Narendra Modi: India’s Black and White Prime Minister

By Asit Ranjan Mishra

When Narendra Modi won a landslide majority in a one-sided election in 2014, I was sure about one thing: He will either be India’s best or worst prime minister. Five years later, I would like to amend my statement. Modi is India’s best AND worst prime minister, depending on whom you ask. In colour analogy, Modi is India’s Black and White Prime Minister. There is nothing grey about him.

Modi brings out the best and worst in people. You will often find people talk about “country over individual” like never before, going to the extent of taking short term pain (remember demonetization!) if they believe it is in the long term interest of the nation. But the surge in nationalistic fervor aided by ample doses of cultural nationalism has created many self-appointed moral police across the country who does not hesitate to sit in judgment over others with a different point of view.

Unapologetic about his Hindutva antecedents and armed with the development plank, Modi in 2014 expanded BJP vote base beyond its core constituency, thus winning 282 seats (31.34% vote share). Till then, BJP’s best performance was delivered by the Advani-Vajpayee duo in 1998 with 182 seats (25.59% vote share). The additional 100 seats that BJP won in 2014 with 5.75% more votes was clearly the Modi effect.

When most people on the street had given up hope on politicians, Modi came almost like savior. By delivering on a few promises such as free housing, cooking gas connection and toilets, Modi cemented his reputation of a leader who can deliver. Even for his voters who have not benefitted from such schemes, they exhibit enormous confidence that their turn will also come if Modi returns to power. Though many of his supporters often admit that not much has happened on jobs front, they show patience and are ready to give him another chance.

Messiah for the supporters and demon for his detractors, Modi remains the biggest unifier cutting across caste lines, and the worst divider on communal lines. There is not an iota of doubt among the supporters and detractors of what Modi stands for. For any view on Modi’s commission or omission, there is an equally strong and opposing view, leaving little space for reaching any common ground. With the rise of binary discourse, space for civil debate on any issue of national importance between two individuals of opposing views without calling each other names is now nil.

While analyzing the similarity between the unprecedented wins of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi assembly election and Modi’s in the general election, I wrote in Mint in February 2015 that it reflects the coming of age of Indian voter with its soaring risk appetite. “Indian voters have decided they will put all of their political capital behind one man or party and judge its performance not by its words or intentions but by tangible results, overlooking his/her limitations,” I wrote in the article titled “Why Kejriwal and Modi wins are not contradictory”.  

On 23 May, if Modi wins a second term riding on a pro-incumbency wave as most of the Exit Polls now suggest, the electorate in their collective wisdom would be signaling that Modi is a muscular and decisive leader under whose stewardship the country is in safe hands and hence deserves a second chance to deliver on his promises about jobs and corruption. If the electorate throws a verdict of a hung lower house with the NDA falling short of the half way mark, then it would mean that the voters still want Modi as the prime minister but with checks on his unsavoury dictatorial tendencies, which a few strong non-NDA allies could ensure. If the NDA falls below 200, that would mean people have realized their bet on Modi in 2014 has gone wrong and it is better to find a new leader through a chaotic churn all over again.

(Views are personal)

Jamming with the Economic Survey

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for his penchant to coin new terms such as Make In India, NITI Aayog via PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive). Now it seems the babus and advisers in his government are taking a cue from him. In his maiden Economic Survey for the year 2014-15, chief economic adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian has thrown in a few self-created acronyms and jargons. Take a look:

1–JAM number trinity:
Stands for Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile. The survey say the trinity offers exciting possibilities to effectively target public resources to the needy.

2–Two Nirvanas:
The survey says the JAM trinity will be a Nirvana for two reasons—“the poor will be protected and provided for; and many prices in India will be liberated to perform their role of efficiently allocating resources and boosting long-run growth.”

3–4Ds: Deregulate, Differentiate, Diversify, and Disinter.
The survey proposes four Ds to revive the public sector banking units. Deregulate asset side repression by easing liquidity restrictions; Differentiate among public sector banks for governance reform and recapitalization; Diversify source of funding within and outside the banking system to encourage healthy competition; Disinter by improving exit mechanisms

Apart from that , Subramanian has also used a few lesser known jargons such as “double financial repression” and balance sheet syndrome in the Survey:

Double financial repression:
While Indian banks face financial repression on the asset side due to mandatory regulatory requirements such as statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) and priority sector lending (PSL), they also face repression on the liability side due to high inflation since 2007 leading to negative real interest rates and sharp reduction in household financial savings.

