NEW DELHI ¨C Prime Minister Narendra Modi¡¯s recent political stumbles are a reminder of the unruliness of India¡¯s democracy. Last week, Modi¡¯s government failed to get an amended land-acquisition bill ¡ª probably the most important reform he¡¯s yet tried to implement ¡ª through Parliament. Modi¡¯s only choice now is to extend the measures by executive order.
That will only buy him time until Parliament reconvenes in a month, though; it won¡¯t convince businesses to invest. More worryingly, India¡¯s opposition, devastated and weak after Modi¡¯s sweeping election win 10 months ago, is rejuvenated and likely to block more radical reforms if for no reason other than to take him down a peg.
Indian leaders long envied Singapore¡¯s late Lee Kuan Yew because without political opposition, he was able to get things done. But Lee himself made the point that India¡¯s democracy was no excuse for slow growth and stalled reforms. Speaking in Delhi in 2005, Lee said, ¡°Democracy should not be made an alibi for inertia. ...
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