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Journalism of Courage
In its first outing,everybody knew what the National Advisory Council was supposed to do. The United Progressive Alliance relied on support from the Left; that support was supposedly conditional on the implementation of the Common Minimum Programme; and,since the CMP was a political compromise,a political group outside government to monitor its implementation seemed a straightforward idea. So the NACs mandate then was clear. But this time its the government that got a mandate. What,then,are we to make of news that the NAC is back? Sonia Gandhi has once again been appointed its chairperson,and its other members will reportedly be named shortly.
A re-formed NAC,one without a clear mandate,will have quite a tightrope to walk. On the one hand,India cannot afford that it become a cosy talking shop for those who feel that their leadership of what they would choose to call civil society somehow entitles them to have more of a say in policy formation than anyone else including
So the NAC must,of course,advise on policy. But its composition will be crucial. An officially-sanctioned pressure group for the party is one thing; a group of experts that can figure out pragmatic steps forward for reform,and begin the process of bringing on board non-UPA parties to make the legislation happen,is something quite different. It cannot,therefore,be a group composed purely of social-sector do-gooders or,for that matter,of apolitical technocrats. We will have to watch carefully as the new members of the council are appointed; for in those announcements the governments commitment to reform,and the scale of its ambitions for the remainder of its term,will both be made clear.
