Friends,
Rarely does a life so inspires and impacts us as Mahatma Gandhi's did. 57 years ago on this day at 5:15pm IST Mahatma Gandhi was assasinated at Birla Bhavan in New Delhi. India plunged into unprecedented mourning. Jawahar Lal Nehru was beating back tears and emotions of despair has he addressed a grief stricken nation - a nation so deeply indebted to this one soul who not only led them to independence but persevered throughout his life to help lay the foundations of social and economic justice that are the pillars of Indian political and civic life today. The continuing evolution of India's democracy is a testament to the nonviolence that Bapu (as the Mahatma was affectionately called in India) helped permeate into the thinking of the founders as they worked to create a new democracy.
It was just a few weeks ago that I visited Birla Bhavan to meet with the Director of the Gandhi Smriti - the institution created to preserve this historic spot and further Gandhian ideas. Dr.Savita Singh, the Director, has been doing a fantastic job in preserving the legacy of the Mahatma. One cannot escape being thrown back to the evening of January 30th, 1948 while there. I took an auto-rickshaw to get there and my driver had never even heard of Tees Janvari Marg (Road). An entire generation is oblivious to Bapu, his ideas and his work. Not to say there aren't bright spots. The incredible genesis of the NGO movement in India thrives on the inspiration it gets from Bapu - even today! Young India is no different. Our name itself is the name of Bapu's first newsletter after he returned to India from South Africa.
Whenever we put forward an idea, volunteer our time and energy or even make a financial contribution to change something for the better beyond our realm of self-interest we contribute and add to the nonviolent betterment of our society. We become a part of nonviolence. It is not necessary that we protest for our nonviolent credetials to be validated. Bapu spent most of his life on small things like working around the ashram and from that sense of action came to him the biggest ideas that changed the world.
On this day I hope we do something small and meaningful. Our efforts will undeniably add up one day and make the changes that we seek in the world at large.
May Bapu's soul rest in peace.
Peace.
Rohit.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Monday, January 17, 2005
Pride
Friends,
Today is another one of those days when we should all be happy to have the opportunity to pause, step back, and recognize, with pride, the accomplishments of the great mean and women who came before us. Rather than include a short quote from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, here's a posting which I've made on my personal blog. It is important for us not just to remember MLK on this day, it is exponentially more important for us to recognize what MLK and people like him have given us. With that, I leave you with thoughts for today:
Let's all take moment to recognize the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this holiday. While most of us (including myself) don't have the holiday off from work, it's hugely important for us to take moments out from days like these because the work that folks like MLK have done allows us to live our lives and prosper.
So I actually wanted to talk about something really specific here. That is the connection between MLK and Mahatma Gandhi. Now, a lot of people (Indians specifically) have been stepping on Gandhi's name in recent years. I'm not really sure why they do that, but there are various reasons, including, Hindu racist as well as (in Sepiamutiny's case) that Gandhi had nothing original to offer.
In any case, that's not why I'm writing today. I'm writing today because every Indian-American should take extra time to recognize that the work which both MLK and Gandhi did has given you the (hopefully) good life you lead today. We take our freedom and equality for granted, but it's really the great work of men like these that allow us brown folk (and every other color) to prosper. This really became clear to me a couple of years ago because of my work with Young India.
Most Indians think of MLK day as a day that Black people need to be proud of and something which Indians don't need to be as concerned about. What many people don't know is that MLK and the American Civil Rights Movements took much of the Indian Freedom Movement to heart when beginning their campaign in the United States. MLK even said, "the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence is the only logical and moral approach to the solution of the race problem in the United States." Without the experience of Gandhi's work, the American Civil Rights Movement may have been very different and perhaps not as successful.
In the fall of 2003 we at Young India were organizing an annual tribute to Gandhi. This time we wanted to have it on Capitol Hill to ensure that folks who wouldn't normally attend such events would, at the least, get some exposure to the marketing for such an event. So with the 2003 tribute we invited Congressman John Lewis to attend. This man is truly amazing. As you can read in his bio, he was part of the Civil Rights Movement and was, in fact, the youngest person to speak at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before MLK himself spoke. He is really a connection back to the Civil Rights movement. I had the honor or introducing him during our tribute and the fire in his convictions was evident even with age. As he said, "Gandhi, through his life and his actions, taught us the oneness of the human family" and, "Gandhi's teachings helped us to not just liberate a people, but to liberate a nation"
It's only through this that I realized how lucky we are, as Indians, to have two great men to thank for what we have today. Without the catalyst of Gandhi's actions, India wouldn't have become an independent nation as it did (surely the British would have left, but the outcome could have been very different and India's "3rd way" soul may never have materialized). Without the work of King (and disciples like John Lewis) America would likely still be much more unequal than it is. This impacts us directly because as brown folk, we're still lumped in with every other non-Caucasian group out there and treated much the same. Sure we may have a great reputation of being well-educated and such, but in the end, Civil Rights are about equal rights to get that education and to have the opportunity to prosper. Without the Civil Rights movement here, our parents would likely not have prospered in the way that they did. Surely, a lot more work needs to be done, but we need to recognize how far we have come and how much we have benefited in our everyday lives.
If you've read to this point, then you're probably already thinking about what these great accomplishments mean in your life. And I thank you for that. Now I ask you to talk to the person in the cube next to you and show how much this really means to all of our lives. These holidays aren't just the chance to drive up to the mountains to ski. They're the chance to take a step back and smile at what's been accomplished on our behalf. These men didn't work so hard just for themselves. They did it for all of us.
Today is another one of those days when we should all be happy to have the opportunity to pause, step back, and recognize, with pride, the accomplishments of the great mean and women who came before us. Rather than include a short quote from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, here's a posting which I've made on my personal blog. It is important for us not just to remember MLK on this day, it is exponentially more important for us to recognize what MLK and people like him have given us. With that, I leave you with thoughts for today:
Let's all take moment to recognize the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this holiday. While most of us (including myself) don't have the holiday off from work, it's hugely important for us to take moments out from days like these because the work that folks like MLK have done allows us to live our lives and prosper.
So I actually wanted to talk about something really specific here. That is the connection between MLK and Mahatma Gandhi. Now, a lot of people (Indians specifically) have been stepping on Gandhi's name in recent years. I'm not really sure why they do that, but there are various reasons, including, Hindu racist as well as (in Sepiamutiny's case) that Gandhi had nothing original to offer.
In any case, that's not why I'm writing today. I'm writing today because every Indian-American should take extra time to recognize that the work which both MLK and Gandhi did has given you the (hopefully) good life you lead today. We take our freedom and equality for granted, but it's really the great work of men like these that allow us brown folk (and every other color) to prosper. This really became clear to me a couple of years ago because of my work with Young India.
Most Indians think of MLK day as a day that Black people need to be proud of and something which Indians don't need to be as concerned about. What many people don't know is that MLK and the American Civil Rights Movements took much of the Indian Freedom Movement to heart when beginning their campaign in the United States. MLK even said, "the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence is the only logical and moral approach to the solution of the race problem in the United States." Without the experience of Gandhi's work, the American Civil Rights Movement may have been very different and perhaps not as successful.
In the fall of 2003 we at Young India were organizing an annual tribute to Gandhi. This time we wanted to have it on Capitol Hill to ensure that folks who wouldn't normally attend such events would, at the least, get some exposure to the marketing for such an event. So with the 2003 tribute we invited Congressman John Lewis to attend. This man is truly amazing. As you can read in his bio, he was part of the Civil Rights Movement and was, in fact, the youngest person to speak at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before MLK himself spoke. He is really a connection back to the Civil Rights movement. I had the honor or introducing him during our tribute and the fire in his convictions was evident even with age. As he said, "Gandhi, through his life and his actions, taught us the oneness of the human family" and, "Gandhi's teachings helped us to not just liberate a people, but to liberate a nation"
It's only through this that I realized how lucky we are, as Indians, to have two great men to thank for what we have today. Without the catalyst of Gandhi's actions, India wouldn't have become an independent nation as it did (surely the British would have left, but the outcome could have been very different and India's "3rd way" soul may never have materialized). Without the work of King (and disciples like John Lewis) America would likely still be much more unequal than it is. This impacts us directly because as brown folk, we're still lumped in with every other non-Caucasian group out there and treated much the same. Sure we may have a great reputation of being well-educated and such, but in the end, Civil Rights are about equal rights to get that education and to have the opportunity to prosper. Without the Civil Rights movement here, our parents would likely not have prospered in the way that they did. Surely, a lot more work needs to be done, but we need to recognize how far we have come and how much we have benefited in our everyday lives.
If you've read to this point, then you're probably already thinking about what these great accomplishments mean in your life. And I thank you for that. Now I ask you to talk to the person in the cube next to you and show how much this really means to all of our lives. These holidays aren't just the chance to drive up to the mountains to ski. They're the chance to take a step back and smile at what's been accomplished on our behalf. These men didn't work so hard just for themselves. They did it for all of us.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Tsunami Relief Effort
Friends,
Young India itself does not have a relief fund but we want to let you know of reputable and trustworthy organizations (see Disclaimer at end of posting) through which you can provide direly needed assistance. The extent of the tragedy is enormous. I'll write more about the on-the-ground reaction in a few days. I am currently in New Delhi where the government is trying its best to cope up with the situation but is falling short of people's expectations. Information is not being appropriately communicated leading to panic. Not to forget the pathetic evacuation job, which was non-existent in most areas. But there will be enough time to point fingers and hold people responsible. Right now people are fighting for sheer survival.
