In his words

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's much awaited address to the nation did exactly what it should have. It conveyed the immense promise as well as the grim context of the government's recent economic decisions. Given that the main charge against him is his silence and passivity, the PM's straight talk on TV and

his greater effort to reach out deserve credit.

His unvarnished speech, delivered in both English and Hindi, connected the dots, explained why growth was essential for the common good — for employment, education, health, everything that affects the aam aadmi. In the backdrop of the troubled global economy, he explained why these reforms were the least that could be done to restore investor confidence. He sketched a quick picture of the insupportable oil subsidy, and explained how hiking diesel prices (by a gentle Rs 5) and capping LPG cylinders were necessary to make sure the poor, who used kerosene, were still subsidised. What's more, the subsidy exceeds the national spend on health and education. The PM countered the panic about FDI in retail, speaking of the 1991 experience, and how Indian companies not only survived the competition, they often bettered it. He explained how it would benefit farmers as well as consumers, provide employment and improve infrastructure. While states with reservations were free not to invite FDI in retail, he said they had no right to block the aspirations of others. For the first time, the PM made a direct pitch to the people, appealed to their better judgment and requested their cooperation for the harder decisions ahead. He deserves credit for trying to communicate the rationale behind reforms, simply but fully. Of course, he also threw in a few jabs, dismissing the scaremongering opposition, positioning himself again, as in '91, as the responsible pair of hands. "Money doesn't grow on trees" may have been a folksy touch for someone who usually prefers Urdu couplets, but it got the exasperation across.

... contd.

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