IT IS time the Opposition avoided unnecessary criticism of the Government as it promotes austerity measures at all possible levels. Thanks to the worsening international situation due to the extended Middle East crisis, the Government has found it necessary to launch systematic austerity measures so that wastage of precious resources -- including foreign exchange -- can be avoided. There is no need for the Opposition to read something sinister in the Government effort in the current critical times. This is the time to stand by the Government in larger national interest. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is personally leading the initiative from the front. He has cut down the number of vehicles in his convoy to just two. Other Central Ministers, too, have followed suit. In most States, Chief Ministers and Ministers also have begun curtailing their convoy sizes. Some States have already announced that there would be no foreign travels for any official purpose until further notice.

 

This initiative has percolated to the lower levels of the administrative pyramid as well. Many municipal bodies have announced austerity measures at their levels -- which include local commuting by public transport for the people in civic administration etc. The Government has hiked import duty on gold and silver so that the people feel discouraged to go for indulgent buying of precious metals. There is little doubt that in due time, all these measures will start showing a positive impact on the overall saving-spending pattern of the Government and its associate entities. In due time, common people, too, would start understanding the seriousness of the measures and start following those -- similar to what had happened during the COVID pandemic times. The entire nation understood the seriousness of the situation and cooperated with the Government without fuss.

 

A similar kind of overall social conduct will be experienced even now. In due time, the people will fall in line and participate in austerity measures with full gusto. When that happens, the situation will get controlled very easily and quickly. Very soon, the whole nation will think and act as one man -- in total togetherness. When such a positive transformation is happening, the Opposition should not waste its energies in criticising the Government unnecessarily. Much to the contrary, it should offer a hand of cooperation to the Prime Minister and the Government at every possible level. During COVID times, the Opposition had gone to ridiculous extent to criticise the Government when there was no mistake on the part of the Government. Yes, the whole process of Lock Down and other measures were new to the nation -- and a lot of corrections had to be made during the process. Yet, those were the mistakes of omission and not of commission. The Opposition did not understand that fine distinction and kept heaping criticism on the Government -- which served no purpose at all.

 

The Opposition should avoid such a conduct in these times. No Government would call for austerity measures without substantial reasons. The Prime Minister himself has explained those reasons in his repeated communications to the nation. In the larger interest, the Opposition should understand what this hour needs and then chart its own course. The international situation is far from am amicable resolution. If it continues for some more time, India’s foreign exchange reserves would get unnecessarily stretched.

 

This is an avoidable danger -- provided the nation followed the Government’s advice on purchase of precious metals or foreign travels or domestic conduct, so that the nation saves precious foreign exchange reserves, which are critical to national interest. Criticising the Government may serve only a limited purpose of the Opposition. It will only create bad blood, but would not help the nation in manner. Such a politics should be an anathema to a responsible society. This is the most critical message stemming from the current situation. There is no alarm at the moment, but there has to be enough caution.