Nation: 100 Days of Just Being There

The nuclear tests apart, the Vajpayee Government is still groping for direction.

Last week, an important functionary of the ruling BJP was asked to list his government's achievements in 100 days. Wiping the sweat from his forehead -- there was yet another power-cut -- he answered with a smile, "I'm thinking of an answer." For a coalition that came to power with the lofty promise of a "stable government and an able leader", there is visible disappointment among the faithful. Yet, paradoxically, as the India Today-ORG-MARG poll shows, the despondency hasn't proved infectious. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is more popular now than he was during the general election and Indians remain intensely supportive of their "big bomb". The rupee is at a historic low, the budget was marred by monumental cock-ups and J. Jayalalitha continues tempting fate. But the BJP's approval rating is above the half-way mark. Believe it or not, there still is a honeymoon.

This, however, is only part of the story. A popular government it still may be, but not everyone is convinced of its ability. There is a deep sense of foreboding over the country's economic future, which is aggravated by the belief that this Government will not last its full term. For all his phenomenal skills as a communicator, Vajpayee hasn't been able to impart his Government with a sense of mission. It is not a question of the performance of individual ministers. Taken together, this Government -- like its UF predecessors -- lacks cohesion. Its superpower aspirations notwithstanding, it has not focused on the big picture. It is seen as neither ideological nor populist, neither statist nor reformist, just plain ad hoc and excessively at the mercy of a bureaucracy that hates innovation and change.

Where there have been radical departures from the past, as in foreign policy and defence, there is popular endorsement. When right decisions have been taken, as in the Maruti-Suzuki dispute and the decision to scrap the urban land ceiling, there has been no resistance. But there have been far too few attempts at reform. Having been audacious on May 11 and 13, the Government doesn't seem to have the stomach for more. It remains trapped in its own fears of vulnerability.

That is the real problem. There is an important distinction between reform and recklessness. Hot pursuit may be a great idea for Rambo, but Indians want reassurance not blind adventure. Not even in Kashmir. They want roads, power, drinking water and education. They will stomach reform if it promises prosperity. That is what they understand by su-raj (good governance). For 100 days they have given the Government time to settle in, experiment and taste the novelty of power. They have given it a generous pat on the back. Simultaneously, they have also served notice.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee is still riding the crest of the Pokhran euphoria. One hundred days in office, his personal popularity remains sky-high and the approval rating of his Government touches an impressive 52 per cent. An opinion poll on the performance of the Vajpayee Government conducted on June 24 from a sample of 960 adults in six cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad), however, suggests deep concern over the deteriorating economic situation and the stability of the Government. It's thumbs up to foreign policy and thumbs down for domestic mismanagement. Urban India feels this Government will not last its full term and there will be another mid-term poll.

How do you rate the performance of the Vajpayee Government in its first 100 days?

GOOD 52

BAD 17

Neither good nor bad 29
Rest: Don't know / Can't say
(All figures in percentages)

YES 76

NO 21

YES 62

NO 30

YES 37

NO 52

YES 67

NO 21

	Yes	No
Law and Order	59	36
Economy	42	53
Prices	20	78
International image	63	31
Centre-state relations	58	36
Communal harmony	60	35
Rest: Don't know / can't say (All figures in percentages)

A B Vajpayee 59

Sonia Gandhi 13

I K Gujaral 6
Jyoti Basu 3
L K Advani 2
Manmohan Singh 2
Chandra Shekhar 1
H D Deve Gowda 1
Sharad Pawar 1

Rest: Don't know / can't say
(All figures in percentages)