Strength of conviction

BJP govt should use majority to undertake pending reforms

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, speaking at an ASSOCHAM meeting last week, made an important point about the nature of governance in India that deserves to be examined carefully — especially as it may be central to the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government’s pitch for re-election. Mr Jaitley mentioned the swift action taken by the government to replace the independent directors in the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) crisis as an example of how strong leadership operates. This was a sign, Mr Jaitley argued, of how essential a strong government was: “If this path of high growth is