The 2009 General election is going to witness a dawn of professional politics where political parties will be marketed as commodities to lure potential voters. It will not be merely a traditional competition between Congress and BJP but a plethora of small parties with regional interest will compete to get a share of people’s sympathy. Isn’t it good news for the general voter? The potential voter will get to choose from a variety of political parties thus making an end to the politics of ‘either or’ (read Congress or BJP). Welcome to the era of coalition politics where the interests of two mainstream political parties will be subject to strict scrutiny of smaller parties. The threat from smaller parties is so strong that some politicians are flouting the idea of a Congress-BJP alliance! The days of political monopoly are over!
The five years of UPA rule was supposed to benefit Aam Aadmi (Common Man) but it has only served the interests of Khaas Aadmi. UPA’s Common Minimum Programme was replaced by Uncommon Minimum Programme based on four ‘achievements’: Indo-US nuclear deal, Chandrayaan moon mission, 9% growth and Slumdog Millionaire Oscar win! None of this is directly related to the common man.
Indo-US nuclear deal is still no-clear deal to many; it will take at least 8 years to generate nuclear power. Chandrayaan moon mission is part of a satellite programme which any government would have followed it. The “9% growth rate” is indeed related to the fellow Indians but nobody is asking this: what percentage of Indians have benefited from the 9% growth rate? Merely 10%! This figure sums up the economic policy of the UPA government which is ironically headed by an economist and has the “dream economic team.”
The government of “Aam Aadmi” has shown remarkable generosity in subsidising big business houses and SEZs (Special Economic Zones). UPA has tacitly ignored small and medium enterprises which constitute the majority of Indians. The rich-poor divide has widened but yet UPA is singing a tune of good times! In the last five years India has not witnessed economic prosperity but economic regression. This fact can be gauged from Human Development Index of United Nations Development Programme where India’s rank has slipped from 124 to 132 in 2008. Even countries like Bhutan, Algeria, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iran have performed better than India!
What is the role of UPA government in a British movie with Indian actors? The euphoria over Slumdog Millionaire at best can be described as an act of individual creativity. The movie depicts the story of India’s poor and the bottom-line is the survival spirit of Mumbai. The movie must remind our shameless politicians a fact that gathers dust in government files that at least 30% of India’s population still leaves below the poverty line. There are at least 260 million Indians who still go to bed hungry every night.
The UPA, very subtly, is doing an NDA. It is building a momentum similar to NDA’s India Shining campaign. NDA had pumped 4000 million rupees of Indian taxpayer’s money in the form of advertisement just to communicate Indians how good they are feeling! P. Sainath, rural editor of The Hindu had commented then, “The fastest growing sector in India Shinning is not IT or software, textiles or automobiles. It is inequality.” His comment still holds relevance.
If Congress has miserably failed in its economic policy then BJP has floundered in making it a real issue which affects fellow Indians irrespective of their caste and religion. BJP is still trapped in its stone-age politics despite the fact that its allies have made it abundantly clear that they don’t support BJP’s Ram Janambhoomi movement. The BJP’s poll strategists have forgotten a fact that Indian economy was performing better in NDA’s rule.
None of the political parties have a slogan to communicate what they stand for. Congress does not have a stand to stand on. It is in self-congratulatory mode. BJP reeks of infighting and its Prime Ministerial candidate is behaving like Alice in Wonderland! Mayawati, the touchable politician of India’s untouchables, is doing a Hillary Clinton. Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh Company do not belong to anyone; they only understand the politics of selfishness. Sharad Pawar is a man of vested interests. He can go to any extent to save his party’s interests; even an alliance with Shiv Sena can not be ruled out. Shiv Sena, which used to be like a family managed business has suffered partition. Raj Thackeray, the “stray cub” has begun to bite in order to save Marathi interests.
Slogans have altered the course of history but our political parties are indulging in mud-slinging. None of the parties have a slogan to define themselves and their party’s ideology. In the recent history, two slogans had a profound impact on people all across the world. George Bush Senior, a strong contender for retaining American presidency in 1992, was defeated by a young and charismatic Bill Clinton who coined the famous slogan ‘it’s the economy stupid!’ It highlighted a deteriorating economy which had undergone recession. Bush senior had emerged successful in Cold War and first Gulf war against Iraq but yet it was only on the basis of a powerful slogan his government was brought down.
