The Still Small Voice Within

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                                          The still small voice within.

The UPA has been roundly attacked for its dismal record particularly in the year gone by. In the first two years after it was voted to power in 2009, it managed to cobble up a few positives, though nothing to be over the moon. But the last twelve months have unearthed scam after scam though neither the PM nor his trusted deputies in the Ministry were indicted except for the DMK minister, Raja. But the PM strangely remained a mute spectator to the goings-on hampered by what he termed as coalition dharma.

The Government’s dilemma, personified in our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reminds me of Sophocles’ eponymous play Philoctetes, who is a powerful Greek leader blessed by the demi-god Hercules. Ulysses is compelled by the Greek soldiers to abandon Philoctetes who suffered a stinking wound though Philoctetes alone possesses weapons of Trojan destruction that will secure victory for the Greeks. Ulysses asks young Neoptolemus, another Greek warrior to befriend Philoctetes and seek his sympathy with a lie that he had also been a victim of the Greeks’ caprice and thereafter discreetly secure the latter’s weapons. Neoptolemus, known for speaking the truth is horrified that he should lie to win Philoctetes’ trust. But Ulysses persuades him in the larger interest of the Greeks with a promise to help him win the reputation of being valiant and wise. Neoptolemus hesitates to speak a lie:

          Rather much rather I would fall by virtue/ Than rise by guilt to certain victory

but Ulysses persuades him saying:

         We need not blush at aught/ That may promote our interest and success.

Neoptolemus’ ethical crisis as to how shall he act mirrors Manmohan Singh’s dilemma- to speak the truth or to remain silent to ensure the continuity of his coalition government. He could not jettison Raja who was fishing in muddy spectrum for fear of losing out the support of DMK, the coalition partner.  He could not speak out against Mamata’s barks lest he should lose her TMC’s support. He would rather put FDI in retail, aviation, banking, insurance into cold storage than risk Mamata’s displeasure. He would sacrifice a futuristic railway Minister and accept Mamata’s minion in his place.  Against Mamata’s belligerence , he would not table Lokpal Bill nor bring NCTC into operation as a decisive measure to counter terrorism.

Manmohan Singh prefers silence to (in)action. I recall Shakespeares’s Richard II, where the poet-king, a man of words is contrasted with Bolingbroke the usurper, a man of action. Richard abdicates his crown in favour of Bolingbroke. But Manmohan Singh, unfortunately has been neither a communicator nor an actor. He does speak- and speaks wisely like a world statesman on foreign soils. At home he is neither seen nor heard. To the cacophony of shouts and jeers both from within his party and from that of the opposition, he remains stoically silent almost saying “what do these poor mortals know about the compulsions of coalition?” Can his deafening silence to save UPAII usher in UPAIII in 2014?

Time for PM to listen to his inner voice and act even if he wishes not to speak. The Arabian proverb ( quoted in TOI) “A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain” should galvanize our PM to take bold and strident steps to pull up UPAII from the mess it has landed itself through compulsive inaction. Let him implement the following bold measures that he knows deep within are the right actions. Let our PM, a man of conscience follow Mahatma Gandhi who said: “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within”.

·         No roll-back on Petrol prices. The price rise can be borne by the wealthy car owners while it can act as a deterrent to the Middle class to wheel their cars and thereby save this scarce commodity. Direct the Ministry of Transport to galvanize public transport to provide comfortable and affordable travel as it is in UK and USA. Delhi Metro and Delhi buses have already green flagged easy transport for the rest of the country to follow.

·         Subsidize fuel for trucks that carry fruits, vegetables and essential goods so that the aam admi may be spared  price hike on account of price rise on petrol and diesel. The government has to ensure adequate supplies of essential food items by opening more fair price shops. Let it implement a new slogan ‘middleman hatao’ and make quality essential products available to the common man all over the country.  The good work being done by Amul and Mother Diary can be replicated everywhere to ensure quality products at affordable price.