Some links to assist the victims -
* The Hindu Relief Fund (South India's Largest Daily Newspaper)
* AID-India (Association for India's Development)
India Together has an informative site as well - Tsunami Relief
Please donate generously and refer as many people as possible to this site and others that are trying to help the victims. Any and all help is appreciated.
Peace.
Rohit.
**Disclaimer: Young India cannot receive funds on behalf of any of the organizations listed here. These organizations are not part of or affiliated with Young India in any formal or legal manner, and their inclusion here is not an endorsement by us of their efforts. **
Young India itself does not have a relief fund but we want to let you know of reputable and trustworthy organizations (see Disclaimer at end of posting) through which you can provide direly needed assistance. The extent of the tragedy is enormous. I'll write more about the on-the-ground reaction in a few days. I am currently in New Delhi where the government is trying its best to cope up with the situation but is falling short of people's expectations. Information is not being appropriately communicated leading to panic. Not to forget the pathetic evacuation job, which was non-existent in most areas. But there will be enough time to point fingers and hold people responsible. Right now people are fighting for sheer survival.
Some links to assist the victims -
* The Hindu Relief Fund (South India's Largest Daily Newspaper)
* AID-India (Association for India's Development)
India Together has an informative site as well - Tsunami Relief
Please donate generously and refer as many people as possible to this site and others that are trying to help the victims. Any and all help is appreciated.
Peace.
Rohit.
**Disclaimer: Young India cannot receive funds on behalf of any of the organizations listed here. These organizations are not part of or affiliated with Young India in any formal or legal manner, and their inclusion here is not an endorsement by us of their efforts. **
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
YI Special Bulletin - "America Speaks: 2004"
We present to you a Young India special bulletin on the US
Presidential Election - America Speaks:2004. This bulletin analyzes
the reasons behind the verdict and shares with you our view of the
future. It's been a month in the making and we are glad that it took
us this long. We were able to analyze things away from the heat of the
election and to have a more long-term vision. True to our spirit of
seeking solutions we put forward ideas that could become the basis for
policy initiatives that help achieve our goals of improving
representative democracy.
"America Speaks: 2004"
This bulletin is the concluding effort of our 2004: THE DEBATE FOR
DEMOCRACY initiative. The momentous political events of this year
inspired us to undertake this endeavor that started last fall with
Mr.Mani Shankar Aiyar's visit to Washington. During the course of the
last twelve months we have held two Congressional briefings on the
Indian election, been invited to speak on Capitol Hill, televised
specials on the US Presidential election, in addition to being part of
many coalition efforts for peace. It has been a rewarding experience.
The year ahead has even more in store.
We feel this bulletin will assist in focusing our conversation about
democracy even more. In the coming year we intend to open another
front for our work - Indo-US relations. We think it is essential for
forward-looking ideas in both political systems to come together to
shape policy that will not only impact citizens in both nations but
will also have a positive impact on international affairs as well. Do
keep checking back with us through our website. We'll keep you posted
as well.
We sincerely hope you find our work useful and share it with many
more. We would love to hear back from you. Feel free to send us your
comments to info@yidream.org. Last but not the least we need your
support. You can assist us financially by sending checks payable to
YOUNG INDIA to PO Box 1791, Germantown, MD 20875-1791, USA. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your support and encouragement. We look forward to sharing with you our journey down the road of democracy.
Peace.
Young India Team.
Presidential Election - America Speaks:2004. This bulletin analyzes
the reasons behind the verdict and shares with you our view of the
future. It's been a month in the making and we are glad that it took
us this long. We were able to analyze things away from the heat of the
election and to have a more long-term vision. True to our spirit of
seeking solutions we put forward ideas that could become the basis for
policy initiatives that help achieve our goals of improving
representative democracy.
"America Speaks: 2004"
This bulletin is the concluding effort of our 2004: THE DEBATE FOR
DEMOCRACY initiative. The momentous political events of this year
inspired us to undertake this endeavor that started last fall with
Mr.Mani Shankar Aiyar's visit to Washington. During the course of the
last twelve months we have held two Congressional briefings on the
Indian election, been invited to speak on Capitol Hill, televised
specials on the US Presidential election, in addition to being part of
many coalition efforts for peace. It has been a rewarding experience.
The year ahead has even more in store.
We feel this bulletin will assist in focusing our conversation about
democracy even more. In the coming year we intend to open another
front for our work - Indo-US relations. We think it is essential for
forward-looking ideas in both political systems to come together to
shape policy that will not only impact citizens in both nations but
will also have a positive impact on international affairs as well. Do
keep checking back with us through our website. We'll keep you posted
as well.
We sincerely hope you find our work useful and share it with many
more. We would love to hear back from you. Feel free to send us your
comments to info@yidream.org. Last but not the least we need your
support. You can assist us financially by sending checks payable to
YOUNG INDIA to PO Box 1791, Germantown, MD 20875-1791, USA. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your support and encouragement. We look forward to sharing with you our journey down the road of democracy.
Peace.
Young India Team.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
America turns RIGHT
Less than an hour ago Senator Kerry conceded the election to President Bush. As time goes by we'll have more data to analyze the results but somethings are getting clear. Not only did the President carry the southern states he carried them with record turnouts thereby winning the popular vote. And even more importantly the Republicans have strengthened their grip on the Senate and House. They sent Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader in the Senate, packing home. Most of the new winners on the Republican side are distinctly from the right-wing of the party.
Exit polls indicate that in the end "values" was the most dominating issue. We all felt that it would an issue but I doubt anyone other than the Bush campaign really believed that it would be THE issue. A new brand of cultural conservatism is on the rise. One which has now been shown as politically beneficial.
We'll have a lot more analysis on the site and events to grasp the emerging realities. Today is a day of celebration for neo-conservatives and a day of relfection for the progressives in this country.
Peace.
Exit polls indicate that in the end "values" was the most dominating issue. We all felt that it would an issue but I doubt anyone other than the Bush campaign really believed that it would be THE issue. A new brand of cultural conservatism is on the rise. One which has now been shown as politically beneficial.
We'll have a lot more analysis on the site and events to grasp the emerging realities. Today is a day of celebration for neo-conservatives and a day of relfection for the progressives in this country.
Peace.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
A Day to Celebrate
Almost all nations cherish their independence days as the most important days of their national life. I somehow feel that election day is equally important for two reasons. One, it most tangibly puts democracy in action and no matter how acrimonious campaigns may be if the elections are held fairly then every citizen has a voice. Second, I feel it's a day to pay homage all those people who laid down their lives for us to have the right to self-determination. And not just the ones in our countries but as history has shown that democratic movements derive strength from endeavors way beyond their own national frontiers. Today I feel a sense of deep gratitude towards all those great souls.
Congratulations to the people of the United States and may their democratic experiment get even better and inspire others across the world.
Do vote!
Peace.
Congratulations to the people of the United States and may their democratic experiment get even better and inspire others across the world.
Do vote!
Peace.
Monday, November 01, 2004
The final hours...
A long political journey culminates tonight for American democracy. Tomorrow it will exercise its most cherished right. The national polls are as indecisive as are the voters split. There is no statistical measure that could help us predict the outcome. It all depends on who shows up at the polls tomorrow.
Moving beyond the statistical excitement and the electoral college permutations (which I've addressed in the last posting) there is a significant ideological fight at hand. George W.Bush is an icon for the neo-conservative movement. There's not even a close second to him. This derivative of conservatism that most notably championed the doctrine of pre-emptive war is really fighting for survival. Four years without power and more importantly a leader this ideology could face extinction. George W.Bush is their last hope since he embodies some of the old conservative principles that are electorally critical. If you look at the second string of Republican leaders there just aren't many of them that can appeal to the base across its ideological and intellectual spectrum.
A victory tomorrow will validate the neo-conservatives and show to emerging conservative leaders that their ideas can fetch votes too. George W. Bush did NOT run as one in 2000 so that that makes this election the first neo-conservative election. They were surely emboldened by their 2002 Congressional success.
There is no coherent competing ideology to neo-conservative thought today on the American political landscape. There are supporters of it and then there are critics of it. That's why it's no surprise that this election is more about George W. Bush more than it's about John Kerry.
A win for Bush, however, does NOT guarantee a more right-ward turn for the United States. That will hugely depend on the Senate races. The ultra-thin majority of the Republicans can conceivably evaporate. A Democratic Senate will alter the agenda for a Bush second-term, if that happens. So, I'd say keep a very close eye on the control of the US Senate.
Election results from Uruguay just came in this morning declaring another win for a left-wing Presidential candidate. South America is going left-of-center. International developments like these will temper the right-wing turn the Bush administration may want to take if they win.
A John Kerry win will create a more of a attitude change compared to an ideological one. The lack of ideological baggage may lend it more flexibility in dealing with issues. It may encourage a Kerry administration to look at things without the color of pre-conceived notions. A second-term may find a Bush administration more liberated from its right-wing base and electoral politics. Many questions remain and the answers to which will only be known in due course.
But no matter where you stand on the issues do cast your vote!
Peace.
Rohit.
Moving beyond the statistical excitement and the electoral college permutations (which I've addressed in the last posting) there is a significant ideological fight at hand. George W.Bush is an icon for the neo-conservative movement. There's not even a close second to him. This derivative of conservatism that most notably championed the doctrine of pre-emptive war is really fighting for survival. Four years without power and more importantly a leader this ideology could face extinction. George W.Bush is their last hope since he embodies some of the old conservative principles that are electorally critical. If you look at the second string of Republican leaders there just aren't many of them that can appeal to the base across its ideological and intellectual spectrum.
