As the economy flounders, and the prime minister hunts up a new, vocal avatar, we take excerpts from Manmohan Singh’s Independence Day speech, and what should be read between the lines:

ON REFORMS

WHAT HE SAID: “In the year 1991, under the leadership of Shri Narsimha Rao, we successfully negotiated a major economic crisis and embraced reforms for strengthening our economy. These reforms were opposed by many political parties at that time. But the reforms were in national interest and were therefore continued by all governments that came to power subsequently. Since then, the reform process has continually moved forward.”

WHAT HE MEANT: Narasimha Rao is responsible for all this mess!

ON DEVELOPMENT

WHAT HE SAID: “I believe that the last decade has also been a decade of major changes in the history of our nation. In no other decade has our economic development increased as much as in this decade.”

WHAT HE MEANT: I turned out to be a better PM than FM. Third term, here I come!

ON RURAL PROSPERITY
WHAT HE SAID: “We now see clear indications of enhanced economic prosperity in our rural areas. In the period 2004 to 2011, rural per-capita consumption has increased four times faster than earlier. Rural wages have also increased much faster in this period.”

WHAT HE MEANT: The migrants are walking in the wrong direction!

ON INCIDENCE OF POVERTY

WHAT HE SAID: “Measuring poverty is a difficult task. There are diverse views about what constitutes poverty. But whatever definition we may adopt, it cannot be denied that the pace of reduction in poverty has increased after 2004.”

WHAT HE MEANT: Either increase has reduced or reduction has increased, one of the two has definitely happened!

ON GROWTH FIGURE
WHAT HE SAID: “In the recent months, there has been much discussion on the fact that last year our growth rate came down to 5 percent. This is indeed true and we are trying our best to remedy the situation. However, it is not only our country that is facing economic difficulties. The last year has been difficult for the world economy as a whole. Major European nations are experiencing a slowdown these days. All over the world, there has been a slump in export markets. All developing countries have slowed down.”

WHAT HE MEANT: If you think I have no clue, rejoice, leaders across the world have no clue, too!.

ON LONG-TERM TRENDS

WHAT HE SAID: “I believe that this phase of slow growth in India will not last long. In the last 9 years, our economy has grown at an annual average rate of 7.9 percent. This pace of development is the highest in any decade so far.”

WHAT HE MEANT: What if the present is tense, the past was perfect!