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The Agenda for Good Governance

On June 6, 2010, In Economy, Politics, By

Good governance can be described as a term in which public institutions allocate resources judiciously, monitor implementation of projects and meet the socio-economic aspirations of people. It also involves establishing transparency in government systems to ensure equitable, effective and hassle-free delivery of public services to the citizens.

Post independence, government of India has initiated several programs to alleviate poverty and improve the socio economic conditions. Thousands of crores of rupees has been spent on subsiding food, promoting education, providing low cost housing, improving rural infrastuctucture, waiving of loans etc.
But because of poor governance, inefficiency and corruption government efforts are not resulting in tangible results on the ground.

The result is that most Indians lack provision for health, education, food, housing, employment, transport, drinking water, infrastructure, security, pollution control & basic sanitation.

In spite of rapid economic growth, the social sector indices portray a very poor image of India. Some stats are worse than even the war torn sub-Saharan African countries.

• Nearly a third of India’s people live below the poverty line

• India ranks 171 out of the 175 countries in the world in public health spending

• An estimated 72% of Indians still lack access to improved sanitation facilities

• Of the 2.5 Billion people that defecate openly, some 665 million of these live in India

• India currently has the largest illiterate population of any nation on earth

• About 49 per cent of the world’s underweight children are in India

Dismal scenario in public education
After so many years of independence, only 35% of the population is illiterate and only 15% of the students reach high school. That is in spite of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, education cess, mid-day meal, national policy on education and the thousands of crores spent annually in education sector.
Due to poor governance and lack of political will the most critical sector i.e primary education, has been ignored. We have to suffer the ignominy of being the nation with most number of illiterates in the world.

Politics and Governance

The most surprising factor in India is that it is not necessary that people will vote for those political parties which provide or promise good governance. People mostly vote on the basis of identity and it is very easy to sway them. Political parties also engage in vole bank politics and focus more on populist measures rather than focussing on improving the socio economic condition.
Three major factors that political parties use to exploit masses are:

• Identity Politics
India is a very diverse nation and identity plays a very important role. Dalits continue to vote for Mayawati in spite of the fact that she has done nothing in improving their economic status. Similarly Christians or Muslims do not vote for BJP in Goa & Maharashtra despite the good governance that they provided during their rule.

• Populist measures
In spite of being the best chief minister of AP since independence Chandrababu Naidu was not re-elected. He lost the mandate in favour of huge list of populist measure promised by YSR. Since then most political parties have embarked on populist measures such as free color TV, free housing for poor, fertilizer subsidy etc which are merely symbolic and do not improve the lot of poor people.

• Urban Decay
Due to collapse in farm income there is a very steady migration taking place from villages to cities. This has resulted in huge influx in urban population resulting in Illegal colonies, slums and collapse of infrastructure. Instead of addressing the core issue i.e improving farm income and generating employment in villages, political parties use slums as vote bank.
People also prefer their status quo to be maintained since at least in cities they are getting regular income even though they live without basic amenities.

These divide and rule and populist policies pay scant attention to good governance. Also they manage to garner votes and win elections because of voter’s apathy.

There is a genuine lack of will power in today’s politician to translate government goals, objectives and policy priorities into tangible economic benefits for poor people.

Solutions for Ushering Good Governance

To provide good governance it is essential to bring about administrative reforms and create systems to improve efficiency of public delivery mechanism. Application of Information Technology is the best method of improving efficiency, providing transparency, monitoring schemes as well as improving overall productivity.

The following methods can be adopted:

• Create a repository of best practices, methodologies and tools in governance reforms including successful software/e-governance implementations.

• Posting all government related information and forms etc online. This will reduce the interface of the public with government officials, eliminate queues and provide enormous relief to public in general.

• Video Conferencing with district officials on a regular basis will ensure that the schemes launched by political leaders with fanfare are actually implemented on the ground.

• Computerization of all records is the most essential factor in improving productivity. Computerization of police (FIR process), land records, school enrolment etc will simplify cumbersome processes and procedures of respective departments and agencies

• Public-private partnerships can be initiated to improve the overall infrastructure development. It will not only speed up the process but also generate continuous revenues to the government.

