply proved when all of a sudden the CBI made an about –turn on cases against Shri Mulayam Singh, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sushri Mayawati.

Rap from Supreme Court- The Congress government had been misusing the Constitutional office of Governor to promote its interests in the State. Immediately on taking office in May 2004 UPA dismissed summarily without justification four governors appointed by NDA.

In a recent judgement, the Supreme Court came out harshly against tendency by the government to dismiss governors. The story of government failures is as unending as is the misery of the aam aadmi under the government. Will he be able to endure it for the next four years? That remains the question.