Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort may have been a speech full of good intentions but the events he will attend in the week immediately following indicate he has no intention of merely mouthing platitudes.
On August 17, the prime minister will meet the chief ministers for a conference on internal security. Here, he will talk not just about terrorism but also the threats from Naxal violence and the development of tribal areas. He may also deliver a more powerful message than the anodyne reference to the problem in his Independence Day speech (“Some parts of our country continue to be affected by the Naxalite menace. It is the constitutional obligation of the government to protect the life and liberty of our citizens. Those who think that they can seize power by recourse to the gun do not understand the strength of our democracy. The central government will redouble its efforts to deal with Naxalite activities... I would also like to state here that we will endeavour to remove those causes of social and economic dissatisfaction which give rise to problems like Naxalism...”)
On August 18, the PM will address state-level environment ministers, an office which represents the convergence of a variety of interests. At this meeting, he will talk not just about the environment, forestry and animal protection, but also the need to sensitise politicians to the challenge of climate change.
As state environment ministers symbolise a crucial point of state authority, the PM will not just talk but also listen to what they have to say.
A day later, at a conference of vigilance commissioners, the prime minister will spell out his views on corruption, and how to check it without being obstructionist.
In his Independence Day speech, Singh had said: “The benefits of good programmes will not reach the people till the government machinery is not corruption-free. Public administration has to be more efficient. There is a need to improve delivery systems to provide basic services to our citizens”.
