PM's Independence Day speech

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought to inject fresh urgency into efforts to revive growth, identifying lack of political consensus as a major block and warning that failure to accelerate growth and attract investment would take a toll on national security.
 “As far as creating an environment for rapid economic growth is concerned, I believe we are not being able to achieve this because of a lack of political consensus on many issues. Time has now come to view issues which affect our development processes as matters of national security,” the PM said in his Independence Day address, reflecting the anxiety to secure cooperation of UPA partners and the opposition.

The invocation, meant to cajole the opposition and prod sullen allies, comes at a time when the House does not seem likely to consider anything beyond minor bills in the current session.
Taking note of concerns expressed by ratings agencies and foreign leaders over India’s investment climate and controversial taxation initiatives—some of which are being reconsidered—Singh said, “To attract foreign capital, we will have to create confidence at the international level that there are no barriers to investment in India.”
The cares of office seemed to weigh on Singh as he delivered his ninth Independence Day address, dwelling on a sputtering economy and an adversarial political environment that pose a challenge to the Congress’s bid to craft a credible record ahead of the 2014 polls.
The PM’s focus was inward. For a leader who has invested heavily in improving relations with Pakistan, Singh skipped mention of the neighbour altogether. He made a brief reference to the Assam violence and touched on major social sector initiatives in health, education, tribal welfare and scientific endeavours like the Mars mission.
These included the expansion of the National Rural Health Mission into a National Health Mission and a scheme of free distribution of medicines, Rajiv Housing Loan Scheme for the urban poor and the setting up of a National Skill Development Authority.
The PM said the government “will take measures to increase investment for infrastructure development with the help of the private sector…We will leave no stone unturned to encourage investment in our country so that our entrepreneurs can make a substantial contribution to our economy.”
With the economy casting a deepening shadow over politics as the ruling coalition’s re-election prospects are linked to inflation and job losses, the PM looked to rally morale, saying the difficult times will not last long and promising to work for the creation of new employment opportunities.
He, however, warned that reining in inflation may be harder due to a poor monsoon. The drought measures he outlined include a diesel subsidy for farmers—an indication that subsidy on the fuel may not be touched.