POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM.

Animesh Banerjee

Consequent to the returns of the national awards by some noted artists, writers, historians, etc, the issue of Intolerance has become a buzz word in the Indian media. The political opponent is up in arm against the present regime for its inability to sustain the social harmony inter alia growing intolerance in the country.  The root cause of the present controversy seems to be arising out of the killing of a few innocent individuals on the flimsy ground of religious narrow-mindedness. The incidents though being under the purview of the states’ law & order and the concerned states’ failure to deal with it more resolutely, it turned into a political opportunistic rage cum vote-banks politics!  

Those of us from the pre-independent era had witnessed real intolerance in the country propagated by the perpetrators of the two nation theory which resulted into emergence of a new nation- Pakistan & an independent India. The partition of India took place following an inhuman religious intolerance exhibited by the religious majority on its minority to acquire their geographical positioning! It is therefore a matter of concern for us watching the resurgence of political repositioning by raising once again the bogies of religious bigotry in India. Presently the leftist oriented pseudo- secularists’ move is being countered by the rightist leaning political opponents’ which is adding fuel to the fire only! Even, during PM Modi’s recent visit to London, the Indian pseudo- secularists’ to settle their score have engineered a public show down by raising the intolerance issue through the reputed English media, in UK.  

Be that what it may, the country under the present government, although going through a local political pedantry, it has already earned the reputation of being a country of opportunity; several FDIs pouring in regularly to participate in fostering India’s growth trajectory!

In any democracy the political opponents have a customary right to counter vis-à-vis ratify any move of the government through the parliamentary process. Regrettably, India being the largest democracy has failed especially in the recent past, to espouse its parliamentary accountability! It is high time for the political opponents instead of deploying dubious tactics to show down the ruling shindig in public, it is advisable to settle the score by allowing the parliamentary democracy to function smoothly. This reminds me of Winston Churchill who had said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”

Social Churning in India-The Manthan!

Social Churning in India-The Manthan!  By Animesh Banerjee*

Successive Indian governments, since independence have spent significant funds on the social development activities for upliftment of the deprived segments of the society. Nevertheless, the top driven social development approach followed by every government had lead to trickling down of policies vis-à-vis funds, through the different layers of its implementation structure. Consequently social development as contemplated had hardly benefited the targeted segments of the society.

Another important social development initiative was the reservation policy enshrined in our constitution to empower the socially backwards who have been facing the curse of stratified Indian society, over the centuries.  The reservation policy had underpinned a social churning, in a time-bound manner, ensuring the underprivileged to come at par with the privileged casts in India. Nonetheless, the reservation policy though contemplated to be phased out with the attainment of the social up-gradation but eventually it became an instrument of providing largess to garner political mileages. Such pretentious generosities perpetuated by the successive governments have widened demands for cast reservation especially following ‘Mondal agitation’’ when unscheduled ‘Other Backwards Casts (OBC)’ were brought under the reserved category.

With the passage of time a new demographic dynamics emerged due to the ever increasing population pressure on land and corresponding reduction in per capita land availability. Consequently a grater shift from rural hinterlands to urban India, in search of livelihood, started taking place which has pushed unemployment cum livelihoods demand- availability position, in the urban India, at its lowest ebb! Whilst much needed reservation policy of social churning became an instrument for providing government munificence, even the socio-economically secured casts like Jats in northern states and very recently Patiders (Patels) in Gujarat have struck their claims on the OBC reservation pie-perhaps days to come several others may jump into fry! 

Arguably, in this competitive globalised twenty first century, if the government reservation policy continues in its present form  ignoring several other vulnerable sections of our society, who too have been aspiring socio-economic empowerment, it may foster greater social disorder instead harmony which is likely to benefit our divisive politics ultimately!  It is, therefore, high time to revisit cum restore our overall social empowerment policies stressing on free & quality education cum enlightenment to all venerable sections of the society. Needless to say that the overall socio-economic empowerment cannot be promoted by mare extending endowments without ushering enlightenment  as well developing available skills & resources . I conclude by quoting an extract from John F Kennedy, “…Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past are certain to miss the future…”

(* Former Executive Director NDDB & Past President Indian Dairy Association; Chairperson dairy sub-group 9^th10^th& 11^th Plans of GOI ; Former Chairman, Technology Vision 2020- dairy vision, TIFAC,GOI. Views expressed are personal)

ACCOUNTABLE POLITICAL SYSTEM

Value based politics commonly practiced during the pre-independent era which gradually lost in the post independent India. Corruption in the Indian political system became public, for the first time, when the Jeep scandal followed by Mundra rumpus came up for deliberation in the Parliament and when guilt was established appropriate action followed.  

The second generation corruption in the Indian political system, however, took a devilish turn with its percolation at the every level whether States, Districts, Municipal or any form of public administration. Increasingly impropriety cum corruption not only crippled the political parties but became a tradition in the Indian political system!

 Over the six decades the democratic principles are not only waning in the country but the elected representatives showing scant respect to the electorate they represent as well. Unabated disruptions of parliamentary proceedings on the important legislations concerning welfare of the state presently brought the Indian parliamentary democracy at its lowest ebb. This has resulted in to loss of millions of taxpayers’ money besides hope & aspirations of the billion countrymen. It is, therefore, high time to enforce accountability cum appropriate code of conduct on the elected representatives and any proof of its breaching should amount to expulsion of the representatives besides seeking  fresh mandate from the electorate! 

A HUMBLE TRIBUTE                                                                                                 28 July 2015

Dr A PJ Abdul Kalam left us for heavenly abode, this morning! In his death the country lost a person per excellence. He was a visionary with missionary zeal besides very humble and down to earth person.   I had an opportunity in a small way to be associated with one of Dr Kalam’s initiatives - ’Technology Vision 2020 Programme’.  The vision programme was launched whilst he was the Scientific Advisor to PM cum Chairman TIFAC, Dept. of Science & Technology, G O I. I was steering as honorary Chairperson, Milk Vision Group which was a constituent initiatives of the ’Technology Vision 2020 Programme’. He was a person with unlimited passion for not only getting into detailing but learning as well which he continued even as the President of India and beyond till his last breath!

May His soul rest in heavenly peace! 

ANIMESH BANERJEE

Since the fallout of President Nixon’s ‘Watergate’ scandal in US, it has become a fashion in the media to give a ‘Gate tag’, be that proven or unproven corruption issues. To garner higher TRP most of the media houses in India too have been conducting corruptions debates in competition with each other. The latest one is about the Indian cricketing czar Lalit Modi’s ‘ModiGate’, which is buzzing now in the Indian media!

 The ‘ModiGate’ debates are primarily gyrating around the probity issue and as usual, chorused by besides TV anchor, panellists representing ruling & opponents political parties, specialist/ Journo,  etc.  These prime time TV debates sometimes turn into noisy theatrics in proving one another party corrupt, when it is well known each is having skeletons in its cupboard. Do these competitive corruption debates really cut much ice with the viewers in general, especially to those inspirational Indians?  

These competitive corruption debates also remind me of a famous quote of Guru Nanakji’s, “ Bura jo Doodan Main Gaya; Bura Na Miliya Koi; Jo Main Doodndoo Aapnu; Mujse Bura Na Koi –Went for searching a fall(bad) guy; could not find one; when I searched within me, I found none bad other than myself”!!

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