• Setup computerized complaint redress system/call centre for all departments and ensure that all complaints are handled within specified time frame.

• Setup centre for good governance like www.cgg.gov.in in every state which will analyse key issues in governance, identify solutions, help develop action plans, and support implementation of these plans and the reform agenda.

Use of information technology can improve efficiency & provide transparency in government systems and procedures. It will also ensure that corruption in minimized.

Conclusion

The rapid growth in GDP is not resulting in the improvement of our quality of life. Distribution of wealth is skewed. Most of the social indicators in India suggest that we are worse than even the most poorest of third world countries.

The inadequate public pending has forced even the people below poverty line to depend on private sector for social needs like education & health care.

Only better Governance and efficient administration can stem the rot in India. India is a world leader in IT sector. It needs to use the power of technology and knowledge to improve policy-making decisions in government and enable it to respond better to the needs of the people.

The political leaders need to be responsive to the present and future needs of India. And must initiate second stage of liberalization with reforms and focus on principles and practices of good governance.

Tagged with: good governance • india

Australia Down Under

On January 17, 2010, In Uncategorized, By

It has been a constant practise by developed nations to regularly reprimand developing or poor countries on issues such as human rights, religious freedom, state of minorities etc. Subsequently they manipulate several agencies like UN, World Bank and dictate terms to disperse funds or exert influence – by occupying a higher moral ground. How they treat migrants from other countries in their own society is a different story.

The shameless conduct of Australians against poor & defenceless Indian students is an eye opener. Australia has been unmasked as a racist nation. To make matters worse they are in a constant state of denial and like to believe that attacks are opportunistic rather than racially motivated.

Thousands of Indian students travel to Australia, among other countries to study. They spend lakhs of rupees on undertaking useless courses. It is very likely that young Indians go to Australia on student visa hoping to get themselves permanent residency and look forward to to be able to stay there forever. However their dreams crash land when they reach there. Since the cost of living is high they have to do unskilled jobs for long durations just to sustain themselves. There is no security or civil concern for these students and most of the schools are just interested in making money and exploiting them.

Attacks on Indians in Australia are continuing unabated. Repeated assaults on India have strained diplomatic ties between India and Australia. Latest amid a string of attacks on Indians in Australia, with 21-year-old Nitin Garg, who was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants. Australia is in a state of denial on the racially motivated attacks against Indians and has failed to deal with the issue.

Indian government has again failed to protect its citizens. Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna has warned that continued violence against Indian students could damage relations and called for an immediate ‘corrective action’ by Australia. However the reactions from Australian establishment have been very irresponsible and are not taking the issue seriously.

It is time to take some action.
Few steps can be taken immediately, such as – issuing a travel ban on Australia. Boycotting Australian products. Not allowing cricket players in IPL may also have some effect as they stand to loose monetarily. If attacks on Indians continue unabated we may loose our dignity worldwide and will be treated just like slave labourers.

Tagged with: australia • australia college • australia school • india • ipl

Some suggestions for Mr.Gadkari

On December 27, 2009, In Politics, By

This New Year ushers a hope for BJP.
There is a new chief, Mr.Nitin Gadkari, who can turn around things for BJP by implementing novel ideas. He has risen from the humble post of party worker to occupy the senior most position in BJP. His desk is full of – to do things & there are several issues of priority but these are some of the points which we feel are very important and must be addressed at the earliest:

1. Better Media Management
Indian Media & News channels in particular have played a major role in projecting BJP as a pariah and making it untouchable. Unlike in the past, media used to take on the government and expose its misdeeds; today most journalists are in the pockets of congress party. They are working on a single point agenda to somehow discredit BJP. So BJP needs to be smart & setup its own media network.

2. Zero tolerance for indiscipline
A loss is never easy to digest especially if it is a second consecutive one. After the disastrous lok sabha election results, the knives where out in the open and everybody was at each other’s throat. Now there is certain degree calmness maybe because of RSS diktat. The disciple message needs to percolate right across the organization especially at the top & those with feudal background.

