Saturday 26 April 2014

Jaisi Praja, waisa Raja. Use it or lose it.

Take 3 minutes to read this inspiring success story from a small village near Rajkot, Gujarat that has made voting compulsory!
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Voting-is-compulsory-in-this-Rajkot-village/articleshow/34127219.cms
Two other interesting things about Raj Samadhiyala in democratic India: the move to prevent bogus voting and the unique way of allowing only small meetings with candidates, barring candidates from using large hoardings, banners and leaflets.

Possible in a small village. Also possible in a large country! Anything is possible. If authoritarian rule is possible over 1.35 Bio Chinese by single Communist Party then why not this? Compulsory right to exercise one's freedom to elect a government. Compulsory Freedom?! Sounds like a paradox?

I recommend: Withdraw the names of habitual non-voters from the electoral list. Why just Right to Recall the elected representative? First reform the people. Jaisi Praja waisa Raja. People of India, stop whining. The Satyamey Jayate show on elections in India is a must watch for all those who missed it and who feel that we need better leaders. Watch this and you will change your mind:

http://www.satyamevjayate.in/Criminalization-Of-Politics/EPISODE-5Watchvideo.aspx?uid=E5-EV-V1&lang=hindi

Speak up. Most of us end up wasting our most precious rights as citizens of Democratic India. As a first step, we must be prepared to Lose it if we don't Use it.

Jaagte Raho! - Aall is not well

Our duties as citizens are not over with the vote and the over-hyped black mark selfie. Jaagte Raho, all is not well....

We can't expect any push for the much needed electoral and judicial reforms from the leading opposition party in the 16th Lok Sabha, most likely Congress. Soon the election fever will cool off. The media's priorities may change. TV viewers are likely to go back to their daily soap, as a cure to election fatigue. Restaurants, marketers and radio channels will look for greener pastures. Till such time as another andolan by Anna & Co. is launched and attracts any sizeable TRPs, the 810 Mio voters have to continue exercising their right - the right to question. Speak up. That's called Democracy.

As per one survey, http://www.slideshare.net/iibea/digital-statistics-2014-india
while there are 200 Mio internet users in India in 2013, there were 73 Mio who browsed the net and 33 Mio Indians who searched blogs. A large portion (86%) of internet users used social media in 2013. These seem like small numbers compared to the 814 Mio eligible voters in 2014 but consider the growing influence of social media on the mainstream media and even on Indian politics! Speak up. That's called Democracy.

Thursday 24 April 2014

I want strong Institutions - not just Growth

I believe in Modi but at the national level he may have to make many compromises. National Politics - thy middle name is Compromise. I wonder how he will perform with regional parties and alliance partners like Shiv Sena and will he finally succeed in decriminalizing politics. I don't want neck-breaking growth for 5 yrs followed by deep slumber or goondaism again. I want deep systemic cleansing - ayurveda style. In a country as large as India nothing can be done in 5 yrs. If our system is cleaned from within and stays like this for 20 yrs then we will automatically excel.

Indians, by design of our DNA can't handle democracy. We need benevolent rulers - if there are any left. Rewind 300-2000 yrs in Indian history. The Pandavas laying aside all personal comforts and interests for re-installing Dharma. I don’t expect those types anymore nor does anyone expect a Krishna avataar. So we need leaders who may give us slow growth - ok, but rapidly and permanently strengthen our institutions such that no new leader can screw our naive public. India's core is good. Lost souls from world over come to India seeking direction. Once we have strong institutions like a TRUE democracy, transparent bureaucracy, justice system, educational system and healthcare system India will be truly shining.

I expect nothing in 5 years except ruthless reforms. AAP paid its price for impatience asking for Jan Lokpal in 49 days in Delhi. The NDA govt expected in June at the Center should neither give up too soon nor give excuses for this most important deliverable to the people of this great nation.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee advised the Gujarat CM in 2002 – “Remember your Rajdharma”. Let only these words ring forever in the ears of India’s new PM hopeful, effectively drowning the cacophony of the alliance partners or from within BJP. Good luck Mr. Modi, you have an extremely tough road ahead, whatever be the final numbers. 


Modi's most important promise

I was disappointed to note that both BJP and AAP have a high percentage of candidates with criminal charges. Also a survey has concluded that criminals have a high chance of being elected to parliament than non-criminals. Hence there is a very high chance that the new Lok Sabha will also be full of criminals. While Modi's plan of setting up special fast track courts to conclude such cases within 1 year sounds great, I wonder how easy it is going to be to execute this plan. Lets not forget this most important promise of this government after they come to power. 





