Famous last words

Governments, like people, can be judged by what they do — and what they don’t. It is, therefore, immensely educating to consider t...

Governments, like people, can be judged by what they do — and what they don’t. It is, therefore, immensely educating to consider two last minute decisions taken by the Union Cabinet. Since they are among the final ones this government will make, they are essentially signing off statements. This is what invests them with significance. What, then, are these decisions? One is with regard to the open skies policy. It was expected that there would be some forward movement on this, considering the enthusiasm with which it was projected — and considering also the benefits that such a policy would bring to a stagnant sector, as these columns have argued. But no cigar. The Cabinet decided to do its famous shuffle on this one, citing “paucity of time”. The other was the decision to regularise 1,071 unauthorised colonies in the Capital and it’s one that will do Delhi and its environs little good. Here, clearly, the “paucity of time” did not dissuade the government from taking an extremely controversial step.

Read these two decisions together and the government’s self-projected image of being a modern, reforming entity takes a severe beating. By derailing — or at least delaying — airline sector reform, it comes across as a government that is held hostage to powerful vested interests. By legalising unauthorised colonies and dangerously overloading an infrastructure that is already heavily burdened, it is jeopardising the quality of life in the entire region.

Both these decisions are, no doubt, driven by the compulsions of the political moment. With elections upon us, factors other than those that come strictly under the rubric of good governance become crucial. But even if we were to accept this, surely expediency has its limits? Surely, when decisions indicate that a party’s self-interest is undermining — even replacing — national interest, they become unacceptable? The BJP loves to project the image of “Shining India” and its leaders never tire of telling the world that the 21st century will belong to this country. But before this happens, India would need the services and wisdom of political leaders who realise the importance of placing the country’s interests above their own.