Byword in PM’s Aug 15 speech will be: caring

So ‘‘human face’’ may be given a quiet burial and it may be replaced by a ‘‘caring economy,’’ which shows an understanding of people’s concerns and which emphasises ‘‘growth with equity.’’

Reforms with a human face gained currency when P V Narasimha Rao first spoke of it during his premiership after he went to Davos.

The other aspect of Singh’s speech, say sources, will be to focus on the ‘‘marginalised’’ groups. As Finance Minister, between 1991-96, his focus was on mainstream issues. As Prime Minister, he wants his focus to be on the marginalised.

He feels the ‘‘mainstream’’, which encompasses free enterprise, individual initiative, middle class, can take care of itself. The Government must step in to help those outside the market. While finetuning the speech, he has repeatedly been saying things like, ‘‘Are we concentrating enough on the SCs\STs?’’

While ensuring a continuity of economic policies and accelerated growth, the Prime Minister would like to provide a ‘‘healing touch’’ to the aggrieved sections who have not been part of the growth process, like the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, women, minorities, farmers, and even regions like the North East which have got alienated in the last eight years while the Congress has been out of power.

His view is that the BJP lost because it failed to focus on their concerns and that is what has led to disaffection in society. His aides, some of whom have known him over 15 years, see a marked change in Dr Singh this time, and this was reflected in his address to the nation and is expected to figure in his Independence Day speech.

‘‘There is a very strong element of Gandhism coming through which is new and striking,’’ say those who are working with him closely. This has been seen in his inclination for austerity, evident in his reluctance to use BMWs though he had to relent because they had been purchased by the previous government and bullet-proofing Ambassadors would have cost more money. Or, in his desire not to have his photographs put up in government institutions, his decision not to have UPA Ministers come to the IG airport to see him off; or, flying in a helicopter from Safdarjung Airport to avoid traffic holdups.

‘‘But it’s more than that. It is his intellectual framework which is becoming more Gandhian,’’ say those close to him. The Prime Minister will quote from Gandhi in his August 15 speech, as he did in his address to the nation. He is planning to draw upon the motivations of the freedom movement and spell out his views on India’s identity as a nation and his vision for it. It is expected to be a broad strokes speech, and not one which focuses on the nitty gritty of policy.