A victory tomorrow will validate the neo-conservatives and show to emerging conservative leaders that their ideas can fetch votes too. George W. Bush did NOT run as one in 2000 so that that makes this election the first neo-conservative election. They were surely emboldened by their 2002 Congressional success.
There is no coherent competing ideology to neo-conservative thought today on the American political landscape. There are supporters of it and then there are critics of it. That's why it's no surprise that this election is more about George W. Bush more than it's about John Kerry.
A win for Bush, however, does NOT guarantee a more right-ward turn for the United States. That will hugely depend on the Senate races. The ultra-thin majority of the Republicans can conceivably evaporate. A Democratic Senate will alter the agenda for a Bush second-term, if that happens. So, I'd say keep a very close eye on the control of the US Senate.
Election results from Uruguay just came in this morning declaring another win for a left-wing Presidential candidate. South America is going left-of-center. International developments like these will temper the right-wing turn the Bush administration may want to take if they win.
A John Kerry win will create a more of a attitude change compared to an ideological one. The lack of ideological baggage may lend it more flexibility in dealing with issues. It may encourage a Kerry administration to look at things without the color of pre-conceived notions. A second-term may find a Bush administration more liberated from its right-wing base and electoral politics. Many questions remain and the answers to which will only be known in due course.
But no matter where you stand on the issues do cast your vote!
Peace.
Rohit.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
As of now...
It is next to impossible to predict this one but some formulations if realized can help us making some safe predictions.
Here are some of them:
A) Whoever wins BOTH Florida AND Ohio will most likely win the Presidency. Currently the race in both states is too close to call.
B) If FLORIDA and OHIO are split that will then create a big problem for Bush. In that event to offset that loss (esp Florida) he will have to win Wisconsin AND Minnesota. Iowa would be a plus. So, the split works in Kerry's favor IF he wrests Pennsylvania AND Michigan. Michigan is still surprisingly shaky for Kerry.
C) Both candidates basically have to win all the states they or their party won in 2000. For Kerry he has to win one more! Bush coasts to a victory if he retains his states from last time.
Even national polls are split with a Newsweek poll showing Bush with a 5 point lead but then both the Zogby and Washington Post daily tracking polls are showing Kerry with a 1 point lead. It is very hard to discern momentum and so this election in the end will come down to TURNOUT! TURNOUT! TURNOUT! The higher the TURNOUT the better are Kerry's chances. Meteorologists are predicting rain on Tuesday in Ohio. If that dampens turnout that could favor Bush.
Both parties have worked hard at the grassroots. Now it's game time.
Peace.
Rohit.
Here are some of them:
A) Whoever wins BOTH Florida AND Ohio will most likely win the Presidency. Currently the race in both states is too close to call.
B) If FLORIDA and OHIO are split that will then create a big problem for Bush. In that event to offset that loss (esp Florida) he will have to win Wisconsin AND Minnesota. Iowa would be a plus. So, the split works in Kerry's favor IF he wrests Pennsylvania AND Michigan. Michigan is still surprisingly shaky for Kerry.
C) Both candidates basically have to win all the states they or their party won in 2000. For Kerry he has to win one more! Bush coasts to a victory if he retains his states from last time.
Even national polls are split with a Newsweek poll showing Bush with a 5 point lead but then both the Zogby and Washington Post daily tracking polls are showing Kerry with a 1 point lead. It is very hard to discern momentum and so this election in the end will come down to TURNOUT! TURNOUT! TURNOUT! The higher the TURNOUT the better are Kerry's chances. Meteorologists are predicting rain on Tuesday in Ohio. If that dampens turnout that could favor Bush.
Both parties have worked hard at the grassroots. Now it's game time.
Peace.
Rohit.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
The "actual" election
After the debacle of the 2000 election that finally exposed longstanding issues in the electoral process Congress was galvanized (more like shamed) into action. No one wanted a repeat on 2004. Sorry to see those dreams being crushed. But to Congress' credit in 2002 they did pass the Help America Vote Act of 2002. President Bush signed it into law.
If you visit the Department of Justice website it says the following:
I know democracy is all about choice and America holds its federalism close to its heart but too many choices for 50 states are creating an electoral process that is undermining the most basic democratic exercise. I think it's time for a complete standardization of the electoral process across the country. India has successfully achieved that and I don't see why the United States would have any technical problem in doing so.
The outgoing Congress has been quite active on the Election Reform front. Many procedural laws have been passed but I still feel that states are still messing up federal elections. The fact that 58,000 absentee ballots get lost in Florida where the last election was decided by 537 votes is a major scandal. It should be a cause of outrage against the secretary of state's office who had 4 years to fix things even though they're blaming this one on the postal office, who reject that blame.
I guess it's going to take another close election, more cynicism in the political process to finally move people in the right direction. It's hard to talk of issues when a large percentage of people in this country believe that the next "elected" President is going to be illegitimate. Welcome to the world of political polarization where mistrust reigns and the only thing certain is the uncertain.
Peace.
If you visit the Department of Justice website it says the following:
"Under Section 401, the Attorney General has enforcement authority for theFor those interested in details, read through sections 301, 302 and 303. A cursory reading reveals that Congress basically preserved the myriad of polling systems across the country but made sure they met new requirements. One of the requirements DOES mention a written record for a recount situation. I think there is definitely some legal confusion about that and as can be expected it has been duly challenged in the courts against electronic voting machines. One thing that I find startling is that states have till January 1st, 2006 to implement this!
uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration
requirements that apply to States under Sections 301, 302, and 303."
I know democracy is all about choice and America holds its federalism close to its heart but too many choices for 50 states are creating an electoral process that is undermining the most basic democratic exercise. I think it's time for a complete standardization of the electoral process across the country. India has successfully achieved that and I don't see why the United States would have any technical problem in doing so.
The outgoing Congress has been quite active on the Election Reform front. Many procedural laws have been passed but I still feel that states are still messing up federal elections. The fact that 58,000 absentee ballots get lost in Florida where the last election was decided by 537 votes is a major scandal. It should be a cause of outrage against the secretary of state's office who had 4 years to fix things even though they're blaming this one on the postal office, who reject that blame.
I guess it's going to take another close election, more cynicism in the political process to finally move people in the right direction. It's hard to talk of issues when a large percentage of people in this country believe that the next "elected" President is going to be illegitimate. Welcome to the world of political polarization where mistrust reigns and the only thing certain is the uncertain.
Peace.
Legitimate Elections
One of the biggest controversies with the 2000 US Presidential Elections was the debacle in the state of Florida. If you don't recall, the controversy was around ballots which could not be read clearly - "Hanging Chads". The US Supreme Court took on this issue in the context of recounting ballots where the "intent of the voter" could not be easily discerned. The results of that decision can be reviewed in this New York Times article published the day that the decision came out. It is interesting in that is includes some analysis of the other opinions published by the Supreme Court in addition to the majority opinion.
Whatever one's opinion is on the Supreme Court decision, the fact that such a controversy erupted highlights a much more fundamental problem in the way that federal elections are conducted in the United States. The reality is voting in the United States is that basically the only thing which the federal government guarantees is that every citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote (except for a few exceptions such as for felons). Other aspects of voting is left up to the individual states and counties. This had not really been a national issue before the 2000 election, but since then, this has become an increasingly worrying situation.
We're not talking about voter intimidation or illegal tactics (although those are a concern, they can be addressed through better enforcement of existing laws). The worrying situation is that in federal elections such as those for President or Congress, the federal government doesn't require any minimum "quality" for polling locations or for the process which states and counties use to run elections and count votes.
What this means is that there are various ways in which people submit their votes - the traditional paper ballots, optical scanning machines where tick marks are read by scanner, and the new touch screen machines are just a few examples. There is certainly controversy around the touch screen machines because, depending on the type of machine, there is no receipt or secondary method to confirm the vote. This is one area of where it would make sense for the Federal Elections Commission to weigh in with standard for the types of voting machines which can be used in federal elections and the ways in which elections officials should maintain these machines to ensure proper functioning. Unfortunately, the FEC only seems to concern itself over campaign financing.
If you've read deep into the NY Times article linkd to above, you'll notice that the actual court case brought before the Supreme Court was regarding the recounting of questionable ballots. The decision made was based partly on the ability of Florida election officials to recount ballots quickly enough with certainty. This highlights another area of grave concern over the American elections process. There is no federal standard for counting or recounting ballots in the case on controversy, mistakes, or questions. Each state has different standards on when a recount should be conducted - many require a recount when the vote is within 1/2%, but it varies.
So after the controversy around the 2000 election, one would expect the federal government to weigh in on this and publish standards for counting and recounting ballots in federal elections. Again, this would be perfect for the FEC to pick up, but again, they do not oversee this area.
There are certainly other areas of concern with the process of voting in the United States. This piece has only touched upon some procedural areas, but there are many more issues around enforcement of elegibility rules, voter intimidation, and access to polling locations. All of these issues concern us about the quality of the elections process here. One can cynically question the legitimacy of President Bush's term because of problems in Florida, but safe to say that these issues were not in the public's eye then. In the four years since then, Florida has made strides to improve upon their elections process, but why not the federal government?
For the elections coming on November 2nd, it would not be surprising if various lawsuits are brought on the grounds of procedural errors. If the campaigns are ready to pursue these issues in a court of law, why isn't the federal government doing anything to discount the need for such lawsuits. Any time a material change in the results of an election could occur on the basis of these procedural failures and subsequent lawsuits, one has to wonder why there is not a larger uproar. Until there are federal standards for the election of federal officials, the legitimacy of every winner could be questioned.
