http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/05/28/india-after-the-elections/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:50:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/05/28/india-after-the-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-32129 Exmond DeCruz Sun, 31 May 2009 22:58:24 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=4594#comment-32129 Much as I would like to believe that Manmohan Singh II will accelerate the pace of reforms, there is another angle to consider which suggests that your despondency may be justifiable. The spectacular success of Congress candidates particularly in the North has been attributed to populist measures with the masses such as elimination of loan liabilities for small farmers and guaranteed employment schemes. A Party that attributes its tidal wave of electoral support to such measures is unlikely to prescribe much less prosecute the sometimes painful reforms that are long overdue. In fact, the reappointment of several former Ministers is disappointingly suggestive of more of the same. Much as I would like to believe that Manmohan Singh II will accelerate the pace of reforms, there is another angle to consider which suggests that your despondency may be justifiable. The spectacular success of Congress candidates particularly in the North has been attributed to populist measures with the masses such as elimination of loan liabilities for small farmers and guaranteed employment schemes. A Party that attributes its tidal wave of electoral support to such measures is unlikely to prescribe much less prosecute the sometimes painful reforms that are long overdue. In fact, the reappointment of several former Ministers is disappointingly suggestive of more of the same.

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