Why historical figures vanished from Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speeches

Rabindra Nath Tagore, Kalidas, Shakespeare and other poets who lent a helping hand in the past to the finance ministers of the day, have not made it to budget speeches since 2022.

But at the same time, Sitharaman’s speeches have shed the formal tone of some of her predecessors to embrace a more modern approach, signalling the medium- and long-term development vision of the NDA government, while echoing the aspirations of people—not just at the macro level, but identifying with the last man in the queue.

What to expect

On 1 February, when Sitharaman rises to present her eighth budget in a row, a direct, succinct and visionary approach is expected to play out, highlighting the growth priorities outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seeking to make an emotional connect with people, amid challenges of inflation, moderating growth and unemployment.

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Experts said they expect references to 'Amrit Kal’, ‘Vikasit Bharat,’ ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ ‘Nari Shakti,’ ‘Kisan Samman’ and ‘PM Gatishakti’—catchphrases that seek to convey government goals as Sitharaman seeks to deliver a development and reform vision along with targeted measures. 

The speech is expected to sound proactive in announcing steps aimed at supporting the economy’s targeted ascent to becoming the third largest in the world, while also making references to its resilience, they said.

Will a poet or philosopher make it to the speech?

“It depends. The quote should be relevant to the context. There is no need to add quotes to make the speech fancy. In fact, the Finance Ministers’ speeches have been clear, to the point and they directly communicate with people," a person, who was previously part of the budget-making exercise.

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This year, she could throw in a couple of verses appropriate to the context, said a second person, who also spoke on condition of not being named. 

The last poet to make it to Sitharaman’s speech was Ved Vyasa, when the minister prefaced direct tax proposals in the 2022-23 budget with a quote from the Mahabharata, suggesting a king must ensure the welfare of the people and collect taxes in consonance with that duty. 

In 2012, Pranab Mukherjee had quoted from Hamlet: “I must be cruel only to be kind."

Nobel laureate Tagore too illumined Sitharaman’s 2021 budget speech as the country emerged out of the first wave of the pandemic: ''Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."

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Experts expect Sitharaman to use the opportunity to drive home what the NDA government seeks to deliver over the next four years. The long list, identified by Modi in the Independence Day speech last year, includes social and economic inclusivity, women-led development, making India the skill capital of the world, governance reforms at all levels, transformation in farm sector, leadership in technology and innovation and improving ease of living for citizens. 

The budget speech earlier used to be directed at economists and specialists in the finance sector, but there is a clear departure now based on the realization that it should be meant for the common man, explained A.K Verma, director of the Centre for the Study of Society and Politics, a think tank based in Uttar Pradesh. Verma expects “all round pro-people orientation" in the budget speech. 

Likewise the budget itself.

“The government has been focused on inclusive growth and infrastructure creation. That should continue. I foresee the government going out on all fronts and do not expect any let-up in any of the programmes. The government is only likely to accelerate ongoing projects and start futuristic ones," said Verma. 

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Though some people may be apprehensive about coalition politics, the government has given a clear indication that its agenda will be pursued vigorously and that allies will be taken on board, said Verma. 

Replacing a leather suitcase carrying budget documents with a traditional red cloth folder, presenting budget in a paperless format and making it available to all through a mobile application are among the style changes introduced by Sitharaman. Her speeches also contain annexures which put across key proposals in an easy to understand format.