Whatever one's opinion is on the Supreme Court decision, the fact that such a controversy erupted highlights a much more fundamental problem in the way that federal elections are conducted in the United States. The reality is voting in the United States is that basically the only thing which the federal government guarantees is that every citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote (except for a few exceptions such as for felons). Other aspects of voting is left up to the individual states and counties. This had not really been a national issue before the 2000 election, but since then, this has become an increasingly worrying situation.
We're not talking about voter intimidation or illegal tactics (although those are a concern, they can be addressed through better enforcement of existing laws). The worrying situation is that in federal elections such as those for President or Congress, the federal government doesn't require any minimum "quality" for polling locations or for the process which states and counties use to run elections and count votes.
What this means is that there are various ways in which people submit their votes - the traditional paper ballots, optical scanning machines where tick marks are read by scanner, and the new touch screen machines are just a few examples. There is certainly controversy around the touch screen machines because, depending on the type of machine, there is no receipt or secondary method to confirm the vote. This is one area of where it would make sense for the Federal Elections Commission to weigh in with standard for the types of voting machines which can be used in federal elections and the ways in which elections officials should maintain these machines to ensure proper functioning. Unfortunately, the FEC only seems to concern itself over campaign financing.
If you've read deep into the NY Times article linkd to above, you'll notice that the actual court case brought before the Supreme Court was regarding the recounting of questionable ballots. The decision made was based partly on the ability of Florida election officials to recount ballots quickly enough with certainty. This highlights another area of grave concern over the American elections process. There is no federal standard for counting or recounting ballots in the case on controversy, mistakes, or questions. Each state has different standards on when a recount should be conducted - many require a recount when the vote is within 1/2%, but it varies.
So after the controversy around the 2000 election, one would expect the federal government to weigh in on this and publish standards for counting and recounting ballots in federal elections. Again, this would be perfect for the FEC to pick up, but again, they do not oversee this area.
There are certainly other areas of concern with the process of voting in the United States. This piece has only touched upon some procedural areas, but there are many more issues around enforcement of elegibility rules, voter intimidation, and access to polling locations. All of these issues concern us about the quality of the elections process here. One can cynically question the legitimacy of President Bush's term because of problems in Florida, but safe to say that these issues were not in the public's eye then. In the four years since then, Florida has made strides to improve upon their elections process, but why not the federal government?
For the elections coming on November 2nd, it would not be surprising if various lawsuits are brought on the grounds of procedural errors. If the campaigns are ready to pursue these issues in a court of law, why isn't the federal government doing anything to discount the need for such lawsuits. Any time a material change in the results of an election could occur on the basis of these procedural failures and subsequent lawsuits, one has to wonder why there is not a larger uproar. Until there are federal standards for the election of federal officials, the legitimacy of every winner could be questioned.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
The Heat is ON!
Friends,
I feel like the home-stretch, the final lap of a long race is underway. Yes, the race for the Presidency of the United States. You know when you watch those long 10,000m races at the Olympics that take about 23-24 minutes to finish you watch the start and then you keep checking back. And then as the final laps approach only a few runners are left in contention. And then the bell rings signalling the final lap. Similarly, this race began a couple of years ago. With almost 10 candidates up for the Democratic nomination. And after a gruelling primary season and rough Presidential campaign we are down to two runners. The electoral bell can now be heard across the land.
For a political junkie like me 2004 has been a great year. Two of the most prominent democracies on the planet are electing their executive and legislators. The Indian experience was exhilarating for the surprise it threw at observers. And now another huge election.
Outside the battleground/swing states there is no place more abuzz then Washington. I am lucky enough to be in the vicinity to absorb all the political talk and analysis. Most of it absurd but then again democracy is a reflection of the prevailing culture so what else can we expect from a culture that thrives on sensationalism. But enough of this abstract unsensational talk. The question is who's going to win?
Beyond the sarcasm that guises my cynicism this election will have a tremendous impact. No matter how superficially the electorate makes the final judgment. In the end I am optimistic that such an important judgment will be well thought out. From an issues perspective we all know what has dominated this campaign - Iraq, Terrorism and the Economy. The question is there going to be one issue that will swing voters one way or the other as they head to the polls.
I feel that voters will vote on general issues as opposed to something specific. And in that regard the 55% of the voting population that feels the country is headed in the wrong direction could mean trouble for the incumbent. But then 9/11 has transformed the political landscape here. People may feel that they are in the middle of a war and even though things are not as good as they could be they are better off weathering this storm in the same ship. Hence, people may vote cast a "gut feeling" vote.
This late in the game I'm not sure if the steady stream of bad news from Iraq is changing any minds. I feel there is an unfortunate sense of immunity from the ground realities there. Something "spectacular" will have to take place to shift the electoral dynamics in any significant way. And this is a sad commentary about modern democracies where violence is easily integrated in the political landscape. The anti-war side is going to protest at this generalization but the majority of the population felt that the war is the right thing to do. So, go figure.
The post 9/11 landscape has made it hard to discern the reasons for the economic downturn. In a non-war time the electorate would place more blame of such a downturn on the incumbent but some confusion exists this time in doing that. That is because people believe that the attacks hit the economy hard. Now other economic data combined with fiscal policy can lead people to feel differently. A tax-cut in time of war is unprecedented but then the incumbent administration comes back with the argument that the economy needed a stimulus. The interesting thing here is that each issue has two-sides but more often than not one analysis is deeper. This analysis is then responded to by rhetoric and not counter-analysis. And that's sad. Bottomline - the voters aren't helped in making up their mind.
There are people hurting all around this country. From families of soldiers on the frontline to single mothers without health insurance to factory workers whose jobs have been shipped away... their problems are real. The battleground states are seeing a battle on these issues. Even though the electoral college has reduced the political size of this country at least the issues being debated are of serious national and international consequence.
Yet after all this talk of issues and consequentiality there is a fundamental obstacle American democracy has to overcome - to conduct a fair election in the 21st century. It is telling when 40% of the population feels that their vote is NOT going to be counted! That is an alarming state of affairs. More on that coming up...
The polls are swinging so wildly that presenting any poll data would not make much sense. But you can check them at our page:
Keep checking back with us. Send your comments to info@yidream.org
Peace.
Rohit.
I feel like the home-stretch, the final lap of a long race is underway. Yes, the race for the Presidency of the United States. You know when you watch those long 10,000m races at the Olympics that take about 23-24 minutes to finish you watch the start and then you keep checking back. And then as the final laps approach only a few runners are left in contention. And then the bell rings signalling the final lap. Similarly, this race began a couple of years ago. With almost 10 candidates up for the Democratic nomination. And after a gruelling primary season and rough Presidential campaign we are down to two runners. The electoral bell can now be heard across the land.
For a political junkie like me 2004 has been a great year. Two of the most prominent democracies on the planet are electing their executive and legislators. The Indian experience was exhilarating for the surprise it threw at observers. And now another huge election.
Outside the battleground/swing states there is no place more abuzz then Washington. I am lucky enough to be in the vicinity to absorb all the political talk and analysis. Most of it absurd but then again democracy is a reflection of the prevailing culture so what else can we expect from a culture that thrives on sensationalism. But enough of this abstract unsensational talk. The question is who's going to win?
Beyond the sarcasm that guises my cynicism this election will have a tremendous impact. No matter how superficially the electorate makes the final judgment. In the end I am optimistic that such an important judgment will be well thought out. From an issues perspective we all know what has dominated this campaign - Iraq, Terrorism and the Economy. The question is there going to be one issue that will swing voters one way or the other as they head to the polls.
I feel that voters will vote on general issues as opposed to something specific. And in that regard the 55% of the voting population that feels the country is headed in the wrong direction could mean trouble for the incumbent. But then 9/11 has transformed the political landscape here. People may feel that they are in the middle of a war and even though things are not as good as they could be they are better off weathering this storm in the same ship. Hence, people may vote cast a "gut feeling" vote.
This late in the game I'm not sure if the steady stream of bad news from Iraq is changing any minds. I feel there is an unfortunate sense of immunity from the ground realities there. Something "spectacular" will have to take place to shift the electoral dynamics in any significant way. And this is a sad commentary about modern democracies where violence is easily integrated in the political landscape. The anti-war side is going to protest at this generalization but the majority of the population felt that the war is the right thing to do. So, go figure.
The post 9/11 landscape has made it hard to discern the reasons for the economic downturn. In a non-war time the electorate would place more blame of such a downturn on the incumbent but some confusion exists this time in doing that. That is because people believe that the attacks hit the economy hard. Now other economic data combined with fiscal policy can lead people to feel differently. A tax-cut in time of war is unprecedented but then the incumbent administration comes back with the argument that the economy needed a stimulus. The interesting thing here is that each issue has two-sides but more often than not one analysis is deeper. This analysis is then responded to by rhetoric and not counter-analysis. And that's sad. Bottomline - the voters aren't helped in making up their mind.
There are people hurting all around this country. From families of soldiers on the frontline to single mothers without health insurance to factory workers whose jobs have been shipped away... their problems are real. The battleground states are seeing a battle on these issues. Even though the electoral college has reduced the political size of this country at least the issues being debated are of serious national and international consequence.
Yet after all this talk of issues and consequentiality there is a fundamental obstacle American democracy has to overcome - to conduct a fair election in the 21st century. It is telling when 40% of the population feels that their vote is NOT going to be counted! That is an alarming state of affairs. More on that coming up...