3. Focus on winning elections
People are clever than we think. They have generalised that all politicians are same & will decide on whom to vote on the basis of – direct benefits provided by the respective party. Good governance comes after winning an election & for that BJP has to induce voters. The party must launch a series of measures that alleviate the problems faced by its core constituency i.e middle class voters.

Today the country is facing several serious challenges that affect its basic integrity. Governance has become nothing but – divide & rule. It is imperative that BJP strengthen itself and offer an alternate system of governance that focuses on twin pillars of nationalism & economic growth.

Tagged with: BJP • congress • india • Mr.GadkarI

Are News Channels in India part of Congress Media Cell?

On May 20, 2009, In Politics, By

Apart from losing election, the blatant partial approach adopted by the TV news channels was shocking.
Media is supposed to be the fourth pillar of democracy however it behaved as the third leg of the congress stool.
News channels worked as an integral part of congress media cell and it appears to be a strategic alliance.

Observations:

1. It was very anguishing to watch BJP spokesman being grilled one after the other almost endlessly
Thier opinion on most issues was trivialised not only by plastic smiling anchors but even by biased audience.
It was as if they had entered in an interrogation centre.

2. On issues related to weak governance, the anchors were seen batting for the congress.
The congress ministers were being prompted/helped during interviews.
There was no coverage of ineffective congress ministers & their policies – at all.

3. During the last phase of elections the news anchors went a step further.
They tried to break BJP alliance partners, pushed Left front in UPA camp and formed an anti BJP front.
They started quoting constitutional experts, that the largest party need not be invited to form government.

4. Just before counting day, the media also fooled the Left front & regional parties into forming a “secular front with congress”.
While it was the Congress party that ate into major chunk of their vote bank.
They were quoting left front – “We won’t allow BJP to form government at any cost”.

The result was surprising & regional parties were decimated.
In Bengal, it was BJP that prevented a complete rout of the Left by dividing votes & saving them 6 seats.
BSP was left with only dalit/hindu votes & SP does not have a single Muslim MP!

It was a trick in visual imagery.
The general middle class perceptions on BJP would have been different had the TV channels shown repetitive videos of:
Shivraj Patil fumbling, virulent speeches of Muslim League leaders, divisive policies of Arjun Singh etc.

So my humble suggestion to BJP is to setup own TV channel.
The above view echoed in several of the comments posted across the internet.

Benefits of setting own news channel:

1. Instantly reach an audience in Kerala/West Bengal/Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP presence is zero.
They constitute 143 out of 543 seats and in those states the TV penetration is staggering.

2. Unlike other parties, BJP has intellectual depth. Its leaders are presentable & knowledgeable.
Information can be presented cohesively – especially without stupid interrogations.

3. Using your own TV medium would allow you to present your side of the story and set your agenda.
Let the Left, SP, BSP, NCP etc take on the Congress in TV debates.

4. Every political party except the BJP has its own TV channel.
By proxy Congress operates several TV channels across regional lines apart from the leading two news channels in India.
Even regional parties now have their own TV channels.

In TV news channels it was the BJP interviews, speeches & briefings that were most watched/popular programs.
Every spokesperson was articulate, knowledgeable and had an air of superiority.
However the news channels used BJP, presented them as a ruling party, polarized voters, increased their own TRP’s while all time vilifying them!

It is time to give the agents of congress party some competition.
For a start – stop visiting those two news channels and watch their TRP fall.

Tagged with: barkha dutt • elections • ibnlive • india • ndtv • news • Politics • pranv roy • rajdeep sardesai

Barbarians at the Gate

On February 22, 2009, In Politics, By

In a major development, Pakistan government agreed to introduce Islamic law in Swat valley and neighboring areas. It was a result of ceasefire agreement with the Taliban. The Taliban fighters will be encouraged by this agreement and will soon launch a major offensive all across the region. Pakistan’s policy of “strategic depth” with Afghanistan or “thousand cuts” with India is in tatters. Very soon it will be fighting a deadly war with a monster of its own creation.

