2012 — Well the world didn't end! In India, the year did
have its share of late awakenings and many moments with an element of surprise.
Natural calamities like tsunami, cyclone, and hurricane took
a further toll on the already wavering economy and the confidence on the developed
regions continually diminished. And in all that the conviction toward the Asia
Pacific and the middle east market for investment purpose saw a boost, a
phenomenon aptly utilized by the government of India to steer in internal
confidence toward its, by then, lackluster governance — sometimes it's surprising
that the savior of India's worst economic turbulence in 1991, Dr. Manmohan
Singh (though many argues that it was PV Narashimha Rao, who framed the
policies that Manmohan Singh merely read out), took the country's economy back
to the ultimate low, with internal and external deficit, during his own
leadership.
However late, yet finally the government donned its reform
hat to enact several reform Acts with the most debated and criticized reform
being the 51% FDI in retail — the reform UPA avoided for eight years. The late
awakening of the government is still in speculation as the continuance of
progressive reforms in 2013 is still in question since it could also be a
near-election stunt to gain the favor of the voters.
The discussions on the political stance on reforms reminds
of the Anna Hazare–led movement toward anti-corruption. The Lokpal movement
that saw all Indians throng the streets of the country gradually lost its fire and
the feud between Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal only dimmed it more. But the
RTI activist, Kejriwal, soon stood up in a new light sending threat vibes to
the powerful lot.
And because of these strong vibes, the commoners or the
public in general always wait for some political person or some activist like
Hazare and Kejriwal to hold the beacon and lead a movement. But by surprise,
the test of tolerance took its toll and everyone set their inhibitions to rest when
the fatal assault on the girl in Delhi led everyone from a teenager to a 91
year old to street demanding capital punishment of the offenders. The results
of the mass confrontation is yet to be seen, with several cases of harassment still coming to light.
It may be yet another year but unlike other years a new hope
seems to be emerging. The notion of the powerful being untouched is once and
again disproved with several charges of corruption against the political and industrial
bigwigs being put forth. But that doesn't mean everyone took a back step and
financial scandals were nowhere to be found. To everyone's dismay the year
turned in more cases of scandals to an extent that it stopped being a prime
focus. One may still remember the days when Satyam scandal, or the 2G auction
scandal, was analyzed and discussed to the core for months; but today not many
would remember the coal blocks allocation scandal, the Robert Vadra land-grab,
the Sonia-Rahul takeover of Associated Journals, the Nitin Gadkari Purti
scandal, and many more. But it only means that more watchful eyes are prying
the industrial and political realms to disclose every instance of misfit deals.
In all in 2013, the hopeful eyes will await for new reforms
and a new view that would somewhat free the country further from scandals and
social stigmas.