The polls are swinging so wildly that presenting any poll data would not make much sense. But you can check them at our page:
Keep checking back with us. Send your comments to info@yidream.org
Peace.
Rohit.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Major defeat for BJP
Just months after a stunning defeat in the general election the BJP has suffered another body blow. The party's alliance with the Shiv Sena suffered a major defeat in the important state of Maharashtra. The incumbent Congress-NCP alliance barely fell short of a simple majority. The final results show out of 288 assembly seats contested the Congress-NCP combine have won 140 (145 needed for a majority) and the BJP-Shiv Sena combine secured 118 seats. The Congress alliance shouldn't have a problem conjuring up support to form the next government.
The BJP's defeat is noteworthy on many fronts. After the national debacle in May when the Congress shocked them in the parliamentary elections the BJP badly needed a morale booster. Maharashtra was one state where they had a good chance of regaining some political momentum by defeating the incumbents. The anti-incumbency factor that dominates polity in India had the Congress alliance worried as well. A victory for the BJP would have stopped the bleeding and given hope for a revival. That hope is now lost. The BJP entrusted the emerging leadership of its party to work these elections. They have failed. With the older leadership on the way out this signals a strategy vacuum in the BJP. The BJP's national status has thus taken a beating.
At the state level this verdict displays a level of political saturation for the BJP and its chief ally the Shiv Sena. The alliance's "Hindutva" calling failed to deliver. The religious and regional exclusivity that the alliance covertly pushed on the electorate was rebuffed. The inability of the BJP alliance to motivate people on issues of development against a not so popular incumbent shows a paucity of real policy thinkers within the party. If I were the BJP leadership I would find that alarming.
The Congress alliance must not see this as an overwhelming mandate. They must proceed in a sincere spirit of cooperation with all sides and fix the mistakes they made in their last term. They have a great opportunity on their hands and one would hope that they can move beyond infighting and achieve something for the people of the state.
Sonia Gandhi's leadership is now being commended by the BJP too. That says something. She has clearly emerged as a national leader. Her giving up the post of the Prime Minister and instead working for the party is paying dividends. The Congress is slowly but surely emerging after a decade or so of political oblivion. They must, however, not become complacent. Something very difficult in politics.
This victory gives the Manmohan Singh government a much needed shot in the arm. With the BJP, their chief opposition, somewhat on the ropes they may have an easier time getting things done. The hope is that they do the right things. All in all a momentous day for Indian politics as this result signals the start of an interesting chapter in the polity of the nation.
Peace.
Rohit.
The BJP's defeat is noteworthy on many fronts. After the national debacle in May when the Congress shocked them in the parliamentary elections the BJP badly needed a morale booster. Maharashtra was one state where they had a good chance of regaining some political momentum by defeating the incumbents. The anti-incumbency factor that dominates polity in India had the Congress alliance worried as well. A victory for the BJP would have stopped the bleeding and given hope for a revival. That hope is now lost. The BJP entrusted the emerging leadership of its party to work these elections. They have failed. With the older leadership on the way out this signals a strategy vacuum in the BJP. The BJP's national status has thus taken a beating.
At the state level this verdict displays a level of political saturation for the BJP and its chief ally the Shiv Sena. The alliance's "Hindutva" calling failed to deliver. The religious and regional exclusivity that the alliance covertly pushed on the electorate was rebuffed. The inability of the BJP alliance to motivate people on issues of development against a not so popular incumbent shows a paucity of real policy thinkers within the party. If I were the BJP leadership I would find that alarming.
The Congress alliance must not see this as an overwhelming mandate. They must proceed in a sincere spirit of cooperation with all sides and fix the mistakes they made in their last term. They have a great opportunity on their hands and one would hope that they can move beyond infighting and achieve something for the people of the state.
Sonia Gandhi's leadership is now being commended by the BJP too. That says something. She has clearly emerged as a national leader. Her giving up the post of the Prime Minister and instead working for the party is paying dividends. The Congress is slowly but surely emerging after a decade or so of political oblivion. They must, however, not become complacent. Something very difficult in politics.
This victory gives the Manmohan Singh government a much needed shot in the arm. With the BJP, their chief opposition, somewhat on the ropes they may have an easier time getting things done. The hope is that they do the right things. All in all a momentous day for Indian politics as this result signals the start of an interesting chapter in the polity of the nation.
Peace.
Rohit.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
October 13th - Important day for Indian Politics
The Indian state of Maharashtra will go to the polls on Wednesday, October 13th to elect its next legislature. The composition of the outgoing assembly that comprises 288 seats - Indian National Congress + NCP alliance (133) and BJP + Shiv Sena (125) reflects the current national political composition. The Congress and its allies can deliver the BJP and its allies a serious blow by retaining control of the state. On the other hand a victory in this very prominent industrial state can breathe new life into a dispirited BJP alliance. The stakes are very high for Maharashtra in particular and the country at large.
Maharashtra, which has the second-largest parliamentary contingent (48/543), is a crucial state from an economic and social perspective. With Mumbai as its capital in some quarters this election is being seen as a referendum on the Congress (UPA) government's economic policies in New Delhi. This could at best be seen as a secondary issue. The people of the state will still vote on issues more directly affecting them. On social lines the Congress and the NCP have aggressively combated the exclusivitst politics of their opponents - both religious as well as regional. The Shiv Sena has been discredited over the years for its violence and intimidation against non-natives in the state. The opposition alliance has since moderated itself but only the polls will tell how sincere the electorate finds these steps.
Many reports suggest that both alliances have had to battle rebellions from dissatisfied segments of their own parties. Politically speaking the rebellions seem to have cancelled out each other. One thing of note that an article in today's Hindustan Times (by Pankaj Vohra) points to is that the top leadership of the BJP alliance has been absent or ineffective whereas the Congress has brought in its star campaigners like Ms.Sonia Gandhi and PM Dr.Manmohan Singh. This can interpreted in different ways.
I feel that the BJP has much more at stake. With their strength in the parliament significantly reduced they desperately need to win this election for meaningful political survival. A win for the Congress/NCP alliance would be a shot in the arm for the Manmohan Singh government. A much needed one for a government in office on a razor thin majority. So this election is important on many counts for observers within the state, within the country and for all of those outside India interested in following Indian politics. Check back with us at our India site for the results later this week.
The election season is heating up the world over. Democracies are on the move to declare their preferences that will determine the course of this young century.
Peace.
Rohit.
NOTE : You can get a breakdown of the outgoing assembly by clicking here.
Maharashtra, which has the second-largest parliamentary contingent (48/543), is a crucial state from an economic and social perspective. With Mumbai as its capital in some quarters this election is being seen as a referendum on the Congress (UPA) government's economic policies in New Delhi. This could at best be seen as a secondary issue. The people of the state will still vote on issues more directly affecting them. On social lines the Congress and the NCP have aggressively combated the exclusivitst politics of their opponents - both religious as well as regional. The Shiv Sena has been discredited over the years for its violence and intimidation against non-natives in the state. The opposition alliance has since moderated itself but only the polls will tell how sincere the electorate finds these steps.
Many reports suggest that both alliances have had to battle rebellions from dissatisfied segments of their own parties. Politically speaking the rebellions seem to have cancelled out each other. One thing of note that an article in today's Hindustan Times (by Pankaj Vohra) points to is that the top leadership of the BJP alliance has been absent or ineffective whereas the Congress has brought in its star campaigners like Ms.Sonia Gandhi and PM Dr.Manmohan Singh. This can interpreted in different ways.
I feel that the BJP has much more at stake. With their strength in the parliament significantly reduced they desperately need to win this election for meaningful political survival. A win for the Congress/NCP alliance would be a shot in the arm for the Manmohan Singh government. A much needed one for a government in office on a razor thin majority. So this election is important on many counts for observers within the state, within the country and for all of those outside India interested in following Indian politics. Check back with us at our India site for the results later this week.
The election season is heating up the world over. Democracies are on the move to declare their preferences that will determine the course of this young century.
Peace.
Rohit.
NOTE : You can get a breakdown of the outgoing assembly by clicking here.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Six weeks to go!
Exactly six weeks from today the United States will go to the polls to elect its next President. The stakes are high. Yet the campaign season has failed to generate enthusiasm on issues that affect most Americans. Enormous amounts of political and organizational energies have regretably been spent on debating records from the Vietnam War era. An exercise borne out of vindictive politics rather than a desire to see the body politic address the issues of the people.
But we still have six weeks. Hopefully there will be some straight talk on fundamental issues of domestic and foreign policy. On the domestic front I would like to know precisely how the spending numbers add up when dealing with the war in Iraq and domestic needs such as health care and education. Senator Kerry has made a simplistic argument of rescinding the tax-cuts for the wealthiest to pay for his proposals. The precision of that calculation is up for interpretation and to some degree incalculable because of the volatile situation in Iraq. President Bush has been more audacious in his pronouncemnts promising more funding for the social sector without addressing the sources for these funds.
On foreign policy Senator Kerry should provide more specifics on what he intends to do. Simply stating that he would do things differently is not going to be sufficient to beat an incumbent who enjoys good support in matters of foreign policy. There are other issues on the international scene than Iraq. I haven't seen any difference in policy statements on the middle-east, south-asia, africa, drug-trade in latin america, relations with brazil, relations with india, and the list goes on... The war on drugs is forgotten. I don't expect these issues to make headlines but I hope that at some level these differences are laid out. Both parties should realize that in a close election where the demographics is diverse and immigrant numbers are increasing it is beneficial to spell out these details. Even today immigrants vote for candidates who have favorable attitudes towards their countries of origin. Just look at the Cuban-American population.
