Indian National Congress is on a roll. Congress registered thumping victories in Maharashtra (with ally NCP), Arunachal Pradesh & though it fell short of a majority in Haryana but still managed enough to retain power. But unlike any normal election victory which is bundled with euphoria & celebrations, these latest election results have delivered an appaling message…The vibrant democracy is now getting reduced to an unhealthy boring democracy for reasons more than one.
The Rise of One Party Rule- It began with the Lok Sabha election results in May this year, when the Congress led UPA won a 2nd consecutive term with enhanced political mandate. This was the first time in 30 years that any alliance got a 2nd term on completion of its 5 year term. But more then UPA’s astouding victory the highlight of this election was the depleted ‘Opposition’. The principal opposition BJP lost even more seats in the parliament, while the Left parties fell to the 5th postion with an abysmal 20 seats. The new parliament is turning out to be an open playground for the UPA with the opposition seated clueless with no idea on how to counter the policies of the current government. With the Congress coming back to power in all the 3 states, it is now holds power in 15 states (in some states with allies). The writing is on the wall- NEED A POTENT, UNITED OPPOSITION TO BALANCE THE DEMOCRATIC ACT.
Bad governnace rewarded- The state of Maharashtra epitomises this issue in the best fashion. The Congress- NCP combine is back in power for the 3rd consecutive time. Congress- NCP government’s performance has proabably been one of the worst that any state would have witnessed in the last 10 years. Farmer suicide is going up, power shortage is at its peak, infrastructure development is slowest in the whole country, water shortage is increasing, and the security situation is detoriating coninuously. In the last ten years Mumbai alone witnessed 6 terror attacks.Since 2005, every year during monsoons, Mumbai gets flooded leaving the city reeling under water .Raj Thakarey’s MNS workers have openly attacked north Indians while the government stood silently instead of taking any swift action taken against him ( For obvious political reasons). With this kind of a performance if a party/ alliance still manages to win a 3rd term, then there has to be something miserably wrong with the opposition (BJP-Shiv Sena) , that the people of the state are dreading to give them a second chance.
Urban voting percentage emaciating- During the recent Assembly elections the turn out in Mumbai was an abysmal 46%, while Gurgaon registered 54% in the Haryana assembly elections.The voting percentages of the major metros of India in the Lok Sabha elections in May do not look encouraging at all with an exception of Chennai- Mumbai: 44%, Delhi : 53%, Bangalore : 46%, Chennai : 60%, Hyderabad : 54%...For the assembly elections the Election Commission in an unprecedented move made sure that offices, colleges, malls, theatres were all shut but yet the response was so poor. The problem is that urban India, the middle class, youth & professionals do not feel inspired by the political fraternity to come out & vote. With migration of rural population to urban areas going up, this trend could hamper the overall voting percentage even more in the years to come.
Rise of Naxalism- With the naxal menace getting worse by the day the Indian security situation has become even more volatile. The reprehensible violent methods adopted by naxals are a serious cause of concern. But an even more serious cause of concern is the growing support for these naxals in the rural & tribal areas. Poverty is the main reason behind this growing support which again successive governments have failed to counter. This rise in support underlines another chilling reality - The Indian poor drifting away from Indian democracy. The poor have started loosing faith in the political system to solve their basic issues. In turn they are embracing the even more poisonouse radicals who in the long run could spell devestation for the whole country including them.
After 62 years of independence India is again fighting a battle for democracy. Probably this time it’s not a mass revolution like it was against the british rule, but a more subtle & sustained battle been fought in different corners through different ways by different groups in this country. Its time for the establishement & the civil society to wake up & smell the coffee before the dragon within gets out of control.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
COMMONWEALTH GAMES: SPORTS GLORY OR GLORIFIED SHAME?
In sligthly less than a year’s time India would be hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. After the 1982 Asian games, this would the biggest sporting event to be organized by India. But with the chief of commonwealth games fedaration (CGF), Mike Fennell, raising serious concerns about the preparations, the build up to the games looks very shaky
Just a year back, China stunned the world by hosting argubly the best ever Olympic Games. It was a grand spectacle that left the world staggered and truly proved China’s determination to emerge as the super power of this century. The Olympic Games is a much bigger event in magnitude compared to the Commonwealth Games. Rio de Janerio, Brazil won the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games setting another example as to how emerging countