Congress, reforms and the Indian economy

I love waking up in the morning and seeing the most ridiculous reports on what our leaders have to say about the economy. And today finally it is clear - Congress has been the brilliant genius in the Indian economic story. As Sonia Gandhi pointed out in her address yesterday, Indira Gandhi showed tremendous prescience in protecting India from the global financial crisis. It was absolutely brilliant to nationalise the banks and see! here we are protected from the worst of the global crisis.
She didn't mention that it has been a policy of the 'carefully calibrated' reform process of the Congress to keep the people of India poor so that they remain badly malnourished - after all, that will protect them from obesity-related health problems in 40 years.
Of course, lack of water, electricity and housing in villages is also a brilliant prescient decision. We don't have to worry about mortgage foreclosures, carbon emissions and climate change.
I guess there is some brilliant design to illiteracy also - we'll know in another 40 years.
It was really kind of Sonia Gandhi to assure us that she didn't intend to go back to the license raj era. That yes, industry could continue to do more or less what they do as they do it. We are grateful for her magnanimity.
I didn't read the full text of the Prime Minister's speech. The headline that he continues to expect 8% GDP growth for the year gave me all the laughs I need for the day.
The revered Grand Architect of Reforms and the Father of Liberalisation deigned to go to USA for the G20 summit to give his valuable insights as an educated leader into the global crisis. "It is not of our making, but we are suffering," he intoned, or words to that effect. His complete paralysis in the policy sphere over the last almost five years makes one really wonder at the 1991 action. How is it possible that this man, who has displayed exemplary sclerosis for five years, could become Finance Minister in June 1991 and come out with a brilliant visionary reform document removing most controls by July 24th?
No, I rescind. I am wrong to doubt him. After all, his government anticipated the worst of the global financial crisis in February, and therefore put together all the needed policy measures to tackle it, such as farm loan waiver, NREGS expansion, and subsidies. Brilliant measures to infuse demand in the economy just in time for the global crisis in demand.
Congress has ruled the country for 40 of the last 60 years. I look forward to waking up to more such stories for the next 40 years.