Balance sheet syndrome:
While large private projects have got stalled, resulting in weak balance sheets, the valuations of listed India companies have continued to zoom ahead, confusing policy makers.

What He Said And What He Meant

In case you got too enamoured by the Parliament speech of US Prez Barack Obama, here is my take on what he actually meant:

1-SAID: I thank you for the great honor of addressing the representatives of more than one billion Indians and the world’s largest democracy.

MEANT: Thanks Commies, for giving me the opportunity which you denied to my predecessor Bush, by threatening the only power that you are left with: Power of your Larynx.

2-SAID: I bring the greetings and friendship of the world’s oldest democracy—the U.S.A, including nearly three million proud and patriotic Indian Americans.

MEANT: Three million! Haven’t we got enough of them! Yes, we do, in case you think otherwise. Thank you very much.

3-SAID: Bahoot dhanyavad.

MEANT: By uttering those two words, in Hindi, I am qualified for Mr Singh’s job, in case I lose mine back home. It doesn’t matter if Soniaji had refused the offer, I hate sacrifices.

4-SAID: For in Asia and around the world, India is not simply emerging; India has already emerged.

MEANT: Now in trade talks, in climate change talks, don’t play the poor, underdeveloped nation card, like a beggar.

5-SAID: Instead of resisting the global economy, you became one of its engines—reforming the licensingraj and unleashing an economic marvel that has lifted tens of millions from poverty and created one of the world’s largest middle classes.

MEANT: World’s largest middle class: What else you think I am interested in India? Humayun Tomb?

6-SAID: In the decades after independence, India advanced its interests as a proud leader of the nonaligned movement.  Yet too often, the United States and India found ourselves on opposite sides of a North-South divide and estranged by a long Cold War.  Those days are over.

MEANT: You know as much as I, that NAM is defunct now, a useless grouping. Your true interests lie with us.

7-SAID: In the United States, both of my predecessors—one Democrat, one Republican—worked to bring us closer, leading to increased trade and a landmark civil nuclear agreement. Since then, people in both our countries have asked: what next?

MEANT: Now that we have given India more than what it asked for, what are we getting in return?

8-SAID: That is what I want to address today—the future that the United States seeks in an interconnected world; why I believe that India is indispensable to this vision; and how we can forge a truly global partnership—not in just one or two areas, but across many; not just for our mutual benefit, but for the world’s.

MEANT: Now send those troops to Afghanistan, keep them ready for Iran, in case we need them.

9-SAID: Of course, only Indians can determine India’s national interests and how to advance them on the world stage.  But I stand before you today because I am convinced that the interests of the United States—and the interests we share with India—are best advanced in partnership.

MEANT: While you know best what you SHOULD do, in the new relationship, I will decide what you WILL do.

10-SAID: And let me say it as clearly as I can: the United States not only welcomes India as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality.

MEANT: If you don’t remember you forgetful Indians, let me remind you in as loud a voice as I can, that you are what you are bcoz of US.

11-SAID: We need to forge partnerships in high-tech sectors like defense and civil space.  So we have removed Indian organizations from our so-called “entity list.”

MEANT: Now you plz follow up by increasing FDI limits in defense and civil aviation.

12-SAID: Together, we can resist the protectionism that stifles growth and innovation.  The United States remains—and will continue to remain—one of the most open economies in the world.  And by opening markets and reducing barriers to foreign investment, India can realize its full economic potential as well.

MEANT: I have said it in as many words, in black and white. If you still need help, here it is: It is YOU who is acting in a protectionist manner, YOU which is a closed economy.

13-SAID: And we can keep striving for a Doha Round that is ambitious and balanced—with the courage to make the compromises that are necessary so global trade works for all economies.

MEANT: See how I have replaced “just and equitable” by “ambitious and balanced”. “Keep striving” is actually the key (read key to failure).

