First among equals

Unfair campiagn

The hounding of Montek Singh Ahluwalia on the issue of hiring foreign experts in the Planning Commission is tragic. He is the only person to have served as Finance Secretary for an astonishing nine years and, today, his integrity and loyalty are being questioned. During his stint in the Finance Ministry, he took all the advantages of his connections in international agencies to push India’s causes.

The same Ahluwalia served as Finance Secretary in the United Front Government, in which the Left Front had actively participated. But some of the leaders still brand him as a World Bank agent. While Ahluwalia’s model of economy may be different, it hardly makes the case for doubting his integrity.

One must remember that Ahluwalia would be perfectly alright spending another decade in the US drawing a top dollar salary. But he has already answered a few questions by returning to his homeland and accepting a job where he is not only responsible for putting the nation’s finances on track, but also has to function under constant media and public scrutiny. Political leaders have every right to publicly debate Ahluwalia’s policies and plans, but to target the person is taking the point a bit too far.

Man for all seasons

The media, like the Opposition, has a habit of putting every new Prime Minister on trial. Dr Manmohan Singh was not spared either. During his initial days in office, he was portrayed as a person who’s happy handling files rather than people. The media and Opposition fell over each other doubting his political credentials, needed for a job as Prime Minister. His academic depth, bureaucratic experience, even his earlier stint as a Cabinet minister — all were summarily discounted.

But good press is a trivial yardstick for judging a Prime Minister’s capability. This was evident during Dr Singh’s just concluded tour to UK and US. First, Indian scribes must have been humbled at the adulation he received from the western media. He got unprecedented coverage in the foreign press. Even a major UK broadsheet like The Times carried his detailed interview even before he landed there.

Dr Singh donned different avatars during the trip, carrying them all with elan. Industry leaders in both the UK and US were truly enthralled listening to an earnest investment pitch from the Indian premier. His speeches underlining India’s strong claim to a permanent seat in the United Nations Seurity Council were hailed as a politically-sound move. His marathon tete-a-tete with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf surprised many.

While there were no major announcements after his meeting with US president George Bush, the effects are now trickling in, with US removing the remaining sanctions over Indian nuclear and space establishments. And the success of his foreign tour builds well on domestic victories — GDP growth rate for the April-June quarter is up at 7.4%, the inflation rate is on a descent, and the UPA coalition is going from strength to strength.

The writer is a Congress MP. He can be contacted at shuklarajeev@gmail.com