Our Bureau

Kolkata , Jan. 10

COALITION politics, which has now come to stay in the Indian political scene, per se does not hinder economic development. It rather renders stability of some sort, though in the final analysis, it actually boils down to implementation of policies that are meant to uplift the poorest of the poor in this country. Coalition politics, once out of the cover and camouflage, is essentially a matter of give and take among the partners.

A group of panelists comprising Mr Salman Khurshid of the Congress, Mr Nilotpal Basu of the CPM and Dr Jagdish Shettigar, Convenor, Economic Affairs Committee of the BJP, recently more or less admitted that the apparent distortions of a coalition system were now manageable; the system is proving to be a catalyst of change in the minds of people.

Mr Khurshid, who is the President of the UP Congress Committee, said coalitions play their own role, wherein a large number of points of view come into play, providing less reason for the people of the country to feel alienated. Comparing Indian coalition politics, which hinge on a democratic set-up to "young, unstable mountains," he said the fundamental problems are never addressed upfront.

Maintaining that coalition politics was not a hindrance and that it would continue in India for some more time, Dr Jagdish Shettigar said there was a need to grasp the situation and act accordingly. It is the vision and determination of a government, which actually prevail, not the coalition, he clarified.

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