·         Call for consultative meetings of Chief Ministers and the opposition parties before announcing policy decisions like FDI, NCTC, GST etc. Even if the Centre has a right to frame such policies, it will be prudent to accord importance to state CMs who are bursting in their own manufactured arrogance. If the non-congress states with egoistical whim do not agree to Centre’s policies and allies like Mamata oppose them in order to leverage more funds for her state, the government in power still stands to gain by exposing the hollowness and narrowness of their opponents’ vision .

·         Having been the pioneer and architect of Economic Liberalization, re-wire the Liberalization policy to get in foreign investments to generate more jobs in the country. Rationalize the FDI policy and get your administration to take decisions rather than defer to save Indian economy.

·         Boldly table the Lokpal Bill after consultative exercise and accept reasonable amendments. Even if Anna Hazare terms it a weak Lokpal, you can show that your government has taken the first step against corruption. Get your spokespersons ( if you wish to remain silent) to elaborate on the virtue of the first step- a small and yet a giant step.

·         Demand implicit compliance to your orders. Ministers and bureaucrats who fail to deliver should be decisively shown the door. This is the way schemes like NREGA and other Welfare schemes can be implemented without delay and corruption. Start showing the red eye when necessary to inculcate honest work ethics in your government. The Unique Identification ( Aadhar) is already in place and with Micro finance Bill to enable opening accounts with MFIs by the hitherto financially excluded group (numbering nearly 600 millions), it is possible to achieve financial inclusion to a large section.

·         Make Right to Education and Right to Health a top priority. Engage Public-private partnership in their implementation. It is easy to frame policies, but difficult to make them a reality. Get your Secretaries and administrative officials to ensure implementation.  This means Zero tolerance of corruption, unethical work practices and tardy implementation of government policies.

·         Better roads, schools with good infrastructure, water, power and sanitation should be given top priority rather than acting on inane issues like cartoons in textbooks.  Good roads connecting the cities to the villages should be taken on a war footing so that village produces can easily reach the cities and boost up small scale industries.

·         Don’t be afraid of seeking referendum on controversial issues- like the formation of Telengana and other new states. There is no point looking dithery and deferring action. Whatever be the outcome of the referendum, accept it as it is the collective majority that decides.

·         Teachers in classrooms, doctors and nurses in all health centres( and not just city hospitals), babus of all cadres in their respective desks will ensure better governance. Get your IAS officers to be in districts and taluks rather than seek plum postings at the capital secretariats.

·         As stated earlier, the fulfillment of the promises made in 2009 should transform the dark clouds into life nourishing rain.

·         In foreign policy matters specially related to Pakistan, remember Polonius’ advice to Laertes:

                                                   Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;

Our gentleness and politeness often get mistaken for weakness and timidity. As the PM of a nation of 1.2 billions, stand up to be counted and speak the truth. Without sounding cocky as the King of spades, be bold to call a spade a spade.

·         Last, but not the least, you have an admirable team with a really enviable triumvirate in Pranab Mukherjee, Chidambaram and Antony. There are many good and intelligent ministers in your cabinet. Exhort them to work unitedly. Ask them not to look for short gain and back out of taking bold and even unpleasant decisions. With your scholarly understanding of how economics works in the international market, explain to them the virtues of administering a short pain that will in the long run prove a big gain.  You have to groom one of your competent ministers- young or old- to take over the reins from you. Someone who is honest, well educated, suave and polite like you and at the same time firm, decisive and articulate. There are quite a few in your present cabinet and it is time, you tell your party to free itself of the cow and calf symbol and look for the right person schooled in realpolitik and understands the aspirations of a new India.

          Mahatma Gandhi wrote :  “There are moments in your life when you must act  even though you cannot carry your best friends with you. The 'still small voice' within you must always be the final arbiter when there is a conflict of duty.” PM, kindly listen to the still small voice within you.