June 1, 2023
Dear Readers,
It is high time that Prime Minister Modi started to look beyond "Mann Ki Baat" and, instead, listen to people's woes and tackle their problems sincerely. It is, however, regrettable that nowadays, we hardly have leaders of substance who can handle people's issues with the requisite seriousness.
Pakistan is in a politically and economically vulnerable spot. The growing tentacles of the Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalist groups in the region are disturbing. Islamabad seems to have gotten trapped in a mess of its creation. Will it be able to come out of the clutches of Talibanisation?
In an outstanding show, the Congress thumped the BJP in the Karnataka elections. What happened, and what does this mean for the ruling establishment ahead of the Lok Sabha elections? The Karnataka verdict is a clear sign from the people that the BJP failed to deliver the goods. The Basavaraj Bommai-led government was both corrupt and incompetent. Moreover, both Modi and the Hindutva card failed to gather momentum. Will the Congress Party be able to replicate its pro-poor, pro-women, and pro-youth winning formula in the upcoming state elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana? It's still early to tell, but the Congress may have found a way to a decent chance against the BJP in the 2024 national polls by returning to the grassroots.
It is disturbing that the central government has overlooked the Supreme Court's verdict intending to impose its will on the people. This is against the spirit of federalism. Strengthening secular, pluralistic, and federal principles is needed most at this stage. Power, for that matter, must be used for the good of the people. The time has come for the people to assert themselves and defeat the evil moves of manipulators and operators in the polity.
Sincerely,
Hari Jaisingh
Looking beyond “Mann ki Baat“
Prime Minister Modi has completed 100 episodes of his popular talk show "Mann ki Baat" [MKB], first aired on October 3, 2014. He feels that this program has become a festival of goodness and positivity. He is right, in a way, since PM Modi never politicized issues and non-issues. That is the reason he could "connect with the common man."
Prime Minister Modi feels that MKB is a matter of faith and worship. He says:
“Like when people go to worship God, they bring along a Thaal of Prasad. For me, 'Mann Ki Baat' is like a 'Prasad Ki Thaal' at the feet of God in the form of 'Janata-Janardan', the people. 'Mann Ki Baat' has become a spiritual journey for my being. 'Mann Ki Baat' is a journey from the self to the collective. 'Mann Ki Baat' is a journey from myself to ourselves. It is not me, but you are its Sanskar Sadhana."
Interestingly, the 100th episode of MKB was broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters in New York. This, indeed, is quite an achievement. We now must start making MKB into a mass outreach event. This, however, cannot be a one-sided program. The process of outreach must be a two-way street.
Our leaders must reach out to ordinary people and listen to their issues and problems. This is how bridges of understanding must be built between people and government. Is our Prime Minister capable of doing that?
In fact, it is time to evolve a new bold approach to national issues and problems. This should prompt us to abolish a few ministries and departments that only create employment opportunities for politicians and officials. In the process, the exchequer suffers. Barring some exceptions, politicians and bureaucrats think it is their birthright to play with public funds.
The best government is the one that governs the least. What is needed today is an overhaul of the system to promote a new system of "public management and accountability," as Prof. Rajni Kothari once put it. Apart from a rational restructuring of ministries and departments, the lower levels of administration that are vital from the citizen's point of view require special attention. It is at these levels that a million points of contact are established every day.
We certainly do not need any more commissions to examine obvious steps like simplifying rules and procedures, eliminating the multiplicity of levels through which a paper must pass, and redesigning public offices to ensure constant and direct supervision of the officials at the counters with adequate waiting facilities for the visiting public and the use of modern equipment or gadgets.
The problem is that politicians and bureaucrats are not interested in eliminating the hiatus between the government structure and the public. It is, therefore, for the people to assert themselves and seek the system they deserve.
The message is clear: the audience in Indian political theatres today wants their leaders to act firmly and decisively and fulfill the promise of a government that works faster for the good of the man in the street. Considering the elections ahead, the more active segments of Indian society are looking out for new faces and leaders who show determination, fighting spirit, a sense of direction, and common sense and hold out a new promise for a better deal for the people.
