India’s future will be bright in 2011 if it learns its lessons from 2010: Dr. JP

Year 2010 witnessed not merely a series of scandals but also India’s economic resilience and the vitality of our constitutional organs, said Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today.

Greeting people on eve of the New Year, Dr. JP said in a media statement that India could look forward to a bright future in the next decade if it learns the right lessons from past fiascos and takes remedial action.

Notwithstanding the 2 G spectrum scandal, the commonwealth Games fiasco, and serious allegations of corruption against the highest judiciary, the Indian economy withstood the global recession and registered remarkable growth, thanks to the dynamism of its people. In contrast, the Government squandered away priceless opportunities to undertake systemic reforms and catapult the nation into a higher growth trajectory. Against such a gloomy background, the judiciary in the Ayodhya case and the Comptroller and Auditor General in the 2 G scandal shone as beacons of light.

The first task before the nation in the year 2011 should be preserving, promoting, and strengthening the independence of all constitutional mechanisms. Constitution of a national judicial commission would go a long way in ensuring integrity among higher judiciary.

The Government should view the scandals that rocked the nation as an opportunity to unveil a policy under which all scarce natural resources are allocated on competitive bidding, without any scope for nepotism and corruption. The Government should constitute a powerful, independent anti corruption commission.

The Government should acknowledge the systemic crisis in agriculture and unshackle it from the license-permit raj to ensure better incomes for farmers.

It should impart skills to at least 10 million youth a year and enable them to find livelihood opportunities, and empower local governments.

Dr. JP said that all these goals are within our reach since we have the resources and technologies. The Government should have the will and determination to accomplish them.