Friday 18 April 2014

Arvind Kejriwal's Defeat - Democracy's Victory

Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Admi Party (AAP) are fighting a losing battle in India's General Elections 2014. They will make no significant dent on the BJP's tally in the end. The other major National Party - the Congress Party - seemed like a non-starter from the beginning. But we must understand the genesis of the AAP and its objective in first contesting for the Delhi Assembly and then for Lok Sabha. Anna Hazare, Kejriwal et al wanted to clean up Indian politics and government from outside, from Jantar Mantar but failed to do so. If one considers AAP's single point agenda of cleaning up the system from within, then despite their expected poor show in the on-going elections, the BROOM would have silently, swept the polls and more.

Consider how due to AAP's relentless efforts and mostly unconventional style, the tone of the discussion in the world's largest democracy has now shifted from caste, money power and personalities to ISSUES, CLEAN CANDIDATES, TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY. Sure, this election we still have tainted candidates, tons of money and liquor flowing freely, but there is an audible talk among the aam admi to make his/her vote count. Without doubting the BJP's claim to being clean, left to themselves, even they could not have single-handedly change the focal point of this elections the way AAP has done it. It is only because of the leaders of India Against Corruption (IAC) - Hazare, Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Prashant Bhushan and many others - did India witness the mass movements of the type we saw from 2012 and the cry for Lokpal and transparency, a demand to end the malaise of corruption in public life. Thanks to the short but impactful honeymoon of AAP with the media, the public outcry to clean the system reached the crescendo that it has in 2014. The Nirbhaya case and in small measures many other efforts like Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate, Baba Ramdev, etc. also helped keep the conversation alive. 

Whether AAP wins anywhere at all or is decimated completely does not matter. The Kejriwal team would have won because they have changed the way India chooses its leaders from now. I have a strange feeling that the Kejri team was the Trojan horse sent into enemy camp by Hazare. The IAC has won, the People of India have won!

The people of Delhi cannot blame AAP for running away. Can't the people of the Capital city make a small sacrifice for a national cause? By pressing the button next to the Broom, the Delhite was expressing her angst against the two main parties. Isn't that clear? Instead of None of the Above (NOTA), they pressed on Broom. Job done! Nobody expected it. The next Delhi Assembly election will clearly see BJP come with a thumping majority. But the people of Delhi cannot be ungrateful to AAP even though their decision to exit the Delhi government was political suicide and the decision to quickly jump into the national scene is considered hasty by many.

Lets not forget what AAP is here for. Lets not expect them to govern. At least I won't if I give my vote to Mayank Gandhi on April 24. On 27 September 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to register a NOTA would increase voter turnout. The judges said that this "would lead to a systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates". "Democracy is all about choices and voters will be empowered by this right of negative voting," AAP has become like NOTA-2 for those voters who don't want to be seen as "wasting" their precious vote in case they don't agree with any of the contesting candidates in their constituency. 

This is a landmark year for our Democracy. But, Oh People of this great country, your role is far from over by casting that vote and posting selfies of the black mark on FB. Whoever you voted for, your real role begins now. Congratulations BJP! Good luck BJP! India is now restless and alert.

Sunday 13 April 2014

What's "Democracy"?

With the world's largest democracy going to the polls this month, I wanted to know where India stands in terms of a Democracy Index. May be the biggest, but is it the best?

I found several interesting references and agencies that watched Democracies around the world. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy index is based on five measures: electoral
process and pluralism, civil liberties, functioning of government, political participation and 
political culture. Countries are placed within one of four types of regimes based on this Democracy Index: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes. The full report is at http://pages.eiu.com/rs/eiu2/images/Democracy-Index-2012.pdf. If you don't have time for the full report, take 3 minutes to read the significance of these 5 measures of democracy as per EIU on Page 26. Is it the responsibility of the political class or the government to deliver a fully functional democracy or are the masses equally responsible for the 54 flawed democracies as measured in 2012? What is the role of the people in making a democracy stronger? What are my responsibilities as a voter after the voting is over? Do I have any rights?

I invite friends to share inspiring stories from the world over on how PEOPLE's participation built powerful democracies in their countries or states. What makes Norway No. 1? May be there are lessons to be learnt for the world's largest democracy, India (Ranked 38 in 2012). 

Why Speak Up

I'm not the only one who's concerned about the way things are. The Speak Up Blog is intended to be an un-moderated medium for voices who wish to participate in the debate on major issues that affect the citizens of this planet today, be it Democratic Institutions or Healthcare Systems, Education or Human Happiness Metrics!

Looking forward to hearing and learning from voices different from mine. Expressing discontent is probably the first step towards change. But I also hope to hear success stories and constructive solutions from around the world so that we don't forget to celebrate humanity and reinstate hope and pride despite the negativity in the media around us.