If the political mathematics of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party can be shifted by a mass movement so swiftly as to be forced to back down on its larger agrarian-reform initiative, what about other difficult reforms? What? We saw a similar caveat on land acquisition in the first term of the Narendra Modi government, but it was far more dramatic given the intensity of its confrontation with farmers demanding repeal of hastily enacted agricultural laws last year. Public climbing may now tempt push-back in other sectors whose interests lie in the status quo.
The episode also casts doubt on the notion that a government with a majority of more than 300 seats in Parliament can meet the needs of our economy. It was expected that Modi’s high reserves of populist capital could be spent on policies of short-term disruption to long-term delivery without hindering electoral momentum. The Centre’s intention to roll back our flawed but apparently sound agricultural laws, however, shows the limits of a top-down model of governance. Building consensus and recognizing that such a delicate exercise remains relevant to India’s agenda of market orientation for economic prosperity.
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