The second slogan consumed Republican Party of George Bush Junior. Obama’s slogan ‘We need change’ captured the imagination of ordinary Americans who were fed up with a war-infested President and an economy that was on the verge of collapse.
Indira Gandhi knew her party’s slogan; Sonia Gandhi does not have a slogan. L.K. Advani does not know the art of sloganeering! Leftist parties have an old slogan which Prakash Karat is not very keen to modify. Mulayam Singh has fresh slogan for fellow politicians: Hum Saath Saath Hain!
Isn’t it slightly confusing for the fellow Indian voters? The voters want to identify with political parties but not a single party is willing to identify itself with a cause! Each political party is trying to shine its old and rusty ideology but as P. Sainath wrote, “All the shine we work up will not conceal the darkness.”
Is a new light in the form of Third National Front needed to illuminate a new India?
That remains a lucid dream.
Photo: Indian Elections
@nandakumar
“..ofcourse for true growth, the mentality of “degree and job” has to go….”.
News 1:
“Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: Villagers Build a Bridge without Government Help…”.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=§ion=international&xfile=data/international/2009/February/international_February1417.xml
News 2:
“Failing to get job, IIT student commits suicide..”
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Failing-to-get-job-IIT-student-commits-suicide/406250/
News 3:
“India’s MBA Graduates Face Bleak Job Prospects..”
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/marketing/2009/January/marketing_January27.xml§ion=marketing&col=
We have invested billions to produce world class IIT and IIM grdauates. 90% of them work and live in US. They want to work for MNCs in India or US. Joining a pure Indian company is considered as failure and shameful in their circle.
I know professors who have been teaching Electrical engineering for more than 20 years have NEVER visited a power generating station in their life because their specialisation is distribution and NOT generation. An M.A in English literature, can not speak few lines in English.
By following an outdated colonial curriculum, we have screwedup our nation. Whereas countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea and Europe have switched over to vocational skill based education and have started controlling the world economy today.
We are getting moulded to feel proud of our biggest slums in the world, most inefficient public service system and corrupt law & order machinery. If a powerless citizen, especially a Muslim, opens his mouth on civil rights, liberty and constitution, they will scare him away into his ghetto by screaming “Bharat mata ki jay” and “Vande Mataram” and brand him as Pakistani agent and “Desh drohi”.
God alone can save us.
” If a powerless citizen, especially a Muslim, opens his mouth on civil rights, liberty and constitution, they will scare him away into his ghetto by screaming “Bharat mata ki jay” and “Vande Mataram” and brand him as Pakistani agent and “Desh drohi”.”
I wonder if there has been even a single instance of that ever in India. India will be blessed the day when the “powerless” muslims come out on the streets asking for education and civil rights instead of for banning books, nuclear deals and better conditions for women. The countries that you mention progressed because enterpreneurship was encouraged instead of job reservation, loan writeoffs and misplaced religious zeal.
Sudie,
India has never been a meritocracy. Nepotism, recommendations caste etc have been major influencers in who gets what.
This is why, inspite of having a huge potential, we have never realized that potential.
If it was so, why not make the first few steps to change – maybe at our personal level. Let us do right in our own limited capacities. Some parts of India certainly was been driven by merit. Inspite of all the corruption, the educational institutions at least I have been part of have largely selected candidates with superior scholastic abilities, the Civil services selection atleast have selected competent candidates; yes I have seen instances where candidates have forged caste certificates/handicap certificates but by and large the best institutions have produced competent professionals.
It depends on what we choose India to be. Perhaps a young generation of competent politicians will emerge as good leaders. His dark past not withstanding Narendra Modi has done a good job and so has Nitish Kumar. Our own PM – Manmohan Singh has been a symbol of professional merit – perhaps not such an able atmosphere. Our very first PM was competent – he laid the foundation of a secular & scientific society. We may have done badly after a good start but that does not mean we will be down all the time.
“Joining a pure Indian company is considered as failure and shameful in their circle.”
If the Indian company is professional enough to employ competent professionals for the right roles and rewards accordingly, then more people will be part of Indian companies. Talent will migrate to where it is employed the best. As long one works with integrity and competence, we should not question their professional decisions/choices.
Sudie,
At my own workplace, what you are saying is very strictly followed. Since we have a tightly held organization, it makes eminent business sense for us to have a meritocracy.
Direct benefits accrue to us on this account. It is in the places that are not privately held where meritocracy is diluted.
And we do not pay lip service to bahujan upliftment. We have many working with us.