I wish to recall here the observation of Mahatma Gandhi. It is said that a journalist asked Gandhi if he had any message for ministers. He replied:
"Let the ministers hold their chairs by all means but hold them lightly and not tightly. In other words, under intoxication of the chairs, they should not forget voters and their interests."
Amidst ongoing events of "kissa kursi ka," does any minister care for what Gandhi preached and practiced? So, occasional words of wisdom from public-spirited persons and warning signals from officially blessed committee reports fail to evoke the desired response. We have perfected the art of hypocrisy. Can't we strike at the root of the malaise afflicting the body politic? Yes, we can, provided we first understand problems and decide to tackle them with the seriousness they deserve.
(May 5, 2023)
Tough road ahead for Pakistan
Whither Pakistan? It is challenging to make any prediction about Islamabad if we look critically at the current goings-on there. Problems started within hours after Pakistan's paramilitary forces bulldozed their way to the Islamabad high court premises and arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan on multiple corruption charges. As it is, 120-odd cases are said to be registered against Imran Khan on various counts. However, the Pakistan Supreme Court has called Imran's arrest illegal and sought his release.
The arrest of the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician came a day after the powerful Pakistani Army accused Khan of leveling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI]. Incidentally, TV footage showed the Rangers grabbing Khan by the collar and putting him in a prison van. Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehareen—Insaf [PTI] supporters swarmed the streets of cities and towns across the country in a shock-and-awe backlash, which included storming the Army's general headquarters.
As the news of Imran Khan's arrest spread, massive protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan. Several protesters turned violent, burned police vehicles, and damaged public property. For the first time, Khan's supporters smashed the main gate of the Army's headquarters in Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint.
PTI workers stormed into the corps commander's residence in Lahore and smashed the gate and windowpanes. The Army personnel there did not try to stop the enraged protesters who surrounded them and chanted slogans. Violent protests also spread to Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh province and Baluchistan's Quetta, where PTI protesters assembled outside the Army Cantonment area.
The Pakistan military turned against its former protege on three sensitive matters. In the first place, Imran Khan tried to appoint his favorite ISI Chief, Faiz Hameed, as the next Army Chief of Staff. Second, he tried to come closer to the Chinese establishment. The Pakistan military did not relish this. Third, the country's economy had gone from bad to worse. The Army wished to keep itself out of the line of fire. What complicated matters was when Imran Khan accused the military of plotting to kill him without giving any evidence.
On the contrary, Imran Khan was arrested in a case involving an NGO called Al-Qadir Trust, which has only two trustees: Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. He is accused of profiting from a real estate tycoon Malik Riaz. The loss to the national exchequer on this count was put at USD 239 million.
It is no secret that Pakistan today is politically and economically vulnerable. Equally disturbing are the growing tentacles of the Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalist groups. It so happens that grabbing power has been a bloody business in Pakistan, and when it comes to the crunch, no one spares the other either in the name of Allah or democracy. Whether one admits it or not, the fact remains that Pakistan is trapped in a mess of its creation.
Ironically, the rulers have opted for the Islamisation of the country without considering the long traditions and the people's social, political, cultural, and historical ethos. Islamabad had been part of the American military alliance for over four decades. At the operational level, it has been at the forefront of the fight against Communism. This entangled it in the Afghan embroil. This was the beginning of the Talibanisation process, the impact of which was subsequently felt by the Americans.
The Talibanisation of Pakistan later upset the old equations in the country. Unfortunately, the official embrace of religious terrorism surfaced when there was growing resentment against such a tendency in the West. Even the Americans came up against Islamic terrorism.
It must be understood that in Pakistan, an elected government must constantly maintain a delicate balance vis-à-vis the military establishment. If it overstretches itself, troubles multiply. Whatever has happened in Pakistan is disturbing enough. Any further fillip to the forces of religious terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism will be more counter-productive in the long run.
The major problem before Islamabad today is putting the economy back on the rails. Equally vital is the fight against illiteracy and under-development. The Pakistani rulers have often taken the people for a ride in the name of Islam and religious terrorism to retain power and eliminate visible and invisible opponents.
It needs to be realized by Pakistani rulers that fanaticism is a deadly game. When unleashed to grab power, it acquires sinister overtones. In the circumstances, a more pragmatic understanding of geo-political realities can help Islamabad rationalize things. Pakistan today is not in a win-win situation. It will continue to be so unless it changes its course of hostility and confrontation with the neighboring countries, particularly India.