If this is to be viewed as a battle between unilateralists and multilateralists then the latter have a heavier burden to carry. They have to not only expose the failures of the unilateralists but also exemplify the efficacy of multilateralism. With the polls reflecting unconventional numbers ( numbers for the incumbent rising as a foreign war deteriorates ) this burden requires creative handling, which is yet to be seen.
The next four years can indeed change the world. Will the pre-emptive doctrine survive or will Iraq be the final stop? How are Iran and North Korea to be dealt with? How long can the deficit be ignored? Many more questions hinge on the events of the next 6 weeks. I hope all citizens do their homework before they head to the polls.
Peace.
Rohit.
But we still have six weeks. Hopefully there will be some straight talk on fundamental issues of domestic and foreign policy. On the domestic front I would like to know precisely how the spending numbers add up when dealing with the war in Iraq and domestic needs such as health care and education. Senator Kerry has made a simplistic argument of rescinding the tax-cuts for the wealthiest to pay for his proposals. The precision of that calculation is up for interpretation and to some degree incalculable because of the volatile situation in Iraq. President Bush has been more audacious in his pronouncemnts promising more funding for the social sector without addressing the sources for these funds.
On foreign policy Senator Kerry should provide more specifics on what he intends to do. Simply stating that he would do things differently is not going to be sufficient to beat an incumbent who enjoys good support in matters of foreign policy. There are other issues on the international scene than Iraq. I haven't seen any difference in policy statements on the middle-east, south-asia, africa, drug-trade in latin america, relations with brazil, relations with india, and the list goes on... The war on drugs is forgotten. I don't expect these issues to make headlines but I hope that at some level these differences are laid out. Both parties should realize that in a close election where the demographics is diverse and immigrant numbers are increasing it is beneficial to spell out these details. Even today immigrants vote for candidates who have favorable attitudes towards their countries of origin. Just look at the Cuban-American population.
If this is to be viewed as a battle between unilateralists and multilateralists then the latter have a heavier burden to carry. They have to not only expose the failures of the unilateralists but also exemplify the efficacy of multilateralism. With the polls reflecting unconventional numbers ( numbers for the incumbent rising as a foreign war deteriorates ) this burden requires creative handling, which is yet to be seen.
The next four years can indeed change the world. Will the pre-emptive doctrine survive or will Iraq be the final stop? How are Iran and North Korea to be dealt with? How long can the deficit be ignored? Many more questions hinge on the events of the next 6 weeks. I hope all citizens do their homework before they head to the polls.
Peace.
Rohit.
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Independence Day Speech
PM Manmohan Singh gave an inspiring speech on the occassion of India's 58th Independence Day. Evoking the spirit of the Indian freedom movement and the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi the PM talked of fusing governmental endeavor with citizen participation. The speech addressed the most pressing concerns of the Indian people. Water issues featured prominently in his speech. A welcome sign of government atleast acknowledging a problem and then suggestions such as local water management indicate a thoughtfulness of sustainable and environment friendly solutions. Unlike the ecologically disastrous idea of linking rivers.
The full text of the speech is at the site of THE HINDU, which they obtained from the PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
PM Manmohan Singh's Speech
Peace and Jai Hind.
Rohit.
The full text of the speech is at the site of THE HINDU, which they obtained from the PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
PM Manmohan Singh's Speech
Peace and Jai Hind.
Rohit.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Voter Registration
Americans are notorious for their dis-interest in voting. Anecdotally, 60% of people eligible to vote in the US actually voted in the 2000 US presidential election and of those actually registered to vote, 86% of registered voters actually filled out a ballot (info provided by the US Census Bureau). That actually seems higher than we're usually lead to believe. In any case, Americans are usually "shamed" into registering by showing examples of much higher voting percentages in other countries. India is typically used as an example where, no matter what, the populus turns out en-masse to have their say about who will represent them.
So recently, I participated in a voter registration drive. This time of year is key to getting folks to register since the presidential race is finally starting to heat up. The usual strategy to get citizens to register is to get them where it's easy for them to fill out the form. This time, we had a booth at a charity dance party. Before the event I didn't expect too many folks would bother with spending 5 minutes to fill out the form. And true to expectations, very few individuals came up to our booth to register. But the interesting fact was that when we went up to party-goers, a large number of them willingly put their drinks down and filled out the form. The more interesting thing was that many of them had comments about how interested they were in the election - democrats and republicans, both. It was heartening to see that people showed their interest on a night when most people probably didn't expect to see a voter registration drive. By the end of the night, our registration box was full.
Lesson learned? People are more than interested in the upcoming US Presidential elections. There's no need to "shame" them into registering. They may not show interest right up front, but simply engaging them with a question or two will get them talking, and hopefully follow through at the ballot box in November.
So recently, I participated in a voter registration drive. This time of year is key to getting folks to register since the presidential race is finally starting to heat up. The usual strategy to get citizens to register is to get them where it's easy for them to fill out the form. This time, we had a booth at a charity dance party. Before the event I didn't expect too many folks would bother with spending 5 minutes to fill out the form. And true to expectations, very few individuals came up to our booth to register. But the interesting fact was that when we went up to party-goers, a large number of them willingly put their drinks down and filled out the form. The more interesting thing was that many of them had comments about how interested they were in the election - democrats and republicans, both. It was heartening to see that people showed their interest on a night when most people probably didn't expect to see a voter registration drive. By the end of the night, our registration box was full.
Lesson learned? People are more than interested in the upcoming US Presidential elections. There's no need to "shame" them into registering. They may not show interest right up front, but simply engaging them with a question or two will get them talking, and hopefully follow through at the ballot box in November.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Lance, Lance and Lance
For those of you not familiar with the name Lance it's the name of the only man to have ever won 6 straight Tour de France races - a 3000+ km bicycle race ranked amongst the most difficult of physical challenges. But why does this blog have an entry about Lance Armstrong? Because inspiration must be sought from wherever it can be.
In 1996 Lance Armstrong lay on his death bed suffering from testicular cancer with the doctors giving him a slim chance to live. Today one of the commentators on TV recalled visiting Lance in an Indianapolis hospital in 1996 and hearing from Lance's doctors that he had less than 3 months to live! From that day to this day it's been a very long journey but a journey that has inspired millions, especially those fighting cancer. And for those of us blessed with good health the burden to act only increases. Examples like Lance should inspire those of us who aspire to be of some meaning to our larger human family.
One reason I chose to write about Lance today was that Lance trains harder than any of his competitors. He does with an awe inspiring single-mindedness. Such dedication and tenacity should inspire those of us who want to change the political space for the better. Studying Lance one can learn the precision, clarity and sheer determination one needs to succeed. I am far away from achieving any of these goals but when I see a cancer-survivor winning 6 straight years in Paris it inspires me to do my best.
As a survivor of cancer Lance gives hope to the most physically vulnerable amongst us and for those of us priding ourselves as warriors of social justice the connection is simple. As the Mahatma put it democracy should be judged by the state of its most marginalized. And Lance has given hope to the ones in that position of physical marginalization. I hope he goes for number 7 and also hope that the inspiration that I feel today and so do millions other will translate into action making our world a better place thereby giving us a sense of a more complete presence here.
Peace.
In 1996 Lance Armstrong lay on his death bed suffering from testicular cancer with the doctors giving him a slim chance to live. Today one of the commentators on TV recalled visiting Lance in an Indianapolis hospital in 1996 and hearing from Lance's doctors that he had less than 3 months to live! From that day to this day it's been a very long journey but a journey that has inspired millions, especially those fighting cancer. And for those of us blessed with good health the burden to act only increases. Examples like Lance should inspire those of us who aspire to be of some meaning to our larger human family.
One reason I chose to write about Lance today was that Lance trains harder than any of his competitors. He does with an awe inspiring single-mindedness. Such dedication and tenacity should inspire those of us who want to change the political space for the better. Studying Lance one can learn the precision, clarity and sheer determination one needs to succeed. I am far away from achieving any of these goals but when I see a cancer-survivor winning 6 straight years in Paris it inspires me to do my best.
As a survivor of cancer Lance gives hope to the most physically vulnerable amongst us and for those of us priding ourselves as warriors of social justice the connection is simple. As the Mahatma put it democracy should be judged by the state of its most marginalized. And Lance has given hope to the ones in that position of physical marginalization. I hope he goes for number 7 and also hope that the inspiration that I feel today and so do millions other will translate into action making our world a better place thereby giving us a sense of a more complete presence here.
Peace.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Democracy goes back to sleep?
Today democracy comes to "life" during the election season. Every 4 or 5 years people's issues get packaged in slogans and emotive speeches fill the air waves. If you love democracy then you can REALLY feel it. Everyone is taking stock of the nation. I am quite assured in my belief that this is a global phenomena. India just went through that and now the United States is going through that ritual with all the theatrical fervor that modern PR firms can muster.
This overt display of democratic activism that surrounds an election disappears once the votes have been counted, the winners have celebrated, the losers concede, new cabinet positions been announced and to stretch it... the first 100 days in office are over. In some ways its like the birth of a child in a dysfunctional home. The coming of the child is always a celebration. But after the first few months the child is barely cared for, his/her future consumed by the present struggles and unlike democracy it rarely gets a second look. Well, such an attitude towards democracy affects more than one child. It affects millions of them.
Modern politics has been reduced to winning elections. Policy-making is secondary. Policy-implementation is tertiary. Citizen's participation = opinion polls. Are you kidding me?? Nope. This is what our foreparents fought for - the "sport" of democracy. I say sports within quotes because the usual sportsmanship often seen in the athletic realm is missing. Democracy is being reduced to a spectator sports. And that is a shame.
