Nothing ideological about it
First he said that his government had no ideological view on anti-terrorism laws. Now Prime Minister Manmohan Singh—he who is the much celebrated ‘father of the economic reforms’—says he has no ideological commitment to markets either.
Asked if the current global financial disorder was an occasion to revise the faith in the markets, he argued that “we have no ideological positions. We have been cautious reformers, [carrying out] reforms with a human face. We do not have a strong ideological commitment to the markets; markets are useful servants but markets also need regulations, purposeful regulations.” [Hindu]
Well, it shows.
What is even more revealing is that Prime Minister Singh should think that purposeful regulations should somehow be inconsistent with an ideological commitment to markets.
And it is left to your imagination whether it was caution or lack of ideological commitment that has entirely buried the ‘second generation reforms’ that were being talked about just before he became prime minister.
Maybe I am wrong but it looks like another NREGA like bonanza is on the cards. There is a lot of free money to give to all candidates for the election, and the coffers will be full with all the foreign investment. Don’t be surprised if this PM turns on reforms for short term political gains (after that, of course, that is not his problem, it would be his successors). This tendency to palm off tough reforms down the line and kicking the can seems to be the economist PM’s strategy.
Well.. this only goes to show how over-rated this blue-turbaned, non-mass-supported PM really is…
And how irresponsible the media was in anointing him as the father of economic reforms…
Prime Minion has ‘ideological’ commitment to only one : Sonia. I wont be surprised if he state the ‘obvious’ :I have no commitment to India.
PI.
Well, he did negotiate the nuclear deal…