(May 12, 2023)
Karnataka verdict in a new perspective
After its poor track record in recent years, the Congress victory in the Karnataka Assembly election is noteworthy. The party has lost all state elections after 2018 save for Himachal Pradesh. This, in fact, is one of the Congress Party's' most significant wins in Karnataka and comes second only to the 178-seat victory way back in 1989.
Five years ago, the BJP had emerged as the largest party in Karnataka, with 104 seats, just 9 short of a simple majority. This year, the BJP's total fell to 66 seats, a fall of 40 percent, while the share of the Congress has risen from 38 percent to 43 percent, registering a jump of 57 seats from 78 seats in 2018.
One win is not good enough to turn the ground ahead of the face-off in 2024. Despite its loss, the BJP has a vote share of 36 percent, implying that it will remain a key player in the state. However, it does hold out some hope for the opposition to turn its fortune, provided it plays its cards well against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP.
The Congress has performed well in Karnataka despite Prime Minister Modi leading the BJP's hectic poll campaign for a double-engine Sarkar. He also gave a polarizing spin by invoking the Bajrang Dal. This gambit did not click in Karnataka and was undoubtedly a setback for the BJP, which had begun to see Karnataka as its gateway to Southern India.
The BJP's rise in Karnataka in the 1990s happened under exceptional circumstances. This time, the BJP performed below par across the state despite PM Modi's spirited poll campaign. The reason for this was the neglect of the people's fundamental problems that bothered them at all levels. The BJP claimed before the election in March that Karnataka had minimum unemployment. According to The Hindu, which covered the Lokniti-CSDS survey, Chief Minister Basavaraj Somappa Bommai had contended that there was "minimum unemployment in Karnataka and the Union government was behind the creation of 33 lakh jobs in the state in the past five years, with 13 lakh created in the past year alone."
This, however, was far from the truth. The Lokniti-CSDS post-poll survey data revealed that unemployment was a vital issue for the electorate in the state; poverty came second. Most voters viewed inflation as a significant issue. In fact, economic issues were seen by voters as a primary concern. It is a pity that most political parties overlook the lack of development and poor education system. This is regrettable.
During the 2018 Assembly polls, 3 percent of voters reported unemployment as an issue. For 27 percent of voters, development was the biggest issue. In fact, the victory of the Congress in Karnataka can be attributed partially to the BJP's inability to tackle unemployment and poverty in the state. This is the general pattern of making high promises but poor performance.
Much before the election, there was a clear association between corruption and vote choice. The Bommai government was seen to have taken corruption to new levels. By all accounts, the Bommai government was also seen to be absent on the ground or registered a negative presence in sensitive areas of people's life and welfare arenas. No wonder voters who considered unemployment and poverty the central issues voted for Congress.
It's still early to say that Congress has learned to create its victory manuscript. However, the party returned to the grassroots, reiterating its message of being pro-poor, pro-women, and pro-youth with 5 specific promises, which include: (i) 200 units of free power to all households, (ii) INR 2,000 monthly assistance to women head of every family, (iii) 10-kilo free rice to every member of a below poverty line household, (iv) INR 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth, and INR 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders aged 18-25 for two years, and (v) free travel for women in public transport buses.
How the BJP leadership corrects its course before the 2024 poll contest is difficult to predict. They ought to realize that mere rhetoric in the name of PM Modi cannot take it far. It must get adequately connected with the people at the ground level. Its overplay of the Hindutva card on the Modi bandwagon cannot make up for the poor performance of the state government on the ground.
The Karnataka verdict must be seen as a vote against hubris and complacency. Viewed in this light, the BJP has to look again at its template. It must understand that the people, by and large, know who is what and what is what. It is a pity that the BJP leadership continues experimenting in the hope of finding the right leaders on the ground to lead them correctly, efficiently, and honestly.
BJP leaders may seek a King Vikramaditya who ruled and acted justly. However, this quest would require a high degree of conscience. Unfortunately, today, leaders have either mortgaged their conscience or killed it in the rat race of personal glory and money business. For a democratic polity like ours, this is near disastrous as the entire socio-economic structure will have to be radically recast and refashioned rapidly to the changing ground realities.
