Modi Vs Manmohan?

The key to successful leadership today is influence and not authority- Kenneth Blanchard.

As much as I would like to believe the above quote, it pains me to see that the Indian political formation today seems to be in total disregard to the above quote. The head of the Indian coalition government at the centre, Dr.Manmohan Singh, neither seems to have authority nor influence over either the political or economic discourses that the country is witnessing nowadays. Belligerence is indeed a trait of a great leader, which Singh clearly lacks. The fact that he doesn't seem to have any control over either his ministers or the allies doesn't help either. The prime minster is not "prime" after all. The absence of a clear authority over all the other ministers of the cabinet is clearly not a good sign for the country's politics. This combined with the vagaries of coalition politics is really taking a toll on the indian economy and the policies that govern it. Instead of speeding, the reform process has taken a back seat with the opposition playing disruptive politics even as the allies are busy man handling the congress.

Everyone seems to have an opinion which is contrary to the ruling party. The stubborn allies as well as the opposition fail to understand that the decision to allow FDI in retail is an urgent requirement of the economy which is under a severe stress due to global as well as domestic conditions. If indeed the opposition had stood with the government on this issue it would have not only allowed much needed foreign capital into the country but also would have sent a very strong signal to the investors outside as well as within the country about the positive steps of the government thereby improving market sentiments and the economy. 

Consider this, apart from the riot taint of Godhra, Narender Modi, the high flying CM of Gujarat, has done an exceptional job in managing the development and economic affairs of his state. With the state continuously on a double digit GDP growth rate of about 11% and the many developmental projects combined with business friendly environment of the state is a testimony to the vision and leadership skills of Modi. Not only does he posses authority but also has influence over all his ministers and party constituents. This in itself is a trait of a great leader who believes and does the best for his people. Choice is ours:

A meek and silent puppet Prime Minister or a resilient leader with mass influential skills and the ability to take us to double digit growth rates? Modi is my man for the post of PM. Who is yours?

-Sunny Gusain

Hyprocrisy and Political Drama

The recent furore all over the country on the issue of allowing FDI in retail has blown the heads of many pro-reformists present in the country. Political opportunism always takes precedence against National interest when it comes to reforms in India. The so called saviours of 'Kirana Store' owners are oblivious of the plight of farmers or rather agriculture as a whole which, ironically, constitutes a large portion of India's working class(almost 57%). The simple economic facts facing the nation does not seem to deter the political paralysis created by the opposition. With the growth falling to 6.9% in the second quarter of this fiscal year, government all set to cross its fiscal deficit target of 4.6%of GDP by atleast 1 percentage point, rupee falling to record lows with no recovery expected, inflation running close to double digits, foreign investment by portfolio investors falling to negative, uncertain global environment and what not, you would expect some sanity and rationality to prevail amongst the country's maai baaps(MPs). But clearly that is a distant dream for all of us- Sanity never equals MPs in India.
FDI in retail with riders as suggested by the government could have been a boon to the back end infrastructure development in india which as many experts say is the prime reason behind the high food cost inflation. Simple but high investment basics such as Cold storages, warehousing, better transportation, etc could have been a boon to farmers who see almost 30-40% of their farm produce being wasted after harvesting due to lack of above facilities. Also, it could have helped them to get better prices for their produce as large retailers would have eliminated middle man and thus provided better value for their produce. But clearly welfare of farmers, who do not have proper political representation as well as have small pockets, is the last thing on the minds of our legislators. God save thee INDIA........
- Sunny Gusain