A People's Cabinet

52

The UPA has a social charter, it also needs a democratic charter In the early 1990s, when the economy was new but our mindsets were old, your humble columnist, then newly-returned from Oxford was astounded at the old-fashioned world of Indian journalism. In those days, it was believed that the fate of the nation, rested on the Home ministry, Defence ministry, Ministry of External Affairs and Finance Ministry. These ministries were covered by senior male journalists, snarling patriarchs who guarded their domains with the fierce territoriality of lions. Rural development, education and health---which all over the world were seen as vital to a nation's progress--- were relegated firmly to second place. These "social sectors" were covered by women, conscientious ladies who were repeatedly reminded that infant mortality, epidemics, primary education, affordable housing, didn't really matter as much as high diplomacy or heavy-duty weaponry. Now, more than a decade....