14-SAID: More broadly, India and the United States can partner in Asia.

MEANT: More specifically, to counter China.

15-SAID: This leads me to the final area where our countries can partner—strengthening the foundations of democratic governance, not only at home but abroad.

MEANT: Help us militarily to invade Burma, Iran, North Korea, as we did in Iraq in the name of establishing what-we-call-democracy.

16-SAID: Every country will follow its own path.  No one nation has a monopoly on wisdom, and no nation should ever try to impose its values on another.  But when peaceful democratic movements are suppressed—as in Burma—then the democracies of the world cannot remain silent.

MEANT: These preachings are for all but US.

17-SAID: Ultimately, this must be a partnership between our peoples.  So I want to conclude by speaking directly to the people of India watching today.

MEANT: If all my words till now have gone unheard with you forgetful Indian leaders, let me try my last bet and try cozy up with the people of India

18-SAID: We believe that no matter who you are or where you come from, every person can fulfill their God-given potential, just as a Dalit like Dr. Ambedkar could lift himself up and pen the words of the Constitution that protects the rights of all Indians.

MEANT: If you thought I am unaware of the caste factor in Indian politics, you must be kidding. I am very much aware that Sister Mayawati may one day occupy Mr Singh’s seat. Why else you think I practised pronouncing Ambedkar so many times that I forgot how to pronounce Vivekananda, or Rajya Sabha for that matter.

Full Text Of Obama’s Speech:

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/11/08/president-barack-obamas-remarks-to-indias-parliament/

More power to your fingers!

On 1st April, one can mourn over the poverty, illiteracy in our state; complain of the utter negligence that we have faced at the hands of the centre; deplore the lack of vision among the political leadership and conveniently forget everything by 2^nd April.

And this is not because we think nothing could be done, but because we simply don’t have the time. To do something substantial and visible for our state would require a higher level of commitment, both time and penny wise, which most of us are not allowed to dream of given the mundane demands of our day job.

This article is meant to prove all of us wrong at just one level.

Most of us who are reading this piece spend a lot of time on the internet, many of the time surfing around or waiting for that next interesting post on Orkut, Facebook or Twitter. Have you ever checked how much Odia content (written in Odia script) is available on the internet except those few newspaper websites? Close to nil. For a language which boasts to have 36.6 million speakers ahead of Malayalam and Punjabi, this is shameful information.

None of the e-mail, social networking websites provide the option to write in Odia. Google India site and Yahoo! Messenger are available in 9 Indian languages each; Facebook in 6 languages; MSN India as well as Windows Live Messenger in 5 languages; GTalk, Orkut in 5 languages. None of that include Odia. Rediff used to have an inbuilt Odia font in its mailing system and now they have done away with that too. And here I am not talking about “supporting” Odia font but “enabling you to write” in Odia font on their websites. The popular music website Raaga.com has music in 10 Indian languages including Bhojpuri, but no Odia is not worth it.

The only breather is, Google has now started experimenting with an Odia “On-screen keyboard” by which you can search the Odia content available on the internet. Here is the URL: http://labs.google.co.in/keyboards/oriya.html

You can also use this tool to write in Odia and use that at other e-mail/social networking sites. But try searching for ଓଡ଼ିଶା (Odisha) and see for yourself how much content is available and the quality there of.

There were a few glitches in this tool too. A few e-mail exchanges with Mr MT Raghunath, the person in charge of Google’s Indic language project at the company’s Bangalore centre have set a lot of things right. Still there are a few other glitches that I have discovered recently which I hope will be set right by Google soon.

The point I am trying to make here is in the era of social media, companies listen. Especially so when it comes to internet companies and social networking websites. All we need to do is speak up! Here is what Raaga wrote me back when I asked them to include an Odia songs channel on their website.

Raaga:

Absolutely. We will be making available an Oriya channel very shortly.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Regards

Raaga Team

It’s been six months since this exchange of mail happened. Unnecessary to say that no such channel is available on Raaga.com till now.

So here is the first thing we can do which will not take much of our time. Drop a request mail to Raaga, Google, Facebook, Orkut and every other website that supports Indian languages asking them to include Odia too. Raaga could ignore a single request, but not if it gets at least a few every day. Same holds true for everyone else.

