Tech- & Media Savvy Politicians But Parties?
India is the largest democracy in India with long six decades of existence: it's Governments, corporations and individuals are bound by laws and regulations are required to follow practices that makes them accountable for performance and.transparent with lot of disclosures. India is also a country which takes justified pride in the use and development of information technology, especially software, mobile and the Internet. Her politicians are also technology savvy and media savvy. The use of SMS, e-mail, websites, blogs and mobiles is widespread among politicians. Many politicians enjoy participating in TV programs telecasting live or recorded debates, discussion and interviews on political, social and economic issues – local, national and international.
Yet, when we come to the individual political parties, the standards of content, up-dating, visitor-friendliness and transparency in web sites are extremely poor, though some are much better than others. I have observed the following:
1. Some even do not have contact us or feedback buttons for visitors.
2. Those which have feedback or contact us buttons may not bother to respond to comments or queries from visitors.
3. The content lacks any specific articulation of macro-economic management or economic activity structure (presumably, the parties do not have any such economy vision or do not have adequate knowledge of economics beyond some out-dated or fashionable economic terms.
4. There is no overall or indicator specific performance report of the party over decades and years: the party websites do not give performance targets in respect of the coming year/s.
5. There are no disclosures on compliance with laws and regulations.
6. There is no data on number of members of different categories: district-level/ local level secretaries of functionaries and their contact numbers or addresses.
7. There is absolutely no information on income, expenditure and assets / liabilities. No audited accounts are posted.
8. The highest level governing bodies of some parties with elected representatives mostly from one or two states have more members from States with zero elected representative seats in the Parliament. For example, in CPM Politburo the Bengali leaders with roots in West Bengal or Tripura, where the party has the overwhelmingly dominant support of the people and contribute to dominating share in the Party’s seats in the Parliament, are in absolute minority.
9. There is no information on women representation, minorities reservation, OBC Reservation in the party’s official hierarchy.
10. There is no information on the academic qualifications and experience of the party functionaries or the salaries, allowances and other benefits.
11. There is no information on inter-related party transactions.
12. For months there is no new posting on some of the party websites
How do future citizens or even the current citizens, especially the senior citizens choose among parties? What are the accountability of the party’s and their managers?
What quality of democracy can a country enjoy and be proud of in the 21st century of high technology, transparency, governance and accountability for performance and resource use even so many things are missing?
Some people interested in democracy, governance and civil society must find out the facts and the Truth before they comment on the political parties activities based merely on media reports and sporadic, impressionistic personal visit surveys in some pockets here and there.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Durga Puja in Bangladesh
Bangladeshis may be more secular than what some fundamentalists there make the World believe. The Durga Puja celebrations in Bangladesh is organised by the minuscule minority Hindus but participation by the Muslims as also others actually contribute to the affection, love, fun and gaiety to the Durga Puja there. The ATN TV news shows how large number of politicians and common people of different religious faith participate and enjoy the celebrations in Durga Puja organised in temples and elsewhere. This speaks for the inherent tolerance and love among the Bengalis in general.
In the UK, the Durga Puja celebrations attract people from different communities -Hindus originating from different parts of India and the people of different faith residing there.
Despite the violent religious fundamentalism and religious war mongering by some in different parts of the World, the common people are for harmony and peace. The genetic evolution in the 21st century will help eradicate the religious hatred among the people.
The Supreme Creator of all has his own way of making different parts of his Creation intermingle and come together as much as his own way of splitting them: the fission and the fusion continues. Fusion may dominate in this century. In technology, convergence of information technology, communications and telecommunications is spreading wonders. Globalization in the past two decades has lifted millions out of poverty and the convergence of various political ideologies in dealing with world economic crisis is reflected in the way G20 meetings are held in 2009. The confluence of faiths in the Creator will bring an era of peace for a while.
In the UK, the Durga Puja celebrations attract people from different communities -Hindus originating from different parts of India and the people of different faith residing there.
Despite the violent religious fundamentalism and religious war mongering by some in different parts of the World, the common people are for harmony and peace. The genetic evolution in the 21st century will help eradicate the religious hatred among the people.
The Supreme Creator of all has his own way of making different parts of his Creation intermingle and come together as much as his own way of splitting them: the fission and the fusion continues. Fusion may dominate in this century. In technology, convergence of information technology, communications and telecommunications is spreading wonders. Globalization in the past two decades has lifted millions out of poverty and the convergence of various political ideologies in dealing with world economic crisis is reflected in the way G20 meetings are held in 2009. The confluence of faiths in the Creator will bring an era of peace for a while.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tragedy of the Arrogance of Ignorance & Incompetence
An young man of 19 was reported missing in Kolkata Police Station X. The information was circulated to Police Hdqrs and all police stations in the State within hours. Within a few hours another person of age around 32 was found dead with signs of injury besides a railway track near the same Police Station X. This information was circulated within hours among all police stations. Since no one identified the dead in reasonably time, he was cremated by the Police. After 24 days the parents of the missing youth could trace their son to the dress in which the dead body was found.
This tragedy occurred in a State that boasts of caring for the common man, of high growth of information technology industry, of source of talented and honest manpower and of visionary, honest and capable ruling party leadership supported by committed cadres.
Had the photographs of all reported missing persons and unidentified dead bodies recovered along with some other details were available on an website of the Kolkata Police, the matching would have been possible even by the bereaved family within a few hours through appropriate sorting. But Kolkata Police is constrained by poor motivation to discharge the responsibility, poor technology usage and a Minister who possess poor managerial and leadership quality.
Two years back the Leader sought to ignore the possibility of high-level policemen being connected to harassment of an adult young Muslim man and his adult Hindu wife at the instance of a case filed by the man's father-in-law who wished that the marriage of her daughter had not taken place. The police minister never insisted that all such interrogations of suspected criminals be video-taped compulsorily for easy investigations later if required. He had poor vision of the direction in which the police should advance in technology and motivation for carrying out the work for which police forces has been recruited.
On the other hand, arrogance that what his police does is most of the time a perfect model of quality to the service of the people, has only made the police less efficient, effective and careful in the discharge of their duties.
The politicians must now learn to vastly improve their capabilities for holding on to public offices: getting votes makes on the representative of the people but do not impart in you the capabilities to manage and lead the people and resources the government gets to use. There will be neither "Development" nor " Change" unless the State's politicians change and develop themselves to substantially upgrade their inherent managerial and leadership qualities. Managing and leading political parties is not enough of an exposure or indicator to managing and leading governments. The 21st century is going to be vastly different from the previous century for the politicians who wish to run governments.
This tragedy occurred in a State that boasts of caring for the common man, of high growth of information technology industry, of source of talented and honest manpower and of visionary, honest and capable ruling party leadership supported by committed cadres.
Had the photographs of all reported missing persons and unidentified dead bodies recovered along with some other details were available on an website of the Kolkata Police, the matching would have been possible even by the bereaved family within a few hours through appropriate sorting. But Kolkata Police is constrained by poor motivation to discharge the responsibility, poor technology usage and a Minister who possess poor managerial and leadership quality.
Two years back the Leader sought to ignore the possibility of high-level policemen being connected to harassment of an adult young Muslim man and his adult Hindu wife at the instance of a case filed by the man's father-in-law who wished that the marriage of her daughter had not taken place. The police minister never insisted that all such interrogations of suspected criminals be video-taped compulsorily for easy investigations later if required. He had poor vision of the direction in which the police should advance in technology and motivation for carrying out the work for which police forces has been recruited.
On the other hand, arrogance that what his police does is most of the time a perfect model of quality to the service of the people, has only made the police less efficient, effective and careful in the discharge of their duties.
The politicians must now learn to vastly improve their capabilities for holding on to public offices: getting votes makes on the representative of the people but do not impart in you the capabilities to manage and lead the people and resources the government gets to use. There will be neither "Development" nor " Change" unless the State's politicians change and develop themselves to substantially upgrade their inherent managerial and leadership qualities. Managing and leading political parties is not enough of an exposure or indicator to managing and leading governments. The 21st century is going to be vastly different from the previous century for the politicians who wish to run governments.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Shun Old Strategies to win elections
Political parties are created to allow some people to acquire power required to influence the lives of the common citizens and earn prestige, status and money. The method is to announce promises to improve the economic and social conditions and lure and or force voters to vote for particular parties or abstain from voting against.
This democracy has been a utter failure despite all its successes in bring about peace, justice and economic growth of West Bengal for more than forty years.
Let the political parties behave with maturity now. Let them not do the following;
a. Stick to power when they are not able to make rapid progress in economic development and providing peace to the people.
b. Try to win the favour of electorate by agitations/ movements that disrupt civic life, economic transactions, movement of people and goods, education and productive activities.
c. Continue with political murders and political violence to retain or capture areas for control over the electorate
d. Make citizens politically conscious
Instead let them do the following:
d. help each and every citizen to get their voter identity cards
e. help each citizen affected go to courts against police and anti-social / terrorist group atrocities
f. help each citizen to express each citizen to express their points of view without fear
g. help citizens to go to consumer courts against unfair practices by retailers to cheat the consumers
h. conduct surveys of electorates as to what they want in terms of solution to their problems.
As we go to the 2011 elections in West Bengal, let the political parties stop fighting and trying to demonstrate their popularity and support. Instead let them work together to take quick decisions on importing potatoes, on throwing out criminals, anti-socials and corrupt elements from party membership and affiliations, land allocation to Wipro, Infosys and other industrial and transportation projects, and on improving services in hospitals and municipalities and govt. offices.
Let them severe all connections with any sports, cultural and religious activities. Let them severe relationship with school and college student unions and employee unions in sectors that are connected with emergency services.
Let them not create chaos and disruptions in the normal life of the people in any way. Let them not abuse the democratic right to protest, right to influence voters, right to recruits youth and students for party work, right to mobilize people to attend their meetings.
In this modern era of television, cable TV, Internet, mobiles, Sms, etc let the political parties give up their habit of using crude method like bandhs, agitations, gheraos, public meetings, armed mafia, shouting with micro-phones in street corners.
Even with only modern technologically efficient and economically cost effective methods, the political parties can win and lose elections. Why use old, obsolete, painful, environmentally polluting, destructive and socially highly costly methods of political business activity?
This democracy has been a utter failure despite all its successes in bring about peace, justice and economic growth of West Bengal for more than forty years.
Let the political parties behave with maturity now. Let them not do the following;
a. Stick to power when they are not able to make rapid progress in economic development and providing peace to the people.
b. Try to win the favour of electorate by agitations/ movements that disrupt civic life, economic transactions, movement of people and goods, education and productive activities.
c. Continue with political murders and political violence to retain or capture areas for control over the electorate
d. Make citizens politically conscious
Instead let them do the following:
d. help each and every citizen to get their voter identity cards
e. help each citizen affected go to courts against police and anti-social / terrorist group atrocities
f. help each citizen to express each citizen to express their points of view without fear
g. help citizens to go to consumer courts against unfair practices by retailers to cheat the consumers
h. conduct surveys of electorates as to what they want in terms of solution to their problems.
As we go to the 2011 elections in West Bengal, let the political parties stop fighting and trying to demonstrate their popularity and support. Instead let them work together to take quick decisions on importing potatoes, on throwing out criminals, anti-socials and corrupt elements from party membership and affiliations, land allocation to Wipro, Infosys and other industrial and transportation projects, and on improving services in hospitals and municipalities and govt. offices.
Let them severe all connections with any sports, cultural and religious activities. Let them severe relationship with school and college student unions and employee unions in sectors that are connected with emergency services.
Let them not create chaos and disruptions in the normal life of the people in any way. Let them not abuse the democratic right to protest, right to influence voters, right to recruits youth and students for party work, right to mobilize people to attend their meetings.
In this modern era of television, cable TV, Internet, mobiles, Sms, etc let the political parties give up their habit of using crude method like bandhs, agitations, gheraos, public meetings, armed mafia, shouting with micro-phones in street corners.
Even with only modern technologically efficient and economically cost effective methods, the political parties can win and lose elections. Why use old, obsolete, painful, environmentally polluting, destructive and socially highly costly methods of political business activity?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Yet Another Election in favour of Change
The Trinamool-Congress combine has ousted the CPM 27-year Rule in North Bengal's Siliguri Municipal Corporations.
Leftists continue to argue that this is because their opposition parties have formed a coalition front and that there has been negative fall-out of certain mistakes by the State's ruling CPM-led Government and the CPM in neglecting to keep in touch with the poor and the weak by allowing some vested interests and corrupt, selfish and greedy people to infiltrate the Party and the Government. The leftist also suggest that the people wants a change but really do not know whether this change is for the better or worse: they will soon come to realize the truth.
These arguments are the usual childish reasoning adopted by politicians who swear in the name of democracy but are essentially fascist power-seekers for making money and enjoying privileges.
1. Had the opposition partied not form coalition CPM would have continued rule means that CPM enjoyed ruling so long despite most of the electorate being against them. Children speak of their weakness as their strength. So long the CPM argued that the State's electorate is largely communist minded was thus a false claim.
2. Admission of negative fall-out of mistake of losing touch with the poor and the weak is another proof that communists are not necessarily friends of the poor and they can oppress the poor for the benefit of the rich or the corrupt. The history will record one more that the communists oppressed the poor and the weak at least after 2004.
3. Admission that some corrupt and greedy individuals/ sections within the party have been able to misdirect the communist party implies that the corrupt and the greedy are more talented and skilled than the so-called genuine communists who leads the party.
4. To say that the citizens will later realize that they have voted for a change for the worse is an admission of the poor status and image that the electorate enjoys in the minds of the communists in West Bengal. People would never know what is good for the people: so they should always vote for the communists. That is the concept of democracy that the communists accept: people are democratic only if they vote for the communists.
All of a sudden the political consciousness and intelligence that the CPM had overt the last 33 years inculcated among or imparted to the citizens of the State vanished.
Writing on the wall is clear. History shows this. Oppression and injustice creates fear as well as resentment. At some point resentment becomes much stronger than the fear of the ruler's wrath. People seek change not necessarily for the better but may retort by at least changing the oppressor.
Oppressors are always there in the population to combine together for getting hold of the political power. One group or the other will oppress. But people may not like to be oppressed by the same faces, especially if they shout over the top of the roof that they are oppressive and injust. Democracy or no democracy, the oppressed will exercise their choice to be opressed by different rulers rather than accepting the oppression of the same ruler. If that gives them a brief period of reduced oppression and lower measure of injustice, that's simply a bonus. Hopes of political parties and politicians bringing about justice and not interfering with individual citizen's liberty, enterprise and freedom have long been burried.
West Bengal may change the oppressors after 35 years - that itself may be record period of tolerance. West Bengal may not change the oppressors in 2011 to create a better record. That is immaterial. Citizens now know better than in 2004 about the intrinsic worth of political parties and politicians - communists or not:that is a great progress for the oppressed citizens.
Leftists continue to argue that this is because their opposition parties have formed a coalition front and that there has been negative fall-out of certain mistakes by the State's ruling CPM-led Government and the CPM in neglecting to keep in touch with the poor and the weak by allowing some vested interests and corrupt, selfish and greedy people to infiltrate the Party and the Government. The leftist also suggest that the people wants a change but really do not know whether this change is for the better or worse: they will soon come to realize the truth.
These arguments are the usual childish reasoning adopted by politicians who swear in the name of democracy but are essentially fascist power-seekers for making money and enjoying privileges.
1. Had the opposition partied not form coalition CPM would have continued rule means that CPM enjoyed ruling so long despite most of the electorate being against them. Children speak of their weakness as their strength. So long the CPM argued that the State's electorate is largely communist minded was thus a false claim.
2. Admission of negative fall-out of mistake of losing touch with the poor and the weak is another proof that communists are not necessarily friends of the poor and they can oppress the poor for the benefit of the rich or the corrupt. The history will record one more that the communists oppressed the poor and the weak at least after 2004.
3. Admission that some corrupt and greedy individuals/ sections within the party have been able to misdirect the communist party implies that the corrupt and the greedy are more talented and skilled than the so-called genuine communists who leads the party.
4. To say that the citizens will later realize that they have voted for a change for the worse is an admission of the poor status and image that the electorate enjoys in the minds of the communists in West Bengal. People would never know what is good for the people: so they should always vote for the communists. That is the concept of democracy that the communists accept: people are democratic only if they vote for the communists.
All of a sudden the political consciousness and intelligence that the CPM had overt the last 33 years inculcated among or imparted to the citizens of the State vanished.
Writing on the wall is clear. History shows this. Oppression and injustice creates fear as well as resentment. At some point resentment becomes much stronger than the fear of the ruler's wrath. People seek change not necessarily for the better but may retort by at least changing the oppressor.
Oppressors are always there in the population to combine together for getting hold of the political power. One group or the other will oppress. But people may not like to be oppressed by the same faces, especially if they shout over the top of the roof that they are oppressive and injust. Democracy or no democracy, the oppressed will exercise their choice to be opressed by different rulers rather than accepting the oppression of the same ruler. If that gives them a brief period of reduced oppression and lower measure of injustice, that's simply a bonus. Hopes of political parties and politicians bringing about justice and not interfering with individual citizen's liberty, enterprise and freedom have long been burried.
West Bengal may change the oppressors after 35 years - that itself may be record period of tolerance. West Bengal may not change the oppressors in 2011 to create a better record. That is immaterial. Citizens now know better than in 2004 about the intrinsic worth of political parties and politicians - communists or not:that is a great progress for the oppressed citizens.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
What Ails West Bengal
West Bengal seems to be always failing to live up to her potential or promise or even those basic justifications for her pride for exemplary record in peace, culture, food, transport, idealism, sacrifice for the weak and civic sense.
All this has gone. Potatoes prices have gone up exorbitantly. So, Government has arranged a method of rationing that makes people to buy some rotten potatoes that would not have otherwise been sold at all. The Administration is fighting without success killings all over the state in political violence and Maoists-class of communists' murder program to annihilate other communists. Culture is gone except that which goes on with the Durga Puja Celebrations. The banned auto-rickshaws still ply to partly meet the shortages of buses after the police started seizing buses of more than 15 years old that were killing the Kolkata citizens to death spreading obnoxious elements through their nostrils and eyes. The communists wants Rail movements also to inflict suffering to the passengers and therefore are organizing obstruction on railway tracks for something or the other. Sacrifice for the poor has long been at traditions with political leaders of all genre enjoying their progressively wealthy lives while the poor are being looted of their land either by Govt. diktat or by politician supported land Mafia.
Idealism is at cross roads. The communist chief minister has fallen sick, reported due to mental fatigue. That is natural for any non-criminal, honest person who has failed to govern the state and cause its economy to get into a sustained high growth path. He has also presided over the CPM's debacle at the lections at local, panchyat, municipality and Parliamentary elections. The CPM party's central leaders who have no political following anywhere in the country and depended on the electoral successes of the West Bengal CPM unit to continue their political upmanship in Delhi, the country's capital are now pointing to the great failure of CPM leadership in the State.
A gentleman with a reasonable degree of conscience would have normally given up his positions in the Government and the Party. But a communist can never do that: a communist is supposed to be dedicated to the Party's cause even after he has been thrown out from the Party. That is why communists are not to nurse conscience. If they do, they will suffer mental agony and become ill.
For three decades, the CPM participated in democracy bringing lot of benefits to its cadre and their families through lucrative material supply, construction and other State-aided small businesses. It has also brought benefits to local businessmen who never would be able to compete outside West Bengal. It distributed lands to the poor to increase its strength of supporters but very little to lay the foundations of sustainable agriculture. The CPM established a reign of terror that would force people to vote for them or else. But suddenly the Party finds that they are fast losing their feet on the ground. It all started with some incidents in Midnapore districts, got fueled in Nandigram and Singur, gathered momentum with Government interfrerence in Cricket and State protection to high-handedness of loyal policemen in the Rizawan case. The more these events exposed the fascism caracteristic of cummunists, the more the communists became arrogant and more their weaknesses got exposed. More and more people wanted a chanmge even if for the sake of change of the face of the ruling oppressors.
Communists never believe in electoral democracy that is not controlled by the Party Bureaucracy's Leadership. They were all the time fooling the people of West Bengal and India that they are wedded to India's Parliamentary Democracy till the dictatorship of the proletariat is one day established: how and when - neither the CPM ever though of nor the people cared to ask. Such fooling of people in the name of political consciousness can continue for some time and not for long. It seems to be ending now.
CPM has now to choose between Democracy and Communism. The Thurs alternative is to step out or get forced out of ruling the State of West Bengal and become opposition party to drive West Bengal into another period of lawlessness, driving businesses, capital, talent and resources out of West Bengal.
For West Bengal it would have been better had West Bengal CPM unit delinked itself from its All-India CPM and successfully persuaded Mamata Banerjee to head both the Party and the Government in West Bengal. That would have revived both the CPM and West Bengal.
All this has gone. Potatoes prices have gone up exorbitantly. So, Government has arranged a method of rationing that makes people to buy some rotten potatoes that would not have otherwise been sold at all. The Administration is fighting without success killings all over the state in political violence and Maoists-class of communists' murder program to annihilate other communists. Culture is gone except that which goes on with the Durga Puja Celebrations. The banned auto-rickshaws still ply to partly meet the shortages of buses after the police started seizing buses of more than 15 years old that were killing the Kolkata citizens to death spreading obnoxious elements through their nostrils and eyes. The communists wants Rail movements also to inflict suffering to the passengers and therefore are organizing obstruction on railway tracks for something or the other. Sacrifice for the poor has long been at traditions with political leaders of all genre enjoying their progressively wealthy lives while the poor are being looted of their land either by Govt. diktat or by politician supported land Mafia.
Idealism is at cross roads. The communist chief minister has fallen sick, reported due to mental fatigue. That is natural for any non-criminal, honest person who has failed to govern the state and cause its economy to get into a sustained high growth path. He has also presided over the CPM's debacle at the lections at local, panchyat, municipality and Parliamentary elections. The CPM party's central leaders who have no political following anywhere in the country and depended on the electoral successes of the West Bengal CPM unit to continue their political upmanship in Delhi, the country's capital are now pointing to the great failure of CPM leadership in the State.
A gentleman with a reasonable degree of conscience would have normally given up his positions in the Government and the Party. But a communist can never do that: a communist is supposed to be dedicated to the Party's cause even after he has been thrown out from the Party. That is why communists are not to nurse conscience. If they do, they will suffer mental agony and become ill.
For three decades, the CPM participated in democracy bringing lot of benefits to its cadre and their families through lucrative material supply, construction and other State-aided small businesses. It has also brought benefits to local businessmen who never would be able to compete outside West Bengal. It distributed lands to the poor to increase its strength of supporters but very little to lay the foundations of sustainable agriculture. The CPM established a reign of terror that would force people to vote for them or else. But suddenly the Party finds that they are fast losing their feet on the ground. It all started with some incidents in Midnapore districts, got fueled in Nandigram and Singur, gathered momentum with Government interfrerence in Cricket and State protection to high-handedness of loyal policemen in the Rizawan case. The more these events exposed the fascism caracteristic of cummunists, the more the communists became arrogant and more their weaknesses got exposed. More and more people wanted a chanmge even if for the sake of change of the face of the ruling oppressors.
Communists never believe in electoral democracy that is not controlled by the Party Bureaucracy's Leadership. They were all the time fooling the people of West Bengal and India that they are wedded to India's Parliamentary Democracy till the dictatorship of the proletariat is one day established: how and when - neither the CPM ever though of nor the people cared to ask. Such fooling of people in the name of political consciousness can continue for some time and not for long. It seems to be ending now.
CPM has now to choose between Democracy and Communism. The Thurs alternative is to step out or get forced out of ruling the State of West Bengal and become opposition party to drive West Bengal into another period of lawlessness, driving businesses, capital, talent and resources out of West Bengal.
For West Bengal it would have been better had West Bengal CPM unit delinked itself from its All-India CPM and successfully persuaded Mamata Banerjee to head both the Party and the Government in West Bengal. That would have revived both the CPM and West Bengal.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Party Quality & Democracy Outlook
Indian democracy in now fully exposed by the quality of her political parties who preached to the Indian citizens for the last sixty years that the poltical parties constitute an important pillar of Paliamentary democracy. That pillar seems to be crumbling. The main opposition party, BJP, is in doldrums for absolutely insignificant reasons. One Late Mr. Jinnah's deeds and attributes seem to be an important part of the existence of of the BJP. Jinnah is dead long: but he still haunts BJP leaders like Advani and Jaswant Singh and the entire party. How does it matter to India now what Mr. Jinnah was all about? It matters to BJP? There is no leader in BJP who can lead the party. A President is without support, the senior most leader after Bajpayee, former Prime Minister, is old and does not know what to do, several younger generation leaders (close to 60 or more in age) fighting to get the post of the party President or the Leader of the opposition parties in the Parliament. While the ruling party, the Congress Party, remains vibrant, BJP seems to be sick and fit for hospitalisation for rest and recuperation before getting through a major surgery. This does not bode well for Indian democracy. Democracy needs vibrant opposition parties to be effective democracies.
West Bengal is suffering from the continuing illness of the ruling party, the CPM. It's explicit aggressiveness and arrogance has turned into mew mews of the cat: it's musclemen cadre is in quandary. It's party leadership does not seem to be in control of the party. Incident after incidents are taking place that progressively darkens the image of the party that was thought to be clean, disciplined and pro-poor. The Chief Minister skips two national party meetings. His ministers are fighting among themselves to share the blame of corruption in land deals. Gone are the days of announcement of industrial investment MOUs, inauguration of film festivals, book fairs, cultural events and flyovers. Gone are the days of deciding who will lead which sports bodies. Maoists continue to hoodwik the CPM and the state police forces. High court orders continue to embaras the Government. Natural calamities like drought, stroms, heavy rains and floods cause affected opeople to get angry with the CPM government for inefficient relief operations and corruption in relief administration. Too many problems one after the other seem to be attacking CPM and making its leaders and cadres: overwheled they seem to bein total disarray> Sickness is fast spreading from the brains to the throats, arms, feet and rest of the body CPM.
And, this is bad for the citizens of West Bengal. Democracy is not producing results for the State. Gone are the industrialisation hopes. Shortage of potatoe has been compensated by ministerial assurances that have little meaning Transport continues to be a problem in the State Capital. Educational institutions are in distress. Government seem to be failing in every area of governance.
CPM needs to be revived if West Bengal wants to benefit from Democracy. Earlier democracy was throttled because there was hasrdly any opposition. Now the opposition party, Trinamool has gained considerable strength. But the ruling party has weakened to become sick. When will West Bengal have the good luck to enjoy effective and vibrant democracy that can shun violence?
We can only hope that entertainment will be replaced by performing democracy in West Bengal, though for the last 60 years democracy has shown very little performance beyond what Bengali's call lecturebaji and lok thakano.
West Bengal is suffering from the continuing illness of the ruling party, the CPM. It's explicit aggressiveness and arrogance has turned into mew mews of the cat: it's musclemen cadre is in quandary. It's party leadership does not seem to be in control of the party. Incident after incidents are taking place that progressively darkens the image of the party that was thought to be clean, disciplined and pro-poor. The Chief Minister skips two national party meetings. His ministers are fighting among themselves to share the blame of corruption in land deals. Gone are the days of announcement of industrial investment MOUs, inauguration of film festivals, book fairs, cultural events and flyovers. Gone are the days of deciding who will lead which sports bodies. Maoists continue to hoodwik the CPM and the state police forces. High court orders continue to embaras the Government. Natural calamities like drought, stroms, heavy rains and floods cause affected opeople to get angry with the CPM government for inefficient relief operations and corruption in relief administration. Too many problems one after the other seem to be attacking CPM and making its leaders and cadres: overwheled they seem to bein total disarray> Sickness is fast spreading from the brains to the throats, arms, feet and rest of the body CPM.
And, this is bad for the citizens of West Bengal. Democracy is not producing results for the State. Gone are the industrialisation hopes. Shortage of potatoe has been compensated by ministerial assurances that have little meaning Transport continues to be a problem in the State Capital. Educational institutions are in distress. Government seem to be failing in every area of governance.
CPM needs to be revived if West Bengal wants to benefit from Democracy. Earlier democracy was throttled because there was hasrdly any opposition. Now the opposition party, Trinamool has gained considerable strength. But the ruling party has weakened to become sick. When will West Bengal have the good luck to enjoy effective and vibrant democracy that can shun violence?
We can only hope that entertainment will be replaced by performing democracy in West Bengal, though for the last 60 years democracy has shown very little performance beyond what Bengali's call lecturebaji and lok thakano.
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