What are the differences in economic policy between the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] and the Congress party governments?
Both the BJP and Congress are following neoliberal policies. But you have to remember that it’s not just the Congress that’s in power now, it’s the UPA (United Progressive Alliance), a coalition government that is supported by the left. So it’s UPA versus BJP. Thus the left is putting a check on the neoliberal thrust of the government. Why isn’t the government doing anything to relieve rural distress? The eleventh five-year plan says we need “inclusive growth”–that’s the government’s admission. So the government is supposed to intervene to take the benefits of growth to the people. But intervention can also answer the demands of the few. To meet the increasing demand for holidays abroad, the government is forced to increase the number of airports rather than spend on healthcare for the poor. Government investment gets pulled in the direction of elite demand, so there’s less money left to build roads in villages. What the government should have done earlier is income redistribution, pu
