Silence is not always golden, Mr Prime Minister
The Washington Post: Not Far Away From The Truth Yet Misses The Point
The stars are not favouring Prime Mininster Manmohan Singh. He seems to be chased by problems instead of solutions and that’s turned him into a sorry figure. The Washington Post’s article is not far away from the truth. It’s not entirely based on figment of one’s imagination. If you read between the lines, Simon Denyer has not conveyed anything unusual and bizarre. He has reiterated facts which we all know quite well. So it’s really hard to understand why the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) acted in such an amateurish fashion, hell bent on seeking apology on part of The Washington Post? It’s true that the Washington Post, like any other Western Media publication, relied heavily on points which served its interests instead of making an attempt to create a perfect balance. I am compelled to say that because it attempted to portray the reality not through well established facts but via remarks made in lighter vein at the meetings.
It’s ironical that such a reputed newspaper preferred to be swayed by popular sentiments in an issue which demanded a serious approach. It should have made serious efforts to know what really caused this transformation? What were the factors responsible for turning “scrupulously honorable, humble and intellectual technocrat” into a “dithering, ineffectual bureaucrat presiding over a deeply corrupt government”? The Washington Post in its article has presented India’s economic growth in wrong light, stating that “economic reforms have stalled, growth has slowed sharply and the rupee has collapsed.”
Incidentally, it’s worth noting that US President Barack Obama in an interview given to PTI in Washington in July, 2012, not only treated this “ineffectual bureaucrat” as his friend with whom he worked closely but also “valued the insights of the Indian leader at various international fora including the recent G20 meeting in Mexico”. Referring to economic growth in India Obama stated that “Indian innovation is an engine of the global economy. And even with the recent challenges, the Indian economy continues to grow at an impressive rate. The Indian people have displayed a remarkable capacity to meet India’s challenges.”
It’s pretty clear that despite taking a bold step of presenting the Prime Minister’s image, on par with popular perceptions, the newspaper miserably failed to substantiate its stand with hardcore logic. We would have loved to know why Indian Prime Minister became like captain of a cricket team, having players treating the captain with disdain? It should have let us know that he had ministers like A Raja in his cabinet who could dare to ignore the recommendations made by the Prime Minister and frame their own “unconstitutional and arbitrary” policies. He gave rise to one of the biggest scams, 2G Spectrum Scam, which made Time to place it “at number two on their ‘Top 10 Abuses of Power’ list”. In fact, in his regime we became aware of the fact that how the big names in media and the big corporate houses influenced policy making power of the government.
So what was the stand of PM on these scams? Nothing more than that of being a mute spectator, reminding us about classic character in Mahabharata named Dhritarashtra. The recent remarks by Supreme Court in the water-share dispute, provide a glimpse into the happenings taking place inside PMO. “For fixing a date for the CRA meeting, you seek the convenience of the states. It is the PM who should see his convenience. For fixing a date, you see the convenience of the PM or the states?…We had already expressed our anguish the last time. It still doesn’t matter to them. This is very, very shocking. This is what happens in the PMO.”
It has never happened before that Cabinet Ministers instead of fixing the problem openly attack the Constitutional bodies for revealing the harsh truths. It is really tragic that there is constant effort to weaken the Constitutional bodies by such scathing comments. So what’s the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)? In the congress regime, it just keeps adding zeroes! And what’s the perspective of Prime Minister on such serious charges leveled against the government? “My silence is better than a thousand answers; it keeps intact the honour of innumerable questions.” Well, his remark says all. It gives you an idea about the attitudes and beliefs operating in Congress regimes. It’s time to realize that silence is not always golden. More so in times, when corrupt practices rule the roost.
Manmohan Singh: Silence Is Not Always Golden!
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