This is my first take on Indian Politics - subject matter that i'm least interested in and hardly take notice of it anyways - however with recent political changes unfolding every given day - even as of this writing, cant stay away from it. Think it would be a welcome change to write on something apart from Sports - topic that has been covered in my previous 3 posts / blogs.
First mention of this word brings in front of us our "esteemed" politicians who have milked this country right from independence era, earned enough for maybe their next 10+ generations, enjoy every privilege one can think of but still yearn for more. Politics and acting i guess go hand-in-hand with politicians being real-life actors with immense talent and an uncanny zest to have still more. One saying that goes around suggests that "if you don't know / cant' succeed in anything else (i mean other fields such as Accountancy / Sports / Technology / Agriculture, etc.)- can cheat others at will, have no such thing called conscience and still put up a shameless face in public eye"- you are an ideal candidate for politics. Politics exists in our offices, sports, administration, well virtually omnipresent.
With Congress finding every single way of coming hard at Narendra Modi ("NaMo"), makes me wonder - how much can a person / party stoop down to gain power, despite knowing the fact, that the common man is frustrated and no longer cares for them or their stupid antics (read Congress here) - recent elections in Delhi have proved it & possibly will be the same in other states of India, very soon i hope. I'm not anti / Pro- Congress nor support BJP, as a matter of fact, but going by India's history, what have we achieved in the last 20 years? Compare that with Germany (who lost 2 world wars) and is still the most technologically advanced nation- even ahead of USA in many aspects if not all. Now its not easy and maybe not wise-enough / feasible enough to compare 2 diverse nations with different geographies/ cultures/ values/ backgrounds. But come to think of it, what is a country made up of? People - what is the society made up of ? People again!! So whats different in the people across nations? Its the MINDSET and ATTITUDE.
Having lived in India for most part of my youth and childhood (27 yrs. approx.) - didn't really get on with it and hardly bothered about it- quite frankly. Have been in USA for almost 3+ yrs. now and the single-most difference that i observe in these 2 countries is again the mindset and attitude- both of politicians and public, in general. Law comes second in line and is equally applicable to both species here. Congress has played a major part in screwing up the Law on demand - most notable example is of "Robert Vadra" ("Jamai Bapu" of Democratic India) - He's neither an MP/ nor any official office bearer of the Government of India- yet he's immune to all Airport Security scans & enjoys a VIP maybe even a VVIP status and not to mention his involvement in various land scams / deals. 2G / 3G/ Fodder Scam / Telgi / Coal Gate/ Hawala / Bofors/ CWG -the list is quite exhaustive - hence putting a link instead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scandals_in_India - undoubtedly Congress tops all honors here - as expected. you name it / think of it - they got it - sort of reputation that Congress can boast of. Another feather in the cap is the "Babu" culture - developed and nurtured by Congress over a period of years.No work is done without bribing the officials - top to bottom.If not bribed, "work in progress" motto comes in indefinitely, until one succumbs to bribery. Government officials enjoy the privileges of a "Life-Long Job guarantee" (till 60 yrs.+ Pension till death) Plus ever assured "Extra Income" (read "chai-paani" for more clarity). Not to forget having working hours at will and whether to work / not entirely up-to ones' own discretion. Not to say that, every other Govt. employee is corrupt but if anyone is indeed offended by these facts- stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself the truth. If the answer is "Yes" you need not be offended at all- this does not apply to you- if not i would recommend some introspection and retrospection as well.
Comparatively BJP has not been in news for scams - or maybe am not updated on this OR might be they never got an opportunity as much - one might ridicule. That does not mean they have a clean-chit nor does this imply that, BJP is on par with / less than Congress. Must confess, i'm not easily impressed by anyone-that's probably my "Cancerian" trait - but having followed NaMo for a while now and the development activities implemented in Gujarat under his vigilant eyes, there is no other person more capable, more suitable and more feasible/viable at this very moment in India. He certainly deserves a chance when everyone else has disappointed time and over again.
Coming back to mindset and attitude,we,the "common man" are to blame as well. Despite of having the privilege to vote, we take it as just another holiday, relax - never turn up to vote the right candidate and in-turn blame the system, as a result the beneficiary party takes us for a ride for the next 4 yrs. The "Game-Plan" of Congress has been "Divide and Rule"- they inherited this from departing Brits from India and must say, have enriched that legacy left behind. Another factor is "illiteracy"- votes are brought outright by giving "gifts" before voting - turning the tide in favor, as needed -poor illiterate souls vote as directed, without even bothering to get any know-how / work accomplished / history of the contesting candidate. Compare this with electing the President in USA- there are presidential debates in front of the public- the public directly votes the "Rulers" - unlike in India where people's representatives select/put forth "Rulers" - its like a thief supporting another one like himself. The electoral system is flawed at its root itself - but that's just my belief. Changing from Democracy to Capitalist / Socialist ideology or something in between just does not seem feasible for India. Democracy has its own positives / negatives and unfortunately, Indian politicians have a mastery of exploiting it all.
Following incidents recently showed how much was/is the desperation to come to power (by Congress).
The current voter turnout was almost 70% in Delhi- that just suggests change is in the air - How much this change will hold good for India (as elections are pending in other states)- only time will tell. But for sure, there is a sense of hope/ responsibility towards BJP and NaMo in particular- how they go about doing it, is yet to be seen. Its now up-to each one of us to keep our eyes / ears open, exercise our voting right to the right candidate - winds of change are here already and seemingly are here to stay, we just have to take a step forward to implement it. Although about 8000+ miles away from India, wish the very best for this country- for these are my roots, this is where i came from and probably there is still a special place left in my heart for it. I'm an inseparable part of it and like countess others who have wandered to various corners of the world away from their motherland, however-so they may prefer to be in denial. Some memories in life are just not meant to fade away with the sands of time...!!!
First mention of this word brings in front of us our "esteemed" politicians who have milked this country right from independence era, earned enough for maybe their next 10+ generations, enjoy every privilege one can think of but still yearn for more. Politics and acting i guess go hand-in-hand with politicians being real-life actors with immense talent and an uncanny zest to have still more. One saying that goes around suggests that "if you don't know / cant' succeed in anything else (i mean other fields such as Accountancy / Sports / Technology / Agriculture, etc.)- can cheat others at will, have no such thing called conscience and still put up a shameless face in public eye"- you are an ideal candidate for politics. Politics exists in our offices, sports, administration, well virtually omnipresent.
With Congress finding every single way of coming hard at Narendra Modi ("NaMo"), makes me wonder - how much can a person / party stoop down to gain power, despite knowing the fact, that the common man is frustrated and no longer cares for them or their stupid antics (read Congress here) - recent elections in Delhi have proved it & possibly will be the same in other states of India, very soon i hope. I'm not anti / Pro- Congress nor support BJP, as a matter of fact, but going by India's history, what have we achieved in the last 20 years? Compare that with Germany (who lost 2 world wars) and is still the most technologically advanced nation- even ahead of USA in many aspects if not all. Now its not easy and maybe not wise-enough / feasible enough to compare 2 diverse nations with different geographies/ cultures/ values/ backgrounds. But come to think of it, what is a country made up of? People - what is the society made up of ? People again!! So whats different in the people across nations? Its the MINDSET and ATTITUDE.
Having lived in India for most part of my youth and childhood (27 yrs. approx.) - didn't really get on with it and hardly bothered about it- quite frankly. Have been in USA for almost 3+ yrs. now and the single-most difference that i observe in these 2 countries is again the mindset and attitude- both of politicians and public, in general. Law comes second in line and is equally applicable to both species here. Congress has played a major part in screwing up the Law on demand - most notable example is of "Robert Vadra" ("Jamai Bapu" of Democratic India) - He's neither an MP/ nor any official office bearer of the Government of India- yet he's immune to all Airport Security scans & enjoys a VIP maybe even a VVIP status and not to mention his involvement in various land scams / deals. 2G / 3G/ Fodder Scam / Telgi / Coal Gate/ Hawala / Bofors/ CWG -the list is quite exhaustive - hence putting a link instead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scandals_in_India - undoubtedly Congress tops all honors here - as expected. you name it / think of it - they got it - sort of reputation that Congress can boast of. Another feather in the cap is the "Babu" culture - developed and nurtured by Congress over a period of years.No work is done without bribing the officials - top to bottom.If not bribed, "work in progress" motto comes in indefinitely, until one succumbs to bribery. Government officials enjoy the privileges of a "Life-Long Job guarantee" (till 60 yrs.+ Pension till death) Plus ever assured "Extra Income" (read "chai-paani" for more clarity). Not to forget having working hours at will and whether to work / not entirely up-to ones' own discretion. Not to say that, every other Govt. employee is corrupt but if anyone is indeed offended by these facts- stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself the truth. If the answer is "Yes" you need not be offended at all- this does not apply to you- if not i would recommend some introspection and retrospection as well.
Comparatively BJP has not been in news for scams - or maybe am not updated on this OR might be they never got an opportunity as much - one might ridicule. That does not mean they have a clean-chit nor does this imply that, BJP is on par with / less than Congress. Must confess, i'm not easily impressed by anyone-that's probably my "Cancerian" trait - but having followed NaMo for a while now and the development activities implemented in Gujarat under his vigilant eyes, there is no other person more capable, more suitable and more feasible/viable at this very moment in India. He certainly deserves a chance when everyone else has disappointed time and over again.
Coming back to mindset and attitude,we,the "common man" are to blame as well. Despite of having the privilege to vote, we take it as just another holiday, relax - never turn up to vote the right candidate and in-turn blame the system, as a result the beneficiary party takes us for a ride for the next 4 yrs. The "Game-Plan" of Congress has been "Divide and Rule"- they inherited this from departing Brits from India and must say, have enriched that legacy left behind. Another factor is "illiteracy"- votes are brought outright by giving "gifts" before voting - turning the tide in favor, as needed -poor illiterate souls vote as directed, without even bothering to get any know-how / work accomplished / history of the contesting candidate. Compare this with electing the President in USA- there are presidential debates in front of the public- the public directly votes the "Rulers" - unlike in India where people's representatives select/put forth "Rulers" - its like a thief supporting another one like himself. The electoral system is flawed at its root itself - but that's just my belief. Changing from Democracy to Capitalist / Socialist ideology or something in between just does not seem feasible for India. Democracy has its own positives / negatives and unfortunately, Indian politicians have a mastery of exploiting it all.
Following incidents recently showed how much was/is the desperation to come to power (by Congress).
- NaMo has been accused of initiating and condoning the violence in Godhra riots (of 2002)
Fact - One man cannot cause a riot all by himself and if so Mr. Sharad Pawar (then CM of Maharashtra during 1992 Mumbai riots - from Congress) is at fault too- However everywhere, even the media has made NaMo the "villain" here. Why is Mr. Sharad Pawar left then? Everyone knows the facts- "political reach" overcomes everything.
2. Sachin' s felicitation and his induction in Congress
Fact - As i see it, what use is an International cricket player to Congress now? Well, it knows and fears that there is a chance of a total whitewash from politics- considering the people's initial response to NaMo. So to counter that, have the "Cricket God" himself on their side. Votes are guaranteed this way - hope people break this bubble. Not to question the credibility/greatness of the man- i'm an ardent fan myself (do read my blog on Sachin as a proof, if need be). The send-off test match in Mumbai was real icing on the cake. Sachin's name was misspelt and his wife - Anjali was addressed as "Mr. Anjali Tendulkar" in one of the electronic banners at the Eden Gardens- now if Sachin was so important why such stupid blunders in front of the entire country? Simply put - MCA / Trinamool Congress never cared / bothered about the details ( note here that one thing common in MCA and Congress [Nationalist Congress Party] is Mr. Pawar)- all they wanted, is to reassure the vote bank in forth-coming elections soon (in Feb.2014 i guess). I have no problem whatsoever in the felicitation of the "Run Machine / Master Blaster" but then, why were Dravid / Ganguly / Laxman simply ignored? They were not even given a chance to say"Good-Bye". Not that they can be compared to Sachin, but they were no less either, by their own standards.
The current voter turnout was almost 70% in Delhi- that just suggests change is in the air - How much this change will hold good for India (as elections are pending in other states)- only time will tell. But for sure, there is a sense of hope/ responsibility towards BJP and NaMo in particular- how they go about doing it, is yet to be seen. Its now up-to each one of us to keep our eyes / ears open, exercise our voting right to the right candidate - winds of change are here already and seemingly are here to stay, we just have to take a step forward to implement it. Although about 8000+ miles away from India, wish the very best for this country- for these are my roots, this is where i came from and probably there is still a special place left in my heart for it. I'm an inseparable part of it and like countess others who have wandered to various corners of the world away from their motherland, however-so they may prefer to be in denial. Some memories in life are just not meant to fade away with the sands of time...!!!
Good one Yogesh! Keep writing buddy.
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