New Delhi, May 22
In the subdued celebrations of the Congress-led UPA government completing one year in office, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called for thinking “out of the box” in meeting the challenge of combining in the economics of growth with the economics of equity and social justice.
“We have no option but to walk on two legs in pursuing policies that unleash the creativity and enterprise of the people, coupled with addressing the needs of every citizen to equality of opportunity, decent livelihood, education and peace and security,” Dr Manmohan Singh underlined after presenting a copy of the government’s progress report in the past 12 months to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Declaring that the UPA had been able to provide the people an alternative platform, he noted that it was an alternative to exclusion and majoritarianism; an alternative to the economics of backwardness and bankruptcy; and an alternative to sociology of conflict and discrimination.
“Our alliance is the most regionally
representative coalition in office. Our greatest achievement in the past year has been to give the people of India an inclusive and humane and caring government. A government which they (the people) can trust and pin their hopes on,” Dr Manmohan Singh observed.
In a veiled attack an the previous BJP-led NDA government, the Prime Minister noted that the UPA also wanted India to shine but for all unlike in the past “when it was shining for a few and the (then) government could not see what was
happening to the many.”
He reaffirmed the UPA government’s commitment to building a prosperous, inclusive, equitable and just India. “We have started well, but there is much more to do.”
Noting that the singular achievement of the government had been to put the nation back on an even keel, Dr Manmohan Singh emphasised that even as reforms of the administration should acquire a higher profile, the biggest challenge was to survive and flourish in the increasingly integrated and globalised
world. Increasingly, the government’s attention and the expenditure pattern were shifting towards the provision of physical and human infrastructure. The challenge ahead was to ensure that while sustaining the growth
impulses, deliberate efforts were also made to reduce disparities in income and wealth.
The Prime Minister said while focussing on generating new employment, the climate for could provide resources to deal effectively with the problems of mass poverty. More needed to be done to protect the interests of workers in the unorganised sector and give them social security while creating a more competitive environment for the organised sector.
He said the government had the obligation to ensure that the benefits of growth reached all sections of society and they became equal participants in the growth processes. “We have to ensure that those who are adversely affected by the winds of change are able to adjust to the new realities and economic opportunities,” he added.
Realising that the people were impatient for change and a better quality of life, the Prime Minister called for “thinking out of the box and acting with courage. Bold initiatives are called for on the economic front. I would like to see an improvement in public finances at all levels of the government. We must reduce wasteful expenditure and divert these resources into needed social sector expenditure, investment and employment generation. There is an urgent need for restructuring of public expenditure and improving the working of ministries.”
Drawing pointed attention to the country having the largest number of young people in the 21st Century, Dr Manmohan Singh put several posers like “are we doing
enough to educate them so that every citizen becomes an economic asset and not a social liability? Are we doing enough to invest in the capabilities of our next generation...their health care, employment opportunities, their leisure time activities..?”
He reiterated that a knowledge commission was being established for this purpose and hoped it would be in the vanguard of a revolution in knowledge creation capabilities and equipping the people with skills required of them in the new century.
Dr Manmohan Singh said expansion and modernisation of
physical infrastructure consisting of roads, railways, ports, airports and telecommunications and social infrastructure, especially education and health care should figure more prominently among the government’s priorities.
He said India must realise its destiny as one of the world’s great nations. A nation in which every citizen,
irrespective of caste, community, language, region or religion could live a life of dignity and self respect, of peace and prosperity.
Earlier, Mrs Sonia Gandhi in her brief address while alluding to bringing the fruits of economic growth directly to the people said the government must be responsible and responsive. Expressing happiness that the government was redeeming its pledges contained in the National Common Minimum programme, she commended the Prime Minister for providing an effective leadership and
enhancing the country’s prestige abroad. “One year of the UPA has amply demonstrated the larger national interest along with emerging as a cohesive force. Accountability, transparency and probity in governance should not be empty slogans,” she added.
There was one factor which took the sheen off the function at the Prime
Minister's official residence with the Left parties politely declining the invitation to be part of the celebrations. They, however, assured Dr Manmohan Singh that they would continue to support the government from outside in keeping communal forces at bay. In a letter to Dr Manmohan Singh, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat wished the Prime Minister success in the meeting the aspirations of the people.
After the function, the Prime Minister hosted a dinner for the leaders of the other constituents of the UPA and his Council of Ministers.