The second point is how to increase Odia content on the web. Obviously the reason why it has not taken off is due to the difficulty associated with typing in Odia. I know some of you who are tech-savvy would say one can always download some of the free Odia fonts available, but somehow I have never found those very handy or error-proof. The Google Odia virtual keyboard partially solves that problem. But it is still strenuous to use that to type long sentences. So what is needed is a transliteration tool where you can type in English and it gets transliterated into Odia font. The good news is Google has started providing it in many Indian languages, bad news is, as expected, not in Odia. Here is the Google Hindi Transliteration tool: http://www.google.com/transliterate/

So our next step should be to urge Google to come out with an Odia Transliteration tool. That should not take much time only if many of you join me in troubling them. Once that is done, Google can easily integrate that to Gmail, GTalk and Orkut. That would be a great achievement for our language. The Odia Tranliteration tool will obviously encourage many of us to start our blogs, websites in our own lovely mother tongue and make it searchable on Google. That would be a virtual revolution for Odia language, literally.

We should also write to all the existing Odia newsportals like Samaja, Sambad, Dharitri to make the necessary changes in their software so that their content is searchable on Google (which is now possible through the Google Odia virtual keyboard). That would also give their news pages the life of eternity and help them generate more advertising revenue by putting Google AdSense on each web page.

The third point I want to make is this. Let’s also make effort towards increasing the volume of content about Odisha on Wikipedia, both in English and Odia (Yes, Wikipedia supports Odia language too: http://tinyurl.com/yhksq29). As we all know Wikipedia has become the first source of information for many around the world. If you look at the “Orissa” page in English Wikipedia, it is very badly written and gives a skewed portrait of our state. We don’t lack manpower or talent who can write a more balanced piece on Odisha. But for commoners like you and me who think we might be lacking the expertise to correct such errors, here is what we can all do. We can create/update our district/ village pages on Wikipedia. To have a brief on our village- the geographical and historical significance, the famous personality associated, the name of that ancient temple near that village pond-even that much information will also be sufficient to start with. Who has not searched the name of his/her village on Google only to find no or a few mentions! Why don’t you be the first and create a Wikipedia page for your village and ask your childhood friends to chip in. It surely will not take much of your time.

We can all think of doing something for our state “one day” or at least do something “now” even from inside our office cubicle and our own drawing room. It is also a kind of social networking where you collaborate with others to build or achieve a common goal, i.e. to increase the volume of Odia language content on the web and make it searchable so that everyone can access it.

Think of it!

Wishing more power to your fingers on this Odisha Divas.

ଜୟ ଓଡ଼ିଶା; ଜୟ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ!

Asit Ranjan Mishra

asitmishra@gmail.com

(I don’t update this blog of mine anymore. So don’t come back expecting more. Didn’t have any other avenue to put this piece, so came back here)

How many Cement endorsements will BigB do?

I don’t want to count how many brands the star of the millennium endorse. I think we all can do that and may fail to remember all of them. And we all know how stars tweak the deals and endorse seemingly competitive products. Not that anybody is complaining. Like Shahrukh Khan endorses Airtel mobile service but vows for Dish TV DTH which is a competitor of Airtel Digital DTH service. (You may say what’s wrong with that and I am not goin to argue with u)

But Amitji has taken the seeming contradiction to a new level. We have all seen his advertisement for “Binani Cement”.

 Now a days, there is another ad-Jaypee Cement-that is doing the rounds on news channels where Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar appears. But the background voice is solely by Bachhan saab. Even at the end he reminds you the brand name “Jaypee Cement-Andar se solid”.

So as a Amitabh Bachchan fan, I am confused which cement should I use in the construction of my house that I am planning to start soon! On a more serious note, are the ad agencies blissfully ignore this because they love in any way to associate them with the few big brand endorsers in the market! Are the viewers so dumb that they will not notice it! Does it help the brand in the long run! It’s time marketers and ad makers come out with some better ideas.