The three A’s of Pakistan “Allah, Army and America” have been replaced by “Anarchy”, “Al Qaeda” and “Afghanistan”. The Pakistan army has suffered severe causalities and is not interested in fighting fellow Muslims. At the same time the Durand line (Pak – Afghan border) is becoming diluted and the generals know they are fighting a losing war. America is no longer interested in this region and will be making cosmetic arrangements so that its stand on Al Qaeda doesn’t get diluted.

In a nutshell Pakistan has become a major security threat for all nations especially India. No country is interested in fighting this new war because of the complex nature of the enemy and their own demographic compulsions.

Indian security establishment must take serious note of the development or else it will be caught napping as before. Mumbai attack was just a trailer.
More such barbaric attacks from western border are going to happen in future.

The mass media in India is busy romanticizing Islam, glamorizing western lifestyle and dehumanizing Hinduism; it has no guts to take up serious issues. Similarly the Pakistan media was obsessed with Kashmir, Palestine & global Muslim atrocities, unconcerned that they would be devoured by the monster of Islamic militants. Which had been created and nurtured by their successive governments.

The future strategy should be to somehow convince the Pakistan military & government to launch an offensive against Taliban and other Islamic insurgents. The Indian government will also have to become more proactive and borders will have to be sealed to prevent infiltration of any kind.

Tagged with: india • Pakistan • taliban

The Hindu Reforms Movement -II

On February 16, 2009, In Politics, By

The recent Ram Sena – Loose women debate raised an important question – who are the guardians of our moral culture?

We are living in a deeply divided society with multiple religions, cultures & people belonging to different socio – economic status. The local version of the Crusades (Christian’s vs Muslims) is being fought in India. It is one religion against the local culture or even both religions jointly against the local culture.

In an increasingly intolerant society the fissure are being exploited by politicians & mass media. The divide & rule practise is already being implemented by the politicians in the name of minority benefits to target vote banks. And by mass media, which is quite evident by watching hysterical anti Hindu news in almost all news channels.

Every religion has its separate personal laws, official hierarchy, exclusive headquarters and absolute spheres of influence in a country. It is time to organize the Hindu religion as a single entity on the basis of a progressive religion with a democratic setup.

The first step must be to remove state control over temples & Hindu trusts. An organization can be formed on the basis of Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee to look after the fund collection and its disbursal. Similarly a network of schools can be setup to impart Hindu values & beliefs. Subsequently a reforms committee can be setup to look into the various problems affecting the Hindu society such as dowry, caste, illetracy & women emancipation etc.

Hindus have to organize themselves or else the current twisted version of secularism will make Hindus a second rate citizens in India.

Tagged with: Add new tag • hindu • india • ram sena • religion • secularism

India – A country without a Prime Minister!

On January 26, 2009, In Politics, By

In 2008 we all suffered from poor governance in India by the UPA government. Now they have gone step further and removed “governance”. The prime minister will be out of action for a minimum of 4 weeks. How can a nation as complex as India be governed without a prime minister? But as Supreme Court said – even god cannot save India.

First there was no home minister, then they shifted finance minister and now there is no Prime Minister. Can’t we even select a prime minister from 1.2 billion people? As it is there are very few elected representatives occupying higher posts in cabinet.

Or does the decision making power lie else where and it doesn’t make a difference whether we have a prime minister or not.

As usual the mainstream media will not cover any lapse of UPA government and be a good prompter for the ruling congress government. Elections are approaching fast and the media will try its best to embarrass the BJP. Instead of focussing on this issue of national importance they are busy covering frivolous stories of some boys beating girls in a bar.

Tagged with: BJP • congress • india • Manmohan Singh • Politics • upa

The Israel & India Connection

On January 11, 2009, In Politics, By

India and Israel established diplomatic relations as late as 1992.The previous BJP led government initiated several efforts to form close strategic ties with Israel mainly on account of the fact that both nations suffered from Islamic terrorism. The goodwill was always reciprocated from Israel which during the Kargil war provided India with advanced military hardware, at the most crucial time.

