Thought for the day
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."
- Mark Twain (American, 1835-1910)
Word for the day
Aver (v)
To assert or affirm with confidence; declare in a positive or peremptory manner.
(Source: Dictionary.com)
Malice towards none
Running, running 'til the fear is gone, don't know where I'm going
Don't know if I'll make it home, tell Mama I'm sorry
I know that I've made mistakes, tell her it ain't easy
I'll see her on judgment day, I lost my way
I lost my way, yeah, I lost my way, yeah
("Lost My Way" - Lecrae, King Mez & Daniel Daley)
Lost my Way
Amitabh Bachchan is inarguably a living legend today. Almost all
Indian film lovers accept him as Maha Nayak (super hero). But there was a time
in 1990s when his fans were deeply disappointed in him. Many were shocked to
see his decline from the invincible position he commanded through the decades
of 1970s and 1980s.
A brief and miserably painful excursion in politics, death of
mentor Manmohan Desai and a disastrous business venture (ABCL) left the super
hero broke financially, weak physically and disturbed emotionally.
In that phase of adversity, he made many attempts to recover.
But each attempt would push him further down, like he was stuck in quick sand.
Each failed film was followed by even a worst one. He did projects like Toofan,
Ajooba, Jadugar abd Lal Badshah, which were thoroughly unworthy of a super
star.
Friends deserted him and government authorities persecuted him.
In that hour of frustration and dismay he got the company which he might have
avoided usually. Fortunately, he soon found his way out of the black hole and
was finally rid of the avoidable company.
I find Rahul Gandhi in somewhat similar situation as the Big B
found himself in 1990s. He is defeated, doing one bad project after another and
is keeping avoidable company.
Consequent to BJPs overwhelming victory in the general elections
of 2014, the Indian political spectrum has lost its equilibrium. The
traditional Right has intruded into the central territory. The traditional Left
has been squeezed out to fringes. And the traditional Center has become too
crowded with less space and larger number of claimants.
Rahul Gandhi does not seem to be clear which part of the
spectrum he wants to start his comeback trail with. One day he is seen
exploring the extreme right with trek to Kedarnath. The other day he is seen at
the left corner talking about landless labors. And then suddenly he crops up at
the middle discussing the plight of middle class home buyers!
Poorly mixed
concoction of Gandhi and Marx
A study of the history of Indian politics would suggest that
unlike western democracies only an abysmal minority of Indian voters are
strongly committed to a political or socio-economic ideology.
The political discourse in India is usually dominated by
contemporary issues and personalities. The economic issues raised during
elections are mostly confined to the slogan of poverty alleviation. In recent
times corruption has also become a popular electioneering slogan.
Perhaps, no political party seems to have taken issues of
poverty alleviation or corruption seriously. Therefore no one has bothered even
to outline a conceptual or ideological framework for solving these problems.
Ideologically, the Congress Party abandoned the most acceptable
and perhaps most suitable Gandhian Socialism in favor of Nehruvian Socialism
that was a poorly mixed concoction of Leninist central planning (central
ownership and management of resources and businesses) and British colonial
legacy (discretionary patronage to the faithful and loyal).
The model was certainly at cross-purpose with the constitutional
federal structure. Poverty, poor governance and corruption were natural
off-springs of this system.
BJP started with Deen Dayal Updhaya's Integral Humanism.
However, in 1990s it adopted Gandhian Socialism (which is not too far moved
from the Integral Humanism) as the principal doctrine. The present leadership
has however presented again a poorly mixed concoction of Integral Humanism and
Laissez-faire model used by some developed economies principally USA.
Politically leadership preaches "Human Being" as the
fulcrum of policy making. Whereas the executive is more focused on
"Business" and "Macroeconomics" as the central theme. The
conflict is for everyone to see. The consequence is that we seem to be moving
in no direction.
The people at the left end of the spectrum exercised significant
sway on the bottom of the pyramid in Indian society since independence. They
controlled most of labor unions. Though divided between Marx, Lenin and Mao
they still were the preferred choice of landless, oppressed and intelligentsia.
There was a time when being poor, intelligent (economist, thinker, poet) or
rebellious meant being communist.
The things however began to change in late 1980s post
dismantling of USSR and the German wall. The Lenin and Marx were relegated to
the history lessons. The economic reforms initiated in China under Deng
Xiaoping's supremacy, further pushed back the traditional Marxists.
Insofar as the Lohiaites (socialist parties occupying the left
of the center space in Indian politics) are concerned, they deserted both Lohia
and his ideologue Gandhi as soon as they came into power. Degenerated into
motley feudals they mostly have no commitment to any economic idea and mostly
follow Congress agenda.
In next couple of days I shall discuss what Rahul Gandhi is
doing wrong and how he could redeem Congress out of current mess.
Trivia
By out rightly rejecting the points made by Arun Shourie, and
even disparage him, BJP has proved his point.
The people who have observed L. K. Advani closely, would confirm
that he is not the one who could be silenced easily. Be sure, that we would
hear the echo of Mr. Shourie's views in LKA's memoires which would be published
within few months of PM Modi relinquishing PMO.
On the smaller screen, Arvind Kejriwal has made a full proof
plan to hold central government responsible for all his failings.
He is instigating BSES to disrupt the electricity supply to
Delhi when temperature would be running at 45C and blame central government for
the misery of people.
Similarly, Manish Sisodia, is planning to disrupt the student's
life by proposing a separate education board for Delhi.
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