As Salamu Aliekum…
Brother Mubasshir Mushtaq, have point out some vital and important issues…
Surely, UPA has failed and not done much for the Nation, but to say it’s CMP has turned in UCMP is not right and writer need to even look at the achievement of this Government or for me it’s more then the individual achievement of our intellectual and lovely PM Dr. Manmohan Singh….
We very well know that, this Congress party has ruled us for nearly 55 years and it’s very sad to learn that they haven’t done anything concrete to develop India, but again to say that they haven’t done anything, then that will be very bias and completely incorrect….
I don’t know how can our so call business men says that Mr. Modi(One of the main Culprit of 2002 Riots) should be the PM of our country for what he has done in Gujarat, but the so call development hype by Modi has fallen flat on his, days back there was headlines in the India Express, lacks of cores were the promise by investors but only less then 20% has been achieved, many more such things. I can’t imagine and wanna ask few questions to our Ambanis and Mittals, If Dr. MMS would have not open the markets in 1992, what would have been there status in the International market, Mr Sunil if there was no MMS as PM who would have come and invest in his firm, how could have you done collaboration with the Wal-Marts and Vodafone and to MR. Ambanis that if there father who have not been helped by MR. Rajiv Gandhi and then later Mr. MMS as finance ministry, then i’m afraid that they would have only been one of the drop in a sea, rather then a sea in a Ocean….You business men are so very selfish, but i can imagine why? your revenues have up by more then 400% in last 4 years only because he as PM gave a new image to our country India and a very small slowdown in India inspite of the Gobal meltdown has put them so down..
In the past 6 years, their major problem is and i believe they failed in the area of common man’s security….
More then 60 bomb blast and Mumbai Attack and many other and this is going be a big factor when we will vote…
But, the achievement is much better then any other government, in the field of education, employment, health care, economic development, Inflation in control(it was not the case in last one year, but it is back to 3% with economy at 5.3%), second fastest growing economy, largest provider in the service industry to the World, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, RTI , removal of POTA, Terrorism in Kashmir has however reduced significantly during the Singh’s administration, Some hope for minorities in India, the Indian Railways, 123 agreement, Trust vote and so on…
As far as third front is concerned, we saw them and there attitude for 3 years from ’96 to ’99 and it took nearly 10 years to come out the shit which they created around Delhi…
I’m not sure who will win, but i would love to see our PM DR. MMS come back to power and lead us one more time, as he did in last 5 years…
I don’t admire politicians, but he is an exception only because he is same like we youngster, who do what they feel right and good for the Nation and even you are criticize like we are done by our parents, teachers and other who don’t believe us and in the end we do achieve what we dream, same like you…
Anyways, I’m sure that Mr. MMS a cool Dude will come back and one more time lead our country even better then before…..
May Allah(swt) will you strength and help our country grow more then ever before…Aameen…
Jai Hind
Wassalam…
ManMohan singh is a gentleman. But neither a good economist anymore nor a good bureaucrat. Politician or Leader? forget it.I never trust a gentle ineffective,”I can’t take a stand” man to lead. Any fool can take advantage of them. The man was never even elected. What kind of democracy?
As Salamu Aliekum…
Mahatma Gandhi said, Don’t look towards sin, Don’t do any sin and don’t listen to any sin…..
But, we had a PM for 6 years, who was elected by electoral votes, he had the majority, he did some good work, i mean MR. Atal Bihari Vajpayee….
This man, well of course didn’t do sin by his actions but he did listen and watched sin from his own eyes and never even openly commended it nor did he take any action(Gujarat riots and Babiri Demolition)…
And again there is a man who did all these three thing and he wants to become Prime Minister Of India, Mr. Advani it is his last chance, for him it is like Gandhi’s Slogan do or die, now or never… Best of Luck Mr Advani…
In, Future may be in 2014, they will love to Project MR. Modi, who needs no introduction, will fight for becoming PM… OH, Please save my Country…Aameen…
Now the last, man DR.MMS a gentle man,who first became PM by chance, but now he is PM by Choice. This man has not done any great sin and even he has involved in listening and looking towards sin, but at least he is doing some work and trying to stop them.
To say that he is not a PM by Democracy is totally incorrect, i want to remind those people, that he has a backing of 275 elected member in the Parliament by electoral process of Democracy….
Oh, Allah(swt) please give him one more Chance to lead us…Aameen…
Jai Hind
Wassalam…
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