Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said, how India is facing imminent danger from a trinity of social disharmony, economic slowdown and a global health epidemic.
Former PM Dr Singh wrote a column for The Hindu where he talked about the combination of such risks which can potentially rupture the “soul of India” but also poses a threat to India’s global standing as an economic giant and democratic state.
Manmohan Singh reiterates How Narendra Modi should reassure that all these problems can be tackled, but he has to act more than just talking about issues.
Manmohan Singh also blamed the central govt of being incapable to control North East Delhi clashes that occurred on Feb 24-25.
He said that certain “unruly sections of our society, including political class” has been busy stoking communal tensions and “fanning flames for religious intolerance”.
“University campuses, public places and private homes are bearing the brunt of communal outbursts of violence, reminiscent of the dark periods in India’s history,” he added. “ Institutions of law and order have abandoned their dharma to protect citizens. Institutions of justice and the fourth pillar of democracy, the media, have also failed us.”
Manmohan Singh also forewarned everyone that such social unrest at a time when the economy is infrequent slowdown will only intensify the slowdown process.
The Indian economy is sliding for some years now. India’s Gross Domestic Product growth rate slipped to 4.5% in the second quarter of 2019-’20, the lowest in six years.
The fall in the growth rate is primarily due to a decline in consumer demand. Meanwhile, retail inflation rose to a near six-year high of 7.59% in January this year.
“Investors, industrialists and entrepreneurs are unwilling to undertake new projects and have lost their risk appetite,” Singh said. “Social disruptions and communal tensions only compound their fears and risk aversion. Social harmony, the bedrock of economic development, is now under peril.”
While talking about the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Singh said India should be acting swiftly on containing the virus, and “announce a mission-critical team that will be tasked with addressing the issue”. “There could be some best practices we can adopt from other nations,” he added.
Singh stressed on How integrated economies can’t bear an external health shock, Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis can further slow India’s already slowing GDP growth by half percentage to one point.
Singh talked about necessary reforms that the govt. must perform to mitigate the crisis, “First, it should focus all energies and efforts on containing the COVID-19 threat and prepare adequately.
Two, it should withdraw or amend the Citizenship Act, end the toxic social climate and foster national unity,”
Three, “it should put together a detailed and meticulous fiscal stimulus plan to boost consumption demand and revive the economy”.
“The truth is that the current situation is very grim and morose. The India that we know and cherish is slipping away fast,” he added. “ It is time to confront the harsh reality of the grave risks we face as a nation and address them aptly.
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