A change of guard at the political helm is always a time for optimism, hope and for the losers... reflection. But that optimism rarely translates into policies that change the lives of millions upon millions who carry democracy on their backs day in and day out. If one talks about their concerns, the struggles one is termed a "populist" or a "liberal" or an "idealist" !! But such name-calling should not desist us from dealing with substantive issues that affect us - the reason for democracy. Election enthusiasm cannot be the total life-cycle of the democratic process because it is too short to address the issues that people deal with for their entire leaves... generations sometimes.
The challenge is to sustain this drive. And the most energetic part of every democratic society must take the lead in doing so. That must be the mission of our generation - not to quit after the first mile but to finish the race. The race will never end as we will only pass on the baton to the next generation but while we run we will feel the pain of the journey, the camaraderie of the run, the satisfaction of helping others to run with us and above all making the story of our journey the story of our generation. These columns cannot and will not provide specific solutions to specific problems. They can't. We must believe in the strength of communities, in their wisdom to know best. We must devolve our democratic faith to the level where people affect their own destinies.
Initiatives like Panchayati Raj (village self-governance) need to become the basis of democracy as we move forward. Supporters of democracy should be alarmed at the dropping rates of electoral participation, pathetically the only barometer available. In the end communities MUST take things into their own hands and dictate the political process that so profoundly affects them.
Whenever you think that you are too small to make a difference one figure that can always inspire you is Mahatma Gandhi. He once said, "Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone." Even if we are a minority of ONE we must persevere through strategic nonviolence. I close with these memorable words from Jawahar Lal Nehru's first speech to independent India:
The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us but as long as there are tears our job is not done.
And I add that the tears may have dried up but the pain persists and if we can every so slightly reduce it we have served our purpose on Earth.
Peace.
This overt display of democratic activism that surrounds an election disappears once the votes have been counted, the winners have celebrated, the losers concede, new cabinet positions been announced and to stretch it... the first 100 days in office are over. In some ways its like the birth of a child in a dysfunctional home. The coming of the child is always a celebration. But after the first few months the child is barely cared for, his/her future consumed by the present struggles and unlike democracy it rarely gets a second look. Well, such an attitude towards democracy affects more than one child. It affects millions of them.
Modern politics has been reduced to winning elections. Policy-making is secondary. Policy-implementation is tertiary. Citizen's participation = opinion polls. Are you kidding me?? Nope. This is what our foreparents fought for - the "sport" of democracy. I say sports within quotes because the usual sportsmanship often seen in the athletic realm is missing. Democracy is being reduced to a spectator sports. And that is a shame.
A change of guard at the political helm is always a time for optimism, hope and for the losers... reflection. But that optimism rarely translates into policies that change the lives of millions upon millions who carry democracy on their backs day in and day out. If one talks about their concerns, the struggles one is termed a "populist" or a "liberal" or an "idealist" !! But such name-calling should not desist us from dealing with substantive issues that affect us - the reason for democracy. Election enthusiasm cannot be the total life-cycle of the democratic process because it is too short to address the issues that people deal with for their entire leaves... generations sometimes.
The challenge is to sustain this drive. And the most energetic part of every democratic society must take the lead in doing so. That must be the mission of our generation - not to quit after the first mile but to finish the race. The race will never end as we will only pass on the baton to the next generation but while we run we will feel the pain of the journey, the camaraderie of the run, the satisfaction of helping others to run with us and above all making the story of our journey the story of our generation. These columns cannot and will not provide specific solutions to specific problems. They can't. We must believe in the strength of communities, in their wisdom to know best. We must devolve our democratic faith to the level where people affect their own destinies.
Initiatives like Panchayati Raj (village self-governance) need to become the basis of democracy as we move forward. Supporters of democracy should be alarmed at the dropping rates of electoral participation, pathetically the only barometer available. In the end communities MUST take things into their own hands and dictate the political process that so profoundly affects them.
Whenever you think that you are too small to make a difference one figure that can always inspire you is Mahatma Gandhi. He once said, "Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone." Even if we are a minority of ONE we must persevere through strategic nonviolence. I close with these memorable words from Jawahar Lal Nehru's first speech to independent India:
The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us but as long as there are tears our job is not done.
And I add that the tears may have dried up but the pain persists and if we can every so slightly reduce it we have served our purpose on Earth.
Peace.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
BJP turns "right"
The BJP's on going national executive meeting in Mumbai has outrightly rejected any suggestion of moderation. To the contrary they are going full throttle in the "right" direction. Rejecting ex-Prime Minister Vajpayee's suggestion to reconsider the selection of Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi (widely accused of complicity in the 2002 riots that left 60 Hindus and 1000 plus Muslims dead)the BJP has reaffirmed its faith in figures like Mr.Modi.
I had feared that the extreme forces under the auspices of the RSS may dominate the scene after the election debacle. I am saddened to say that my fears were not unfounded. For all those who supported the BJP just because Mr.Vajpayee was at the helm this is a wake-up call. I always contended that Mr.Vajpayee was a mascot. A mask that suited the BJP in 1999. They don't need it any more. Their garbing their right-wing conscience didn't pay off this time so their going "back to basics". I wonder what will happen of people like Mr.Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and the likes. People who are moderates and not wedded to the RSS. I hope these leaders realize that the BJP is no more a party where they can survive. If Mr.Modi overpowers Mr.Vajpayee in a party then that party has issues.
I hope the BJP splits. For the better of the nation. The nation can use the service of its moderates. These moderates in the end will be the best bulwark against dangerous polarization. Let's see what happens.
Peace.
I had feared that the extreme forces under the auspices of the RSS may dominate the scene after the election debacle. I am saddened to say that my fears were not unfounded. For all those who supported the BJP just because Mr.Vajpayee was at the helm this is a wake-up call. I always contended that Mr.Vajpayee was a mascot. A mask that suited the BJP in 1999. They don't need it any more. Their garbing their right-wing conscience didn't pay off this time so their going "back to basics". I wonder what will happen of people like Mr.Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and the likes. People who are moderates and not wedded to the RSS. I hope these leaders realize that the BJP is no more a party where they can survive. If Mr.Modi overpowers Mr.Vajpayee in a party then that party has issues.
I hope the BJP splits. For the better of the nation. The nation can use the service of its moderates. These moderates in the end will be the best bulwark against dangerous polarization. Let's see what happens.
Peace.
Sunday, June 06, 2004
The New Indian Government's Agenda - The Common Minimum Program
The newly-elected Congress-alliance, formally known as the United Progressive Alliance, has prepared a Common Minimum Program (CMP). This document provides a high-level view of the coalition's legislative ambitions and gives us some idea of the mindset of this new government.
The CMP covers all major policy-areas. In order for us to have a more meaningful debate on these issues we have decided to take these issues one at a time. Some postings may lump more than one together but the general idea is for us to have time to absorb and understand what the new government is trying to achieve. At the completion of this cycle of posts we will compile our postings and your comments.
We begin our analysis with the "six basic principles for governance" as outlined in the CMP. We have enumerated them for simplicity of analysis. To repeat them they are:
A. To preserve, protect and promote social harmony and to enforce the law without fear or favour to deal with all obscurantist and fundamentalist elements who seek to disturb social amity and peace.
YI Comment: Heartening to see this as the first principle of the CMP. Over the last decade divisive politics has come to dominate the political discourse in India. The rise of Hindu "fundamentalism", deepening caste fissures and other sectarian tensions held India back. After the horrendous events in Gujarat, the train carnage followed by the inexcusable slaughter of innocent civilians, India indeed needed a government that would reaffirm its faith in secularism. Yet pronouncements alone will not do and the government will HAVE to address the root causes of hate. It will have to ensure that laws are enforced. At the same time it HAS to work with citizen's groups that are engaged in preventing the distortion of India's composite culture. The assault of imposed homogeneity MUST be withstood. This government will be closely scrutinized for its efforts in that regard when the history our times is written.
B. To ensure that the economy grows at least 7-8% per year in a sustained manner over a decade and more and in a manner that generates employment so that each family is assured of a safe and viable livelihood.
YI Comment: This principle, in my opinion, just sums the greatest challenge that democracy faces today. That is the challenge of managing social needs with economic goals as dictated by a rapidly globalizing world. India is doing well in managing the latter challenge but as the outgoing BJP-govt can tell you neglecting the former can exact a very high political price. Many theories have been floated in defense and opposition of economic liberalization and free trade. Often these debates have focused on numbers that rarely take into account socio-political factors. In most developing countries that have pursued such policies in the latter part of the 20th century and are still finding their way government's have done a pathetic job of educating and informing their citizens. The citizenry have been caught off guard with transition pains, whose duration is still being debated. They cannot but help feel like sacrificial lambs. The sad part is that the policies that are indeed being pursued, if done so in a more holistic way, may indeed uplift the very same people. This communication breakdown does not befit a democracy. This principle to me is a recognition of this fact and given my interaction with the new leaders I feel confident that the debate on the reforms process will qualitatively change. The reforms are irreversible but atleast now the nation will know where its headed. As it should.
I see no reason for investors to shudder as the people at the helm are extremely competent and fully subscribe to the ideology of free enterprise and trade. However, how India progresses in the second half of this decade will be a model for all democracies in balancing their social obligations (employment generation is paramount!) with economic aspirations. They are not necessarily at odds. The art to manage them MUST become a synergetic science.
C. To enhance the welfare and well-being of farmers, farm labour and workers, particularly those in the unorganised sector, and assure a secure future for their families in every respect.
