President's address skirts pressing concerns

Indicates government's farm-sector push; Prime Minister reaches out to Opposition, but signs of smooth session elusive

The government, having completed a third of its 60-month tenure, on Tuesday indicated a course correction in its policy focus from job growth and "development for all".

The customary presidential address to the joint sitting of Parliament was devoted to the government's multi-pronged push to revive the farming sector and the use of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to create economic assets in rural areas.

The presidential address was approved by the Cabinet and delivered on the first day of the Budget session. Historically, it is meant to showcase the government's agenda for the coming year. Instead, President Pranab Mukherjee's over-an-hour, 20-page address listed what the government believed was its achievements. It mentioned the government's focus on job creation, economic growth, reduction in the fiscal deficit and inflation control. But the unmistakable focus was on the steps the government had taken for agriculture sector and rural areas.

Given that the previous two sessions of Parliament were a washout because of Opposition protests, the President said "democratic temper calls for debate and discussion and not disruption or obstruction". He "urged" all Members of Parliament to discharge their responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation.

The address, at the start of what increasingly looks like yet another raucous session, skirted several of the pressing concerns as well as contentious issues, including the government's inability to ensure the passage of key reform Bills, its inability to deliver on the promised job opportunities that contributed to the quota stir as well as the debate on the freedom of expression. The Rajya Sabha will take up the row over the alleged seditious comments at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the controversy that followed and related issues on Wednesday.

When the Lok Sabha met after the presidential address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to address a couple of farmer rallies in the coming days, walked up to the Opposition benches to greet leaders of other parties. According to sources, he shook hands with Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, too, when he came face-to-face with the Congress leader before entering the House.

In his comments before the start of the session, the PM hoped the session would be fruitful. The PM said the government was open to discussion on all issues, stressed how his government had held a series of meetings to reach out to the Opposition and how these parties had shown a "positive attitude". However, the word from the Opposition ranks wasn't encouraging.

A senior Congress leader said his party's demand for a constitutional cap on the tax rate in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill was non-negotiable, but blamed the RSS for not allowing the government to push through the Bill. The leader said his party would "expose" the PM on all the promises he had made during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and said how the Congress had successfully forced the government to be on the defensive on the land Bill and for its "anti-farmer" policies.

The presidential address seemed to bear this out with its detailed listing of the government's efforts for the farm sector. It had references to the government's economic initiatives in non-farm sectors - reforms in the power sector, 39 per cent increase in foreign direct investment because of the Make in India programme and the expediting of construction of roads.

But there was little word on some of the more pressing concerns - whether on the key reform Bills, including the GST Bill and the bankruptcy code, or concerns over stalled investments, the stress on the fiscal situation after the implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission and the upward swing in food prices.

Later in the day, nearly all non-NDA party leaders, including the Congress Vice-President and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, attended a protest rally for "justice to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula" in New Delhi. Both Gandhi and Kejriwal accused Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of muzzling the voice of students.

TAKEAWAYS

My Government is focused on poverty eradication, farmers' prosperity and massive employment generation"

India is a haven of stability in an increasingly turbulent global economy. GDP growth has increased, making India the world's fastest growing economy among large economies. Inflation, fiscal deficit and current account deficit have all decreased. India recorded the highest ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015"

The MGNREGS has been revamped to ensure the efficient disbursements of wages, increased transparency and creation of productive assets"

While on the one hand, my Government has taken measures to eliminate the scope for corruption, on the other hand, it has been unsparing in punishing those who are found guilty of corruption"

Pranab Mukherjee
President