Over a short period, India & Israel ties have progressed rapidly:

There is a major defence partnership between India & Israel in process and it is India’s second-biggest arms supplier.

Trade between India and Israel is expected to reach eight billion dollars. Israel is also a source of technology collaborations for several Indian companies especially in sectors such as horticulture, bio-tech and medical equipment.

Both India and Israel have been victims of savage by Islamic militants. As recent as last month, in Mumbai attack, Islamic terrorists from Pakistan targeted and specifically killed Jews.

Every sovereign nation has the right to defend the security of its citizens. Fed up with daily rocket attacks from Hamas terrorists, Israel launched a war on Gaza.

As expected, the Indian government expressed strong condemnation of hostilities in Gaza and reiterated support to the Palestinian cause. The present Indian government is unable to take a balanced stand on war. The UPA government headed by the Congress party is shy of associating itself with Israel as it will loose the Muslim vote bank. Going a step further minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed’s of IUML has demanded snapping of ties with Israel. The drama in all Muslim dominated areas has also started where anti-Israel slogans & demonstrations by politicians is a way of show offs.

There cannot be durable peace without a strict implementation of cease fire by all neighbours. There are too many parallels between Indo-Pak and Israel-Hamas affairs to be ignored. On both sides countries have been hijacked by Islamic terrorists and governments are unable to take action against those non state actors.

Certain states may be ungrateful, but Israel is fighting our fight too. Since India and Israel are both fighting a war against Islamic terrorism, we need to have close cooperation with Israel and reciprocate the help they offered during Kargil war.

Tagged with: Hamas • india • India and Israel • Islamic terrorists • Israel • Kargil

Clash of Civilizations in India

On January 4, 2009, In Politics, By

Last week, hundreds of people, including women and children, gathered in Srinagar (J&K) in a protest march. They were not protesting against rising prices, militancy or any domestic issue. But the protest was against Israel’s aggression against Palestine. So why are people living thousands of miles away concerned with an issue that has least effect on them? This question was answered by Professor Samuel P. Huntington.

In the summer of 1993 the journal Foreign Affairs published an article by Harvard Professor Samuel P. Huntington titled” The Clash of Civilizations”. That article, according to the Foreign Affairs editors, stirred up more discussion in the three years than any other article they had published since the 1940s.

The article successfully shifts the discussion of the post-cold-war world from ideology, ethnicity, politics, and economics to culture–and especially to the religious basis of culture, a subject generally ignored in contemporary political science.

Huntington talked about the increasing threat of violence arising from renewed conflicts between countries and cultures that base their traditions on religious faith and dogma.

This theory has enormous implication for India.

Partition was a grim reality. The two nation theory was successful and geographical borders of India were decided on the basis of religious bias.

Even after decades of partition local politics in India is easily swayed on the basis of religious differences. Politicians have successfully developed vote banks along religious lines.

Unable to implement the uniform civil code is our single biggest failure. Also continuation of policy of special status for the J&K state prevents the state from integrating into the country.

India is unable to take strong measures on Pakistan just because it will affect the local Muslims. Inspite of repeated provocations from Pakistan we are unable to come up with a single strategy. Even simple steps such as cutting off trade relations & stopping of issuing of visas are not being implemented.

The UPA government is pulling all stops to consolidate the minority votes before the next general election. It is crossing all limits in minority appeasement and is disregarding the constitution feature that ensures equality to all citizens.

Professor Huntington, who passed away in the US on Dec 24, must have gone to his grave a contented man. His theory has survived the test of time and is very relevant to the peace & stability of Indian subcontinent. Fundamentalist Islam will be the primary source of conflict in most parts of the sub continent.

In India, we seem determined to prove him right since as a nation we are more divided on religious basis now than ever before. And it will only end up weakening India as a nation state.

Tagged with: india • kashmir • Samuel P. Huntington • The Clash of Civilizations

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