HONG KONG — It was hardly the finest hour for Indian democracy, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh finally called the bluff of his so-called leftist allies last month and won a vote of confidence in Parliament after two days of stormy debate and widespread allegations of bribery and corruption.
The way is now clear for Singh to press ahead with plans for India to come in from the nuclear cold by pursuing the deal originally struck with President George W. Bush in 2005. Equally important is the question of whether the victory will boost Singh's confidence and inspire him to revive India's stalled economic reforms.
It would be nice to think that the government will seize the opportunity to put the economy into second gear, but too many contradictions and red tape still restrain what is potentially the most exciting country in the world.