YI Comment: This principle, in my opinions, emanates from many sources. One is the traditional base the Congress has had amongst the farmers. The point about social realities being addressed through economic policy also resonates in this principle. The undeniable backwardness of Indian agriculture is not lost on anyone. At the same time the inescapable reality of how critical agriculture is to rural employment MUST be recognized. The welfare state in India primarily extends only to the public sector. The majority of Indians still subsist on agriculture and to even think of addressing socio-political challenges without addressing the unorganized sector in rural India is a colossal mistake. Once again as the BJP can tell you.
The extremely strong message that the starving farmers of Andhra Pradesh sent to their state government has been duly noted by all political parties. Andhra Pradesh under Mr.Chandrababu Naidu's premeirship symbolizes the tragedy of lop-sided development. Development where lush green lawns of foreign corporations like Oracle and Microsoft have an abundance of water and farmers in the countryside are committing suicide because there no water to irrigate their fields and hence no food to feed their children.
Just the other day I was having lunch with an eminent Indian historian who reminded of how CRITICAL it now seems Jawahar Lal Nehru's insistence was in ensuring UNIVERSAL Adult Franchise. He fought off opponents that called the masses illiterate and a danger to democracy. Today they have rescued it!
D. To fully empower women politically, educationally, economically and legally.
YI Comment: This basic principle comes right out of the name for the alliance - progressive. The Congress has historically been the champion of women's participation in the national mainstream. Of course, its insistence on this principle was far more sincere and intense during the freedom movement. Then Mahatma Gandhi ensured and greatly encouraged women to take roles of leadership. Who can forget women like Sarojini Naidu.
The dismal percentages of women in elected bodies MUST be addressed. I am sure legislations to address just such issues will be earnestly introduced. The women of India MUST take the new government to task in order to fulfill this promise.
E. To provide for full equality of opportunity, particularly in education and employment for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and religious minorities.
YI Comments: This basic principle too is a pillar of progressive politics the world over. Affirmative action to galvanize the socially and economically backward is central to progressive ideology. Such galvanization is also the basis for many of the coalition's partners. When we delve deeper into this principle a little later in our analysis you will see the special attention being given to the tribals. That is indeed a a very welcome development. They have been most unjustly treated over the span of the last 50 or so years. Having to pay disproportionate prices for "development". The hope is that the new government will strike a humane balance between the rights of the tribals AND the needs of the nation.
A word of caution here for the new government. Those of you who closely follow Indian politics must remember the furore caused in 1989 when the government implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations. The recommendations provided a significant increase in reservations for these same sections of Indian society. The economically weak sections that did not qualify because of their social conditions felt left out and there were massive demonstrations and violence. Affirmative action everywhere arouses mixed feelings. The government will have to proceed with caution striking the right balance between true opportunity and social tranquility. It MUST not be driven by vote-bank politics as it will invariably harm the interests of the majority of Indians in that case.
F. To unleash the creative energies of our entrepreneurs, businessmen, scientists, engineers and all other professionals and productive forces of society.
YI Comment: Hard to find something more vague in terms of substance. But I believe it is important to make such optimism a guiding principle. Stating this desire doesn't mean much unless it's backed by policies and pronouncements that inspire. Time will tell how this government fared while fulfilling this ambition of theirs. It's also the ambition of every Indian that their government provide them the opportunity to become a productive force for their own nation.
Peace.
The CMP covers all major policy-areas. In order for us to have a more meaningful debate on these issues we have decided to take these issues one at a time. Some postings may lump more than one together but the general idea is for us to have time to absorb and understand what the new government is trying to achieve. At the completion of this cycle of posts we will compile our postings and your comments.
We begin our analysis with the "six basic principles for governance" as outlined in the CMP. We have enumerated them for simplicity of analysis. To repeat them they are:
A. To preserve, protect and promote social harmony and to enforce the law without fear or favour to deal with all obscurantist and fundamentalist elements who seek to disturb social amity and peace.
YI Comment: Heartening to see this as the first principle of the CMP. Over the last decade divisive politics has come to dominate the political discourse in India. The rise of Hindu "fundamentalism", deepening caste fissures and other sectarian tensions held India back. After the horrendous events in Gujarat, the train carnage followed by the inexcusable slaughter of innocent civilians, India indeed needed a government that would reaffirm its faith in secularism. Yet pronouncements alone will not do and the government will HAVE to address the root causes of hate. It will have to ensure that laws are enforced. At the same time it HAS to work with citizen's groups that are engaged in preventing the distortion of India's composite culture. The assault of imposed homogeneity MUST be withstood. This government will be closely scrutinized for its efforts in that regard when the history our times is written.
B. To ensure that the economy grows at least 7-8% per year in a sustained manner over a decade and more and in a manner that generates employment so that each family is assured of a safe and viable livelihood.
YI Comment: This principle, in my opinion, just sums the greatest challenge that democracy faces today. That is the challenge of managing social needs with economic goals as dictated by a rapidly globalizing world. India is doing well in managing the latter challenge but as the outgoing BJP-govt can tell you neglecting the former can exact a very high political price. Many theories have been floated in defense and opposition of economic liberalization and free trade. Often these debates have focused on numbers that rarely take into account socio-political factors. In most developing countries that have pursued such policies in the latter part of the 20th century and are still finding their way government's have done a pathetic job of educating and informing their citizens. The citizenry have been caught off guard with transition pains, whose duration is still being debated. They cannot but help feel like sacrificial lambs. The sad part is that the policies that are indeed being pursued, if done so in a more holistic way, may indeed uplift the very same people. This communication breakdown does not befit a democracy. This principle to me is a recognition of this fact and given my interaction with the new leaders I feel confident that the debate on the reforms process will qualitatively change. The reforms are irreversible but atleast now the nation will know where its headed. As it should.
I see no reason for investors to shudder as the people at the helm are extremely competent and fully subscribe to the ideology of free enterprise and trade. However, how India progresses in the second half of this decade will be a model for all democracies in balancing their social obligations (employment generation is paramount!) with economic aspirations. They are not necessarily at odds. The art to manage them MUST become a synergetic science.
C. To enhance the welfare and well-being of farmers, farm labour and workers, particularly those in the unorganised sector, and assure a secure future for their families in every respect.
YI Comment: This principle, in my opinions, emanates from many sources. One is the traditional base the Congress has had amongst the farmers. The point about social realities being addressed through economic policy also resonates in this principle. The undeniable backwardness of Indian agriculture is not lost on anyone. At the same time the inescapable reality of how critical agriculture is to rural employment MUST be recognized. The welfare state in India primarily extends only to the public sector. The majority of Indians still subsist on agriculture and to even think of addressing socio-political challenges without addressing the unorganized sector in rural India is a colossal mistake. Once again as the BJP can tell you.
The extremely strong message that the starving farmers of Andhra Pradesh sent to their state government has been duly noted by all political parties. Andhra Pradesh under Mr.Chandrababu Naidu's premeirship symbolizes the tragedy of lop-sided development. Development where lush green lawns of foreign corporations like Oracle and Microsoft have an abundance of water and farmers in the countryside are committing suicide because there no water to irrigate their fields and hence no food to feed their children.
Just the other day I was having lunch with an eminent Indian historian who reminded of how CRITICAL it now seems Jawahar Lal Nehru's insistence was in ensuring UNIVERSAL Adult Franchise. He fought off opponents that called the masses illiterate and a danger to democracy. Today they have rescued it!
D. To fully empower women politically, educationally, economically and legally.
YI Comment: This basic principle comes right out of the name for the alliance - progressive. The Congress has historically been the champion of women's participation in the national mainstream. Of course, its insistence on this principle was far more sincere and intense during the freedom movement. Then Mahatma Gandhi ensured and greatly encouraged women to take roles of leadership. Who can forget women like Sarojini Naidu.
The dismal percentages of women in elected bodies MUST be addressed. I am sure legislations to address just such issues will be earnestly introduced. The women of India MUST take the new government to task in order to fulfill this promise.
E. To provide for full equality of opportunity, particularly in education and employment for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and religious minorities.
YI Comments: This basic principle too is a pillar of progressive politics the world over. Affirmative action to galvanize the socially and economically backward is central to progressive ideology. Such galvanization is also the basis for many of the coalition's partners. When we delve deeper into this principle a little later in our analysis you will see the special attention being given to the tribals. That is indeed a a very welcome development. They have been most unjustly treated over the span of the last 50 or so years. Having to pay disproportionate prices for "development". The hope is that the new government will strike a humane balance between the rights of the tribals AND the needs of the nation.
A word of caution here for the new government. Those of you who closely follow Indian politics must remember the furore caused in 1989 when the government implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations. The recommendations provided a significant increase in reservations for these same sections of Indian society. The economically weak sections that did not qualify because of their social conditions felt left out and there were massive demonstrations and violence. Affirmative action everywhere arouses mixed feelings. The government will have to proceed with caution striking the right balance between true opportunity and social tranquility. It MUST not be driven by vote-bank politics as it will invariably harm the interests of the majority of Indians in that case.
F. To unleash the creative energies of our entrepreneurs, businessmen, scientists, engineers and all other professionals and productive forces of society.
YI Comment: Hard to find something more vague in terms of substance. But I believe it is important to make such optimism a guiding principle. Stating this desire doesn't mean much unless it's backed by policies and pronouncements that inspire. Time will tell how this government fared while fulfilling this ambition of theirs. It's also the ambition of every Indian that their government provide them the opportunity to become a productive force for their own nation.
Peace.
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