Mandate09: Dispelling some myths

The general election for 15th Lok Sabha has thrown many surprises, some myths as well into political domain. Here is demystifying a few at the state level:

Myth 1:

BJP has been wiped out of Orissa

From 7 seats in the 2004 elections in the Lok Sabha to nil in the current election, it is widely believed the people of Orissa have completely rejected BJP in the state and that it has been extincted from the state without any hope of revival. That it had survived in the state only at the back of Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal.

The graphics above speaks for itself. BJP has got 16.89% vote share in the state, higher than the 13.42% share it got in 1996 elections when it fought alone on its strength (and could not win any seat). However, its vote share is down from 19.3% that it garnered in the 2004 elections, a near 3.5% point loss.

In the current election in Orissa, BJD’s vote share has gone up to 37.23% from 30.02% in 2004 polls. And the real loser is the Congress whose vote share has decreased by near 8% points to 32.75% from 40.43% in 2004.

Myth 2:

In UP, Congress has taken away the Muslim voters from BSP, SP

From the beginning, let me make it clear that I don’t know how actually Muslims voted in this elections. My conclusion is based on other indications. In UP, Congress’ fortunes have increased this time dramatically. It has gathered 18.25% vote (21 seats) from 12.04% (9 seats) in 2004. Has it been able to reduce the vote bank of both BSP and SP significantly, no. BSP’s voteshare has declined to 27.42% from 24.67% in 2004, while SP’s voteshare has decreased to 23. 26% from 26.74% in 2004. In UP, the Muslim population accounts for 19% spread over 27 districts of the state. I am not discounting the possibility that Congress may well have increased its voteshare amongst Muslim population, however, the actual loser in UP is the BJP. BJP’s voteshare has decreased to 17.5% from 22.17% in 2004-a near 5% point decline. What does it mean for the hardline Hindutva party in an election where it tried to polarise, or at least hoped to gain from the Varun Gandhi episode? The message is loud and clear-The era of 90s politics is over. It can no more divide and rule.

What’s wrong with BJP!

Which way should BJP go? (Courtsey: Reuters)

Here is a Google Chat transcript with a friend (name changed). Hope you like it. Let me know about your ideas for BJP. A strong BJP is required for a healthy democracy in India.

Stephen: what do u think
why BJP lost
4:32 PM me: i can speak nationally
Stephen: ok…
me: i think they failed to read d pulse of india in 2004
they did it again this time
Stephen: yeah…the party is getting old
though I am a BJP supporter
me: see d indian voter has changed in last 10 years completely
4:33 PM Stephen: I could not identify with advani
me: d way he thinks and d way he votes
in 1998 when i was in graduation
Stephen: the party is still stuck in the mandir
me: i remember sushma swaraj losin d delhi assembly becoz d onion price went up to 40 rs
Stephen: yes
me: the today’s voter doesnt consider it as a factor anymore
4:34 PM Stephen: and this time BJP could not capitalise on it successfully
I think they should have hammered on price rise
me: today’s voter knows it wudnt hav been anydifferent if bjp was in power
so this times congress’s win is amazin that way
Stephen: i know…but they could not make it an issue
me: there is high food prices, ppl r losing jobs
4:35 PM under an economic downturn
Stephen: I think…BJP failed to make an issue out of them
me: there were somany terror attacks
but still Congress wins hands down
Stephen: and was singing old tunes
all BJP’s poverty of thought
advani should have decided that he was getting old
4:36 PM and then he should have opted out
at least a year ago
and a younger BJP leadership should have taken over
then there would have been comparisions with Manmohan Singh
at least the new BJP leader would have got some benefit of doubt
4:37 PM saying people should test him
see the reason why BJP was elected in the first place because they said they were not tested
and they should be given a chance
me: i think d dynasty politics in congress is provin to be a boon
Stephen: when they got it they mucked it up
me: they dont hav a leadership crisis
Stephen: Not necessarily
4:38 PM me: in bjp now there is a severe crisis of leaderrship
Stephen: BJP should have done it fast
I mean solved it
me: who is d second rung leader who ll lead it
i am myself in a puzzle
Stephen: the RSS should have anlinted a second rung leadership
anointed
by now
4:39 PM me: if they bring in modi they ll annoy d middle class young voters further
Stephen: Modi can be a winner
provided he takes the OBC with him
me: i dont any other leader is even in a position to take everybody together
Stephen: Nobody should junk Modi
at least he is a good chief minister
far better than the likes of Naveen
and Nitish Kumar
me: he is a gud CM in gujarat
4:40 PM Stephen: he can temper his ego
me: but i hav doubt about his acceptability nationally
Stephen: I think he has to reinvent himself
4:41 PM me: i think its too late for him even to do that
Stephen: see…a couple of years ago nobody could ever think that Rahul could ever be accepted
me: no no rahul started with a blank slate
modi cant
his past ll always haunt him
Stephen: But Modi has proved himself as a godd chief minister
4:42 PM and good administrator
he has to come to terms with his past
the sooner the better
he should get the rioters arrested and prosecuted
and clean up his name
he should not spare anybody
4:43 PM me: d day he does that he ll lose his own votebank in gujarat
so he wont do that
Stephen: no..not necessarily
see..he shut out togadia from gujarat
and still won the 2007 assembly eelection
4:44 PM me: i think this election is also significant as voters hav clearly given a mandate against d extremes
against d extreme right and extreme left
Stephen: sure.. I agree with that
me: ppl r pissed off with d kind of varun gandhi politics
Stephen: i agree
me: they need jobs, development, security
4:45 PM bjp shd hav shut down varun on day 1
Stephen: varun gandhi might have won in pilibhit
me: they failed to read d mood
Stephen: but he cost BJP huge votes
he was like a loose canon
BJP should moderate itself
4:46 PM me: so its not about modi reinventing himself bjp has to reinvent itself completely
Stephen: and build up a youth base
I agree
RSS has to come to the rscue
Hindutva line won’t work anymore
Hindutva may win you a election
me: they must understand d time of 90s kind politics is over
Stephen: but what after that
yes…
4:47 PM me: and where r d younger faces in bjp
who is d sachin pilot in bjp
if not rahul
4:48 PM Stephen: no one
me: where r d milind deoras
Stephen: yes…
what I think is BJP should start inducting more youths
and build upon
4:49 PM a new leadership
me: yes
Stephen: they can’t ruminate on their losses for long
instead they should focus
4:50 PM on their strengths
and not be despondent
they should chart out a roadmap for next 5 years
on how to win an election
4:51 PM in the meantime they should forget mandir
me: now d challange is recast d party
Stephen: thst is just one part
me: they need a moderate face like shushma swaraj or arun jaitlye to lead d party
Stephen: the danger is you can’t recast the entire party
4:52 PM me: modi is not an option according to me
they hav to take very difficult decisions in comin few days
if advani insists of leavin d loksabha leadership
4:53 PM no i dont expect bjp to publicly renouncing what they hav stood for
Stephen: advani has to go
me: what they need is discourage such elements in d party
Stephen: he can be a mentor
yes…
I think they would
4:54 PM me: givin a clear signal that they r movin in a diff direction
Stephen: if they don’t then they would be history
me: ppl r more intelligent than d leaders
they ll read it
Stephen: at least I won’t vote for BJP any longer
me: if they ll run d party they r doin right now
they ll be regional party in next election
Stephen: I am least bothered
4:56 PM in that case i would never vote for bjp
I would rather vote for a party which would appear p;rogressive
4:57 PM me: yes
4:58 PM Stephen: BJP was born because people thought Congress to be corrupt

5 minutes

5:03 PM me: yes
Stephen: now BJP has turned into an old Congress
I am sure the party would revive itself
5:04 PM that’s the beauty of democrarcy
me: exactly its a complete role reversal
ppl initially thought bjp is a party with a difference
Stephen: no one remains to be outside power
they would be forced to change
me: now i think d same applies to congress
Stephen: BJP is a party of indifferent people
me: bjp has lost that tag miserably

Jai Ho Congress!

The day NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani said that NDA lost the last general election due to “over-confidence” and “some wrong slogan like India Shining”, Congress party leaked to the media that it has bought the rights of the Oscar-winning song from T-series for “an undisclosed amount”. Congress will try to cash in on the success of A R Rahman at the Oscar and popularity of the song among the masses.
But think for a while, dear Congress strategist. When you play the song asking for voters, will you not be “selling poverty” in a musical package. People love the song for its music, its value as a political slogan is ZERO.
For me 2004 general election marks a remarkable shift in the way the Indian electorate votes. One thing Indian political parties, and political analysts yet to understand is Indian elections since the 2004 are getting more PROSAIC and less POETIC. What I mean is elections are less imotive and less predictable now than pre-2004. You can no more bog down the Indian voter by an imotive issue (BJP’s plank to use 26/11 terror attack in Delhi assembly election in 2008 miserably failed). The bite of the ugly reality of the modern world is so inherent a part of our daily existence that we will hardly remember palatable slogans while pressing the botton on an EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) on the D Day.

BJP seems to have realised from its single mistake. Perhaps Congress is waiting to learn by committing one itself. Jai Indian Politics!

India Votes! The 5Ws and single H

Whose India? (Photo courtesy: Tribune)

With the announcement of poll dates for the general election( and assembly elections in three states of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa), countdown for the 15th Lok Sabha to be constituted on 2nd June, exactly three months from now, has started. This time I have decided not to be a mute spectator watching from the sidelines for d battle for power in the largest democracy. With my little knowledge, perspective, I will try to analyse this election, solely for the pleasure of my own. If somebody enjoys it, then nothing like that!

I will be closely watching:

The manifestos of different national and regional parties (a neglected one by MSM)

The dynamics in d political debate (Advani’s eye on Dalit votes is a case in point, which makes Congress and BSP angry for obvious reasons)

 It’s economics stupid! Or is it? What is the role of economic issues in the current election. Recession, high inflation, unemployment-will the Indian voter keep it in mind while casting his vote? Will the NREGA, Pay Commission dole outs, Farmer Loan waivers help the Congress?

The great Indian Young voter-Will he stand up this time and cast his vote at greater numbers? What it means for political parties? Whom he is likely to vote for? Is the anger shown by the Mumbaikars post 26/11 reflective of the young Indian voter. And more importantly, is the fire still buring?

How political parties use use modern technology as part of their election strategy, especially to woo young voters. NDA’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani’s aggressive new media strategy is case in point. Will it help him anyway.

And the most obvious question. Who will win, at the end of the day? NDA or UPA? Or the third front? Will Mayawati and Jayalalitha be the kingmakers this time? Can NDA, UPA wish these two ladies away?

And there will be many more as we go along. If you want to be part of this journey, welcome aboard!

When Will We Learn The Lesson?

Chamunda Devi stampede

It was no surprise that for many of the English news channels, today the lead story was not the Chamunda Devi stampede in Rajasthan. It was rather the rejection of the $700 billion package by the U.S. Congress or the Army being forced to accept the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission. And my favourite Times Now and Arnab Goswami finds time even to “debate” these issues further.

But nobody has time ask a simple question: Why we have to live with one after another stampede? Is it just enough to just show some gory pictures and forget it as it was only a haadsa (accident)? (Remember Naina Devi and Mandradevi stampede which killed 162 and 340 devotees respectively) When will we realise that these are no less criminal acts? And the criminals are the temple management, the organisers and more so the local police administration which permitted such events to take place without properly varifying the preventive measures put in place. How different these incidences are from the Uphaar Cinema Hall trajedy which took 59 lives on June 13, 1997? Are the lives of those ‘killed” in such stampedes any less precious than a person killed in any other criminal act? If Ansal brothers could be trialed for their criminal negligence, why not the above-mentioned authorities in stampede cases?

Our immediate reaction to stamedes is sympathy and politicians doling out generous donations to the ill-fated and their relatives. They do order enquiries into such incidences, but nobody knows the fate of such reports. In a country where setting up a committee is the easiest way to ensure mass amnesia, asking to take corrective measures in the aftermath to such incidences is too much to ask for.

Religion has become a big business in India. And it is not only the case for South India temples (which anyway provide better facilities in return of a few extra pennies though), but all over the country. But nobody has the right to take innocent, fate-bound souls for granted. Rajasthan government must put the culprits of the Chamunda Devi stampede behind the bars and set an example.