(May 19, 2023)
Not by negativism
Where are our leaders going wrong in conducting the country's affairs? Why this continuous state of drift in political management? Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of course, is ruling the roost as the country's tallest leader. However, he is getting increasingly obsessed with his own glorification rather than addressing himself to the country's fundamental problems facing the common man. For that matter, each leader puts themself before the party and the nation. Barring a few exceptions, there are few leaders of substance and principles at all levels of governance. This is rather regrettable. I raise these points as a concerned Indian who does not belong to any fixed political slot. I am, however, disturbed by the highly polluted political culture.
Take the special status that New Delhi enjoys, whereby the Lieutenant Governor [LG] has extraordinary powers to influence the city's administration. Ever since the Aam Aadmi Party [AAP] came to power, this has been a sensitive issue over the power to appoint and transfer IAS officers to important bureaucratic posts. AAP argues that the LG was exercising direct control over these officials. Enter the Supreme Court, which on May 11 ruled that the Delhi government would have exclusive powers over transferring and posting IAS officers, save for those related to police, public order, and land.
The BJP government has gone ahead and dismantled the Supreme Court's ruling. It issued an ordinance that will set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority [NCCSA], which would be led by the Chief Minister and two Delhi bureaucrats of senior rank — the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of the Home Department. However, all matters would be decided by the "majority of votes of the members present and voting." This effectively means that the two senior bureaucrats can override the decision of the elected chief minister of Delhi. Moreover, the NCCSA will only have the power to make recommendations to the LG, who will decide on matters of transfers and postings. This is undoubtedly against the country's basic federal outfit.
The government's decision to overturn a Court ruling without even bothering to pass legislation in Parliament is dangerous. At play is competitive negativism. As we know, a democratic polity cannot grow on healthy lines in an atmosphere of negativism. What is urgently needed today is opposition unity which the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamta Banerjee, emphasized the other day. She fully supported Arvind Kejriwal against this ordinance. On the Centre's move against the Ordinance, Mamta Banerjee said:
"If we do not unite now, the people of this country will not forgive us. This government (at Centre) is of the bulldozer, by the bulldozer, and for the bulldozer. This country will exist only if democracy exists."
Arvind Kejriwal, who has been on a nationwide tour to gather support against the Centre's move, stated:
"When we came to power in Delhi, they snatched all our powers by releasing a simple notification. We fought against that in the court for eight years. When the Supreme Court ordered in favor of us, they imposed an ordinance on the day when the court was going on vacation. They are making a mockery of democracy."
This is indeed disturbing. Indian democracy cannot be upgraded as long as double standards, hypocrisy, and doublespeak rule ministerial thinking and action. Particularly distressing is that while politicians fight their personal battles for survival, key public issues are either pushed to the back seat or conveniently overlooked. In this setting, honest and credible Indians get increasingly marginalized.
Independent-minded individuals are disadvantaged in the prevailing politicized and polarized climate. The name of the new game is to classify Indians as Left, Right, Left of Right, Right of Left, and not on ideological considerations, but on the whims and fancies of the powers-that-be.
India's democratic foundation has to be strengthened on time-tested secular, pluralistic, and federal principles. Moreover, harmonious alignments will have to be worked out by national parties keeping in view the hopes and aspirations of regional and local forces. In fact, micro-movements and local factors must find a good place in the present self-centered and insensitive system and wayward leadership. Political culture demands reasonable bargaining, adjustment, and understanding of changing ground realities today.
The emphasis, therefore, has to be on synthesis and assimilation without loss of religious identity and, at the same time, the evolution of Indian nationhood as a forward-looking, modern entity yet rooted in the soil and civilizational values of this ancient land. It is a pity that the ruling elite still needs to set high standards of proper conduct. Power, for that matter, has to be used for the good of the people and to enhance the quality of our democratic polity. It is for the people to assert and call a spade a spade whether guilty persons are in Chennai, Chandigarh, Mumbai, or New Delhi. India has been at a crossroads. It has to be saved from the evil designs of operators and manipulators who have come to control the strings of power in every area of national life.
(May 26, 2023)