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The N Men

President K R Narayanan and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu have shown how politicians should function.

The President's various decisions and his performance on foreign tours must be appreciated. The way he argued India's case for foreign investment and the way he tried to pursue different governments abroad to invest in India makes one to think of him as an executive head instead of a constitutional authority.

I have seen many presidents on foreign tours in the past. Most of them seemed to be abroad just for attending banquets and sightseeing. A president's itinerary is not hectic. All he has to do is fulfil diplomatic obligations by meeting his counterparts and making speeches at banquets. But during his recent visit, Narayanan worked like a prime minister. He gave details of India's economic reforms to the heads of governments of Portugal, Luxembourg and Turkey.

Because of Narayanan's effectiveness, the prime minister and others think twice before recommending anything for his assent. The Union Cabinet is apprehensive whether the President would approve its recommendations on Article 356. He has clearly let everyone know that he would not stand for any unfair move. For the first time, the government is scared of the President.

Naidu, too, has been effective. Today, he is attracting the maximum investment for Andhra Pradesh because of his new policies and openness. Besides Indian industrialists, foreign investors are rushing in big numbers to Hyderabad. Many industrialists from north India, Bombay and Gujarat are setting up plants in the state. Hyderabad now is the biggest software centre in the country. Microsoft chose Hyderabad. A branch of the Wharton University, USA, is also being set up in Andhra.

So far Bangalore was the main attraction for investors. But in the last one year, Hyderabad has overtaken Bangalore, thanks to Naidu's policy of incentives for investors. Naidu works like a business executive, talking to businessmen in their language. He has reduced redtapism. Most projects are cleared from the chief minister's office.

I do not say that Naidu has become very popular in his state because of his new posture as CEO, Andhra. But he has improved his position. Rural people may not be very impressed by his actions, but the urban and semi-urban people definitely are.

Naidu does not pretend to be an honest politician. He may, in fact, be siphoning funds -- I do not know about that. But if economic growth and prosperity is visible, then nobody minds these things. Instead of a non-performer dead-honest chief minister, people prefer a dynamic, hardworking, pragmatic, performer as chief minister. Even if he isn't 100 per cent honest.

The film industry is also gradually shifting towards Andhra Pradesh, mainly because of the law and order situation in Bombay. Most Hindi films are now being shot and processed in various studios in and around Hyderabad.

Naidu's political management is also laudable. He fought against the late N T Rama Rao and won. His appearance is like an alert panther. He managed to win 12 Lok Sabha seats in the February elections. Even Congress leaders are all praise for him.

Rajiv Shukla