The conduct of governance in a situation of growing complexity in a vast country not lacking in centrifugal forces remains severely constrained. The second year will be no less politically challenging for the UPA Government faced as it is with the alarming rise in Maoist killings of security forces and their depredations, operating safely from vast tribal areas in central and eastern India, as well as the worrisome inflation originating from skyrocketing food prices in vogue for more than a year now. Also, any initiatives in economic or other areas might be constrained with key state elections scheduled over the next twelve months.

UPA's first five years were the period when Naxalites acquiring strength penetrated forests across states and enforced their writ on tribal populations while preparing, with stolen arms and ammunition, to confront its enemy, the State. The Government, ill served by its intelligence, clearly under-estimated emerging threats to internal security at that stage. A double-pronged strategy of vanquishing the rebels and taking development to the long-neglected tribal communities was, however, put on the drawing board and there it has remained. UPA-II is now up against the searing heat of Naxalite challenge to authority, witnessed in successive massacres of security personnel.

But UPA-II is more culpable for its inability to tame food prices as they kept soaring, its economic brains trust not willing to see on the horizon any threat of double-digit WPI inflation which materialised in February. India has been singled out for the highest food inflation in Asia and drawn attention to by international institutions as a major problem in economic management during 2010/11.Contrary to Government's apathy, RBI has been monitoring prices, both retail and wholesale, and making calibrated moves to arrest inflationary pressures. At no stage, Government used its “abundant stocks at our disposal” to flood the market to soften grain prices at least.

That hundreds of millions of ordinary people - not the privileged classes whom Government enrich including its employees - were enduring hardships made no difference to UPA which rode to power on the plank of food security for the country. Occasionally, it let out signals of concern coupled with brazen assertions of prices easing “in coming months” with rabi crops and so forth. All its expectations have been belied so far. As of now, food price inflation is stuck at 16-17 per cent.

Priding itself as a fast-growing economy, India has taken to the world stage with aplomb even as the country wallows in social backwardness after sixty years of freedom about which we get reminded, somewhat humiliatingly from time to time, through the UN human development indicators. Two indicators of 60-year development record - India has the largest number of people going to bed hungry or remain under-nourished, and over 500 million live without electricity. The slogan “power for all by 2012” within two years from now may turn out to be a mirage.

There is a total lack of serious self-introspection on where and how things have gone wrong socially and economically over decades while top policy-makers have remained obsessed with a single-minded pursuit of economic growth as be-all and end-all of everything. India shines with progress in automobiles and aviation and other elitist needs. Charitably, we aim at “inclusive growth” but fail to deliver what flows from growth, despite Government's limited agenda to take care of “aam admi“ - some 300 million people - and not the rest of India.

The problems of today, whether it is the “greatest threat” to internal security, as the Prime Minister described the Maoist menace, or food availability at affordable prices for the common people are related to decades of neglect of agriculture, farming practices, rights to land of farmers and to forest settlements of tribals. Successive plans failed to address these problems as increasingly over the years the focus turned on manufacturing, energy and transport infrastructure, no doubt essential, and services in general but, alas, to the virtual exclusion of the crying needs of development in rural India.

There has been an ever widening gulf between promises and performance, between policy announcements and their implementation, especially such policies as are beneficial to the vast mass of the poor and low-income, rural and urban. Laying down policies, the Centre has also to see that projects and programmes are implemented, whether at the central or state levels. In its first term, UPA enacted legislation to promote social development and for ensuring rights of forest dwellers. Right to Information was a notable achievement. A series of flagship programmes including the rural employment guarantee were launched. The Common Minimum Programme adopted then provided solid base with strong support from the Left and guidance of the National Advisory Council chaired by Ms. Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress no doubt emerged much stronger after the May 2009 Lok Sabha elections winning over 200 seats but still needed allies for an absolute majority. The poll outcome was viewed by Congress as essentially in its favour and restoring the party's pre-eminence. The Congress did not see the need for another common programme for the new ruling alliance beyond its own election manifesto which promised food security and a range of policies and programmes to be readied in the first 100 days of office. We have seen little of any major significance beyond a plethora of educational reforms propounded by Mr Kapil Sibal with gusto but without consultations with all states on a concurrent subject. The Right to Education Act may be an advance but it is something enjoined by the Constitution in 1950.The first year did not see the fruition of the promise to build 20km of new roads every day.

The disconnect between Government and the Congress leadership having widened and the increasing vulnerability of UPA-II to adverse votes from a strong combination of disparate groups and parties including the Left going along with BJP, still politically vociferous, has led to the revival of NAC which had been disbanded in 2006. Hopefully, the Council would take a hard look at the state of polity and the brewing social revolts over land, food and other basic needs. Revival of farming holds the key to rural prosperity. Going beyond economic growth targets, India's five-year plans have to be thoroughly overhauled to put the people at the centre of development. This may be the only way going forward if the country's future is not to be imperilled. (IPA)