Why I abhor the idea of Rahul Gandhi coming to power

This article was prompted by this article I saw being shared on Facebook member, Chaitanya Chinchlikar. Of late I have been in two minds on writing about politics. However this article really got my ranting juices flowing.

As Chinchlikar pointed out it very much looks as if the writer has his head in buried beneath soil. However what really got my goat was the entitlement or inheritance that the author seems to be talking about. It fills me with disgust that we have people like Rahul Gandhi as part of our "leaders" today.

Rahul Gandhi has never held any public position of responsibility in the country till date. His government was in power for ten years. He had a golden opportunity to work as a minister and learn the ropes of administration. His family has been in politics for much longer. He could have been a minister in any of the Congress state governments. Had he asked for it, possibly he would have been the Chief Minister of a state also. But no, he shirked all responsibility. To Congress sycophants this may seem to be abstinence from power. Sorry, to me it seems to be arrogance to hold the top post in the country without the humility or willingness to serve at any lower level.

He insists on speaking out on topics that seem populist to him. He spoke about Dadri, JNU etc., wherever he had an opportunity to target the ruling dispensation. He did not speak a word on the recent Kerala rapes. He has not commented anything on the recent murders of a student and a journalist in Bihar. He is visible typically only when he has an opportunity to target the government, that too which is not manned by his party. 

He does not seem to have a clue about international affairs. I do not recall any statements worth remembering having been made by him on the Italian Marines affair (I even did a quick Internet search). Though some foreign leaders seem to meet him in occasion I am not sure what is his actual awareness of what happens on the international stage. He seems to want to become a messiah for the masses. While the masses have to be addressed he should remember that there are today a huge middle class and educated youngsters who do want his dole. They want opportunities. They don't want huge statements. They want things to change. They want the situation to improve. 

Rahul Gandhi has lent his voice in support to the JNU agitation. It is now coming out that the protests which also spoke about Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad were funded by the Congress and the Left. ISIS recruits arrested recently are also revealing how they are mingling with these crowds to foment unrest. So is this guy doing anything productive? I do not think so.

We have had three major changes in the recent past which offered a ray of hope to many disillusioned Indians. One was the victory of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. However, now the less said about Kejriwal, the better. While there seems to be some good work (with regard to school fees) being done, Kejriwal is making a spectacle of himself by targeting the PM at every available instance and with his daily theatrics. The other was Nitish Kumar who first came to power with the BJP's help, promising change from Lalu's administration. He either miscalculated Modi's appeal or wanted to become the PM himself and broke up with the BJP. He is now an ally of the much-maligned Lalu. Lalu's sons seem to be getting more press of late today than the CM. It will be interesting to see what happens during the next state elections. I hope Bihar does not slip back into its erstwhile lawlessness. 

The third was Narendra Modi coming to power. There have been occasional weird outbursts from extreme right wing elements which Modi has not said much/anything about. However in general the government seems to be trying many new things - reforms in bureaucracy, making it accountable, reducing red tape and corruption, renewed focus on energy savings, reforming the railways etc. Shrill voices from the opposition, and absolute non-cooperation from the Congress are putting a spanner into the works. Many Indians will be happy if Rahul Gandhi uses his "power" and cooperates with the government to bring out changes in the country. Let him claim credit after that. That seems to be one department where he needs absolutely no training.

The aforementioned article seems more akin to a paid news article which has a semblance of balance thrown in to avoid exactly this kind of accusation. I hope the writer analyses better before he writes such stuff.

A Golden Chance for India - The Delhi Elections and Stakeholders

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has just swept the Delhi Assembly polls. I want to spend a few minutes on what it means for the various stakeholders.

AAP: 

 1. Obviously the centre of attention and rightly so. This is a golden chance for them to prove that they are actually different and can make a huge improvement to our society.

2. They have consistently projected a holier-than-thou attitude and out of trust or naivety people of Delhi have given them a massive mandate. Modi has a big mandate but is crippled due to lack of numbers in the Rajya Sabha. Kejriwal does not have that excuse or handicap. There is no legislative council in Delhi. If he wishes he can radically change the face of Delhi. So given the nature of his victory he will be held to higher standards. Kejriwal must remember that the mightier fall harder.

3. Kejriwal has cautioned his party against getting carried away. The way the BJP fought under Modi's name the AAP fought under Kejriwal's. It now remains to be seen whether other members of the party have the same prudence that Kejriwal has displayed or whether having tasted power the party will descend into politics-as-usual. For the state's sake and the country's let us hope that does not happen.

4. From the vote share statistics it looks as if the AAP was able to successfully attract the Congress' support base. People in India do not have a very long memory. For all we know this support base can go back to the Congress during the next election unless the AAP is able to truly prove its worth.

BJP:

1. Undoubtedly a humbling defeat for the party. They chose to make it a Modi vs Kejriwal election. Now predictably they are trying to shield Modi for the defeat.

2. Partners and obviously opposition parties are taking digs at the seeming "invincibility" of Modi being broken. This is a good opportunity for the BJP to introspect. There are multiple lessons for the party.

3. The party should stop parachuting people who jumped ship from the opposition and should give more responsibilities to those who have been with the party throughout.

4. There should not be hubris about the earlier Lok Sabha mandate. There should be more maturity and humility going forward. It has been trying to muscle in onto partners' territory also in some states. This may be the time to go slow and think this through.

5. Let Modi not be the face of eveything. The BJP touted itself as a cadre-based party and as a party with a difference. This was lost as soon as Modi came onto the national stage. This may be good for victories, but can also lead to black eyes.

6. However all said and done, the vote share of the BJP is almost intact. This means people still believe in the party and/or Modi. This is the silver lining.

Congress:

1. The Congress today is probably the best example of what happens to those who abuse power in a democracy. Earlier in the (rest of) Andhra Pradesh (AP) state elections the Congress drew a blank. This is the second instance. The Congress was in power at the centre, Delhi and (united) AP for a long time. However the electorate gave a stunning rebuke. This is nothing less than a slap in the face.

2. This is a serious time for the Congress to revisit its grassroots and have a re-look at its leadership. Ajay Maken has been left to fend the press and there is absolute silence from the "first family". While  Modi and Kejriwal can be accused of over-communicating today the Nehru-Gandhis and the Congress in general insist on remaining aloof. 

3. There have been multiple calls from across the country to change the leadership. It is high time the party does so. However the chances of that actually happening are low to non-existent. Maken has already tendered his resignation. Probably AK Antony will head a committee set up to investigate reasons for the defeat decimation. The report will blame something or someone else and the Congress will reaffirm its faith in the Nehru-Gandhis. The founding fathers in their graves will put a washing machine's dryer to shame.

Rest of the opposition:

1. Kejriwal's win is a whiff of oxygen to them. Whether it will ensure their survival or whether it is dying burst of the flame remains to be seen. Post the central elections there have been frantic efforts to form "an alternative to the Congress and the BJP" or a "secular bulwark against the communal BJP". It has seen the likes of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav coming together. The TMC is in disarray because of the Saradha scam. This victory may become a rallying point for the rest of the opposition. 

2. However in line with the "I am different" rant of the AAP, Kejriwal may not want to align with these people. There is also a risk that the AAP will eat into the vote share of these parties in their respective states. So it remains to be seen whether these parties will welcome the AAP to contest elections in their own states. 

India:

1. I truly pray for the sake of the country that Kejriwal works miracles in Delhi. Given his mandate he can. I want him to bring in more empowerment, more digitization of services and the likes which, to paraphrase Modi, will maximize governance and minimize government. I am reading a nicely written book by Mihir Sharma called Restart. The author rightly says that proper reforms taken up in one state can change the country.

2. Today we are in the era of competitive politics. While this competition has always been about things like who will give more subsidies, free stuff etc. today it is also about development. The young Indian electorate of a state would love to see successful schemes from other states being implemented in the home state also. Thus it can become a question of survival for other political parties to emulate the AAP, if it is successful.

3. The AAP also seems to make socialist noises from time to time. Undoubtedly the government has to take care of the poor, needy and deserving. However the emphasis should be more on deserving rather than anything else. Let there not be free stuff for the sake of free stuff or populism.

4. Also let there not be witch hunting of corporates. Nobody claims corporates are epitomes of saintliness. However punish the guilty with transparency. Do not make it seem like a witch hunt, driving investment off.

5. Today India needs foreign investment. I refer to Mihir Sharma's book again. We cannot print money as that will lead to more inflation. We do not seem to have sufficient resources to invest in our needs ourselves. Maybe if we can decrease black money we may have sufficient resources. However this cannot be done in a day. Hence we need foreign money also. Let this not be driven away by the AAP.

At the end of the day I would love to see synergy between Modi and Kejriwal, two individuals who have radically transformed the way we look at India, its citizens and its politics. These two, working together can change the face of the country. This is a synergy which the country needs, and I cannot over emphasize this.