Breaking the silence

The recent political past has been marked by the continued reticence of the powers-that-be in engaging with a very concerned public on matters of policy. This loss of the art of conversation,in a season of real as well as exaggerated controversies,had a serious and unfortunate consequence: it reinforced the perceived sense of drift in the government. But good politics is all about reinventing the style at short notice. It is,therefore,welcome that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has reached out to the media,meeting a group of senior editors on Wednesday. This is,reportedly,the first of many such interactions that he plans to hold at regular intervals,in which he will hopefully articulate and assert his and his governments views.

The PM was decisive as he said that he did indeed hope for a strong Lokpal bill,but that it would be no panacea. No pressure group with opinions on the bills final shape,he insisted,could have things all its own way; its necessary to develop a national consensus on the shape of the bill,and he himself would be guided by the views of various political parties. He also spoke about inflation,saying frankly that he expected prices would not moderate till April next year. On the Lokpal and on inflation two of the most charged issues in politics at the moment these words of good sense,from the very top of the political pyramid,will count for a great deal. Its a pity,therefore,that they have not been delivered earlier,when they could have made even more of an impact.

In a mature democracy,such as India aspires to be,the head of the government needs to be willing to explain his governments actions,lay out the constraints it labours under,and spell out a vision for the future not just occasionally,but continually and repeatedly. Dr Singhs grasp of issues,his command of their minutiae,and the credibility which he brings to policy discussions,are beyond contestation. Its good that he has shed his inexplicable reticence.