Report Card Age - Age of the Reasonable Voter

The power lies in your hands

When India gained independence in 1947(or to be precise were ‘gifted’ independence in 1947), the huge population had little or no say in the election [again to be precise ‘selection’] of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru as India’s first Prime Minister. All that the word ‘democracy’ signified was that when it came to our political ideology, we were with the western side of the two power blocs existent at that point of time in world history. Whether we accept it or not, Nehru was clever enough to ‘strike a balance’ by going democratic and socialist both. He wanted the US, but was too afraid to lose the Russians or the Chinese for the matter of fact. The idea was to take the best, and leave the rest. But one gets a feeling that this was done to accommodate the policy and outlook of Non-Alignment that Nehru always endorsed. He wanted India to benefit from everyone, not a bad idea at all.

Over the years, the Indian democracy plunged into the dark and dead phase of a single party system. If you ask me, this was no different from what was going on in China. The Indian National Congress, riding high on the pre-independence exploits of Nehru and Gandhi, managed to win the confidence of the Indian voters over and over again. But there was no contest actually; no other party was a big gun enough to pose a challenge to the strong and widely respected INC. See during those days, the INC was not a political party for the people of India. The image was that these are Gandhi’s men who fought hard for our independence and hence deserve to govern us. In the deification of Gandhi, we gifted ourselves with a long lasting Congress hegemony. In the 1970s, the Janta Party did manage to upset the INC momentum, and in the 1990s the party [INC] went through a lot of ups and downs But in the long run, INC continues to dominate the Indian political scene – and that too by quite a margin.

What actually propelled the growth and success of INC? As mentioned above, it was the general belief that INC is NOT a political party but simply ‘Bapu’s group’. Also, both direct and indirect illiteracy ensured that the INC people enjoyed their dominance for a long time. Direct illiteracy obviously means people who were not educated. But what about indirect illiteracy? See even the educated masses were ‘educated’ and ‘trained’ to respect and spread INC ideals. The course books included scores of paragraphs describing the work of INC and glorifying INC leaders. INC popularized itself in the course books and created a section of educated people in the society which helped in spreading the message of INC. Indirectly illiterate, these people had no idea that were not ‘educated’ but ‘trained’. It is quite an irony that Gandhi himself wanted the INC to dissolve as he believed that it had served its purpose. But with Nehru and a few other opportunists in waiting, INC was transformed into a full time political party. This meant bidding farewell to the Gandhian concepts of complete selflessness and social service.

The 90s showed us how ‘unstable’ a democracy can get. Also, how desperate the leaders can be. When the NDA finally showed up as a strong opponent to the INC led UPA, we entered the age of coalition parties. Yes indeed the Janta party was a coalition, but a coalition which was fragile and uncoordinated. Hence, the Janta Party cannot really be included in our history books as a ‘proper coalition’ or as a coalition which forced the INC to seek friends.

Over the years, elections in India have been fought over petty, unreasonable, ridiculous and useless issues. Right from religion to caste, the blame game continued and the voters were misguided or uninterested in elections altogether. But now we see a different breed of voters. This is a time when a democracy is tested. This is a time when political parties must revamp their strength and modernize their methods. Any party that fails to concur - will be lost forever. The political parties of our time must realize the importance of restructuring their framework as well as their ideology. We all know how badly the BJP struggles to reach to a conclusion when it comes to deciding the party’s basic ideology. The members are nibbling away at each other’s faults and the whole alliance [NDA] is shapeless and in despair.

The INC meanwhile, is surrounded by allegations of corruption and poor governance and has become the ‘virtual punch bag’ for most of us. Need an outlet to drain all your anger and disgust? Start a discussion about UPA and you will be relieved and leave the room as a relaxed and satisfied soul. I don’t know what actually invited this avalanche of hatred, but the UPA surely needs a BUZZ!!

After Rajnikant and CID jokes, the UPA jokes entertain audiences all around the world.



We now shift our focus to State elections. If we look at the past one decade, we will see that the verdict of voters in two states, prove that India has entered into the age of the reasonable voter. Gone are the days when a party could rule without offering any form of development to it’s voters. When the Laloo Prasad government was given a shocker by Nitish Kumar and company, almost every political analyst blamed the dismal condition of Bihar for the fall of Laloo Prasad Yadav. But what we fail to realize is that along with the pathetic condition of Bihar, it was also the realization of the ‘good’ by the people of the state that led to the election of Nitish Kumar’s team. The people were able to reason out that the current party is not capable enough to take care of Bihar anymore and it is time that someone else was presented with the opportunity to provide and protect the State of Bihar. If we closely observe the activities of Nitish Kumar in the recent past, we can easily deduce that the man has realized that it is only through effective development that his party will be able to continue in Bihar.

Mayawati’s elephant succumbing to a team of experienced ‘cyclists’, namely the ‘Baap-Beta’ combination of Mulayam and Akhilesh, is another example of how poor performance can lead to an absolute shocker. Mayawati was busy constructing parks and statues while the people of UP were struggling to make ends meet. Along with this, extreme levels of corruption and widespread discontent among the ‘Dalits’, forced them to withdraw support from their own party. Meanwhile, Akhilesh has promised to deliver. Yes that does not sound like anything new but going by the trends, the duo will know that without development, they cannot expect to stretch their welcome in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Yadavs are infamous for crimes of all sorts. They need to get rid of this tag and make a move towards developing Uttar Pradesh in a manner that will dazzle not only the people of the state but also the people of the country as is in the case of Nitish Kumar.

So with the voters drawing up a list of pros n cons for every political party that appears before them begging for their vote and support, it becomes very important for each party to enter the ‘House Of The Voters’ with a report card in hand, clearly indicating how useful they have actually been. I’m so happy that the ‘Report Card Age’ has finally arrived in India. Just waiting for it to spread its wings and reach every corner of the country, so that the country and the states can actually experience the good that comes from living in a democracy. Buckle up, the journey begins!

The Night-watchman…Operating At Daytime.

Once referred to as the Deng Xiaoping of the Indian economy, Manmohan Singh today, is more commonly known as the ‘ night watchman’. If you walk the streets of India and ask about this man, the only probable answers you’ll get are the ones which’ll make complete sense to you as an Indian who reads and watches `India’ day and night in newspapers and on TV screens respectively. Developing or shaping up an individual’s opinion about any other individual/concept/idea/approach/proposition in India is not difficult at all. You just need to know the way, which the the opposition leaders in the case of Manmohan Singh do happen to know.

But if you don’t belong to India (or at least your source of knowledge doesn't) , then Manmohan Singh is no one else but one of the greatest economists in the world, an inspirational professor and reader in Economics and a man who pulled India out of an obvious economics crisis in 1991. Yes indeed , the man you hold ‘responsible’ for price rise , is actually the person who saved India from a certain bankruptcy in 1991. You feel he is against the fight for corruption? Well,this man resigned from the post of Finance Minister after a parliamentary investigation report criticized his ministry’s failure to predict the $1.8 billion securities scandal. He stayed after getting assurance from the then Prime Minister, P.V. Narsimha Rao, that he will be taking direct action against the culprits.

Unfortunately ,we belong to a world where we make huge mistakes when it comes to the BIG question-- Which issue deserves more attention? For example, in the Tata Nano case in West Bengal , we are focusing on the victory of farmers which is actually the victory of Mamta’s party. It is a huge defeat for the state as it has lost the opportunity of owning the first factory of the world’s cheapest car. The Tata Nano project would have put W.Bengal’s name on the world map (in bold letters). But no, it was more important for Mamta to oust the 34 year old communist stronghold. The same thing , I fear, will happen in Orrisa with POSCO facing unreasonable protests from the farmers who are backed by the opposition party funded `environmentalists’ and so called `social groups’. We again focus on the wrongly promoted ‘poor condition’ of the farmers when most of us don’t know that these farmers will be getting a 3BHK flat ,a reasonable amount of cash and a job each. But we don’t focus on the fact that India is loosing out on a mega-sized FDI which might just turn around things when it comes to FDI in India. It is sad that our focus and importance rests with (and on) the wrong side.

Now back to our so called ‘night watchman’. Yes he is a night watchman. The way he saved the game for India in 1991 (and on several other occasions in the years which followed) , he surely is a nightwatchman. Manmohan Singh ji is not acting like this because he intends to or wants to. See, the Indian Political System is not Facebook where you can say or do things the way you wish to. And if it is,then it is the Chinese version where even a status update of ‘Hi’ is inquired into and considered as a possible national threat. On the contrary, here things are ‘controlled’ and your situation is compromised 24x7. Yes we all know that Manmohan Singh is actually controlled (in a way) by the party head Sonia Gandhi like all others are (except for Digvijay Singh ji who seems to be the only one enjoying the Right to Freedom Of Speech in the party). But still we keep asking questions. I see news channels holding debates as to the degree of control exercised by Sonia Gandhi over governmental affairs on one side, and questioning the ‘silence of Manmohan Singh’ on the other side. This is so stupid. If you know someone is controlling something , then why do you go after that `thing’ asking questions? You fools, you already know that it is being controlled !!

I see no reason for dragging one of the most honest men of the Indian political system every time issues related to factions within the congress, incapability of the government, scams, scandals and pranabgates crop up. He is a man of intelligence and knowledge which seven generations of Advani, Mayawati and Mulayam (and alikes) can only dream of possessing. We disrespect his contribution towards building a self-reliant and well-supplied India by pointing fingers at him. He opened the windows of globalization in India and arranged a meeting of the Indian economy with that of the world.

Actually, the problem is that this guy does not belong to the world of politics. Any guesses why APJ Abdul Kalam rejected a second term at the President’s office? He realised this was not the place for him. There is too much dishonesty, complications,filth,dirt and Sonia Gandhi in politics (particularly congress) for intellectuals like APJ and Manmohan Ji to survive or continue respectably. So next time you find someone commenting a thing or two about our current Prime Minister, just tell them that –Yes, he is a nightwatchmen …the best you can get. It’s just that he is trying to operate at daytime ! :)

Not his fault, he is being forced to.

Manmohan Singh- The Right Man, At The Wrong Place.

Indian Youth And Politics (ref. DU Politics)

"Politics is the last resort of the scoundrels"

With such terrifying proverbs attached to its name, politics is already an infamous career opportunity. Cunning and sharp minded individuals come out as millionaires after entering politics. They gamble their money, time, future and at times even their family to emerge as a winner in this dangerous and infamous game. This is the situation of politics, atleast in India.

Politics has triggered the number of criminal cases in India. MLAs n MPs use their designations and red beacons to do everything against the law and the state. Countless MLAs n MPs are behind bars or have numerous FIRs laodged against them. Rapes, murders, abductions etc. all are crimes committed and supported by most of the politicians in India. To name them is not enough, to launch FIRs is not enough, it is useless to waste time in the court ...actually, there's nothing you can do about it. But Im not worried about the amount of corruption and crime cultivated by politics and politicians , as much as Im worried about the way the Indian youth is attracted towards it.

Imagine this, even with such a dirty image , millions of youngsters are dying to enter politics. And I can bet on my life that hardly .1% (or even less than that) are trying to get in to bring about a change. They're all for money, power and gundagardi! It reflects the mind of the Indian youth, the eagerness to be one them ..it shows how badly we have lost control of our children. Power is dangerous, it brings out the worst of qualities in the best of men. Wealth can best be described as 'Where wealth accumulates, Men decay'. We have failed to teach the 21st century children the noble concepts of Gandhi, Bhagat Singh or Nehru. The selflesness which prevailed in our freedom fighters is lost, it doesnt exist in today's youth. Today, its money power and wealth all the way. An ugly political picture still manages to attract millions of youngsters , we can draw out the conclusion that the young minds have been trained and taught (though unwantedly) to go after the 3 pillars of downfall-money, power and wealth. What is immoral, can be found in politics...what is unethical, can be found in politics...what is illegal, can be found in politics...whatever is unwanted and evil, can be found in politics. And unfortuantely, that is where we find our youth today.

There are two types of youngsters when it comes to politicals. Im not talking about haters and lovers, critics and supporters etc Im talking about the one's who want to be in politics and the one's who dont want to be in politics. The one's who want to be in politics,are after the 3 pillars as Ive explained earlier. They have a strong political base (most of them) and lot of wealth and time. They're least bothered about education and degress, about how many Agnis have we developed or the GDP or the BPL. They dont care where the Indian economy stands or what is the latest invention or development that can be used for the bettrement of the people, they're just too selfish to think about all this, not their piece of cake. However, there's another section of youngsters who dont want to enter politics. Why? How come? Who doesnt desire piles of currency notes and properties in the most posh areas? Respect for doing nothing at all , garlands made out of thousand rupee notes , lands gifted, appartments gifted, cars and properties ...Why someone would run away from all this? Why?

The answer lies in the question itself. Lets get back to the theory of ends n means. Yes there are people in this country who feel that no matter what ends they achieve, the means still matter more. Immoral, illegal and unethical means are not their piece of cake. Also, the amount of danger involved pushes themback. Maybe if we remove the element of danger, the remaining 'honest' people might also turn 'corrupt and dishonest'. But then, we must give them credit for their current status, as a little bit of risk is involved everywhere but still they choose morally and legally right means. But on the whole, this lott is staying away from politics only because they lack the base which is needed in Indian politics. If our father, forefathers , uncle, aunt, brother, cousin etc has been into politics, then you are well prepared to be one bastard too ....ooops! I mean politician too. :P

Delhi University is the headquarter of youth politics in India. It is equally influenced with all these concepts. Money is poured in from all sides at the time of elections, the winner takes home a lot of money and fame. How much money he'll be taking back home depends on how corrupt and dishonest he is or he can be. Students dont even turn up for the voting process, only close friends of the nominees make the effort of coming to the college on voting day. Hence the government formed at the University level is the same as the one formed at the Central level. Money rules and people follow. The educated dont vote as they know that the population of the uneducated and uninterested people will outdo them no matter what. But we all take out a little time in a day to criticize the government. Delhi University is badly affected by money politics and faces which you see on TV ahve sprung out of these colleges only. (most of them)

The election process is fair only if you look at it technicaly. But in reality, you already know the winner. Votes are purchased like bhaaji and paao. Independant candidates are asked to and ultimately forced to step down thanks to the amount of gundaa-gardi in India.We have no options left, only time can turn the key n open new doors which'll bring the long awaited changes in the Indian political structure.

Till then, its our:

Mr. Minister
Age-60
Bank Balance-Crores and,
Social Service-only through promises which of course are never fulfilled but modified to 'better sounding' promises in the next elections.