KG Suresh
Even as the public and media discourse in the country continues to remain obsessed with mundane daily developments including JNU and the World Culture Festival, the 25th anniversary of a significant event in the nation’s history is virtually going unnoticed. It was exactly 25 years back that a debt burdened India decided to break the shackles of the license-permit-quota raj and usher in Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation (LPG) in a big way. Though the credit for India’s economic reforms introduced in 1991 is largely attributed to the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, it must be conceded that the same would not have been possible without the sheer political will and determination shown by the one of the best Prime Ministers India has had, PV Narasimha Rao.
Unfortunately, the scholar-Prime Minister, whose vision and leadership, also ensured the return of normalcy in militancy-torn Punjab, never got his due even after his demise, particularly from the party to which he remained loyal till death. Strangely, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi got full credits for the 1971 victory over Pakistan and not the then Defence Minister and Dalit icon Jagjivan Ram, whereas all blame was apportioned to the then Defence Minister Krishna Menon following the debacle with China in 1962, and all out attempts were made to save Jawaharlal Nehru from the disgrace.
Coming back, the advent of LPG changed the nation’s economy and lifestyle in an unprecedented manner for good. The Soviet-inspired Nehruvian socialist and highly regulated economy became market-oriented, ushering in privatisation and foreign investment in a big way. From reduction in import tariffs to de-regulation of markets, tax reduction and gradually reduction of subsidies and sale of stakes even in profit making PSUs, the changes were immense. Successive ruling parties have followed the line though political compulsions have not allowed radical labour reforms and substantial reduction in agricultural subsidies. From a controlled economy, where the Union Government even manufactured bread and television sets, we have moved on to an era where even defence equipment are being produced in the private sector. Gone are the days when people queued up outside the office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports in India under the Ministry of Commerce located in Udyog Bhawan in New Delhi to import a car of their choice. We have moved on to an age where not only the best of cars are available in India but also wherein Indian manufacturers are producing the best of cars outside the country. From an importer of basic necessities to an exporter of high-end goods, India has come a long way.
Back home, it has become a consumers’ market and products of international quality are available just a mouse-click away. One remembers how shirts and trousers were bought from DCM stores and stitched. Travelling by air was a luxury, nay a fantasy, most Indians could only dream of. Doordarshan channels with their frequent breakdowns and ‘sorry for interruption’ messages were the only entertainment option. Half our lives were spent standing in queues outside hospitals, post offices, bus stands, ration shops, kerosene shops etc.
Owning a house was a towards-the end-of-career dream, as the only major source for most middle-class families was the pension and gratuity they would get post-retirement.
The situation in the rural areas was worse. Modern facilities were unheard of and inaccessible to most. Open defecation was the most common sight with few honourable exceptions. A family owning a car used to be the centre of curiosity in most villages and telegram was the only medium to communicate both birth and death.
