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PM delivered insipid speech on I-Day

dna reader Dr Ganapathi Bhat says Dr Singh should not just address the people, but speak to them.

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The prime minister’s Independence Day speech was insipid to say the least. That Manmohan Singh addressed the nation for the tenth consecutive time was perhaps the only noteworthy aspect. The economist in him sounded pathetic when he repeatedly blamed the country’s economic slowdown on the global crisis.  Although he did make a mention of the recent violations on the LoC, the prime minister’s stance towards Pakistan was subdued, as if being careful not to ruffle Nawaz Sharif. This goes against the public mood which expected him to be more vocal over the killing of our jawans.  The prime minister referred in passing to the RTI Act, but evaded the issue of political corruption.

Naturally, his declaration that hunger, poverty and disease would be a thing of the past soon did not inspire anyone.  Singh’s casual comments on preventing sectarian politics paled in the face of Narendra Modi’s onslaught from Bhuj the same day.  Congress leaders have tried to berate Modi’s speech as an election rally on Independence Day. But will any of them explain why Singh conveniently omitted mention of the names of Lal Bahadur Shastri or Atal Behari Vajpayee while listing the contributions of past prime ministers?  The only two heartening aspects in his address were the apparent “gurudakshina” Singh gave his mentor PV Narasimha Rao, and his sincerity in admitting that the government had failed to tackle the Naxal menace.  We look forward to the day when a prime minister will speak to us, and not merely address us.
(The writer lives in Nagpur.)

PM must be seen to act

In his Independence Day address, the prime minister expressed pain. No, not about the numerous scams and the disorder. But over the devastation due to floods in Uttarakhand two months ago. Independence is certainly a day of joy for us all. But this time our thoughts were with the families who have suffered. The prime minister sought to assure the people of the state that the country stands with them in this crisis. But the fact is that he kept mum all these weeks and his government has failed to properly use the resources at its command to rehabilitate the survivors. Army, Air Force and paramilitary force personnel along with hundreds of volunteers worked in partnership to rescue those stranded and provide some relief and we salute them.

Then on the eve of Independence Day, we lost young sailors in the tragic submarine accident. But mere expression of pain will not solve the problems dogging us. We must follow the dictum of the people, by the people, for the people strictly. And the prime minister must be seen to act when it is necessary.
—CK Ramanathan, Ghaziabad

Create new jobs

I was astonished to read the comment by the PM about the crisis in the  economy. He does not appear worried about the poor growth rate, the rupee’s slide, or the fall in the stock market. The need of the hour is to enhance investors’ confidence and promote industrial growth. The government must work out special packages to enhance ailing industries and financial institutions. It should reduce corporate tax for a limited period so companies can enhance productivity and employment. More people with jobs and earning a decent income will spend more and this will benefit industry. The PM must act prudently. If he fails to do so, the crisis will only get aggravated. 
—Ravishankar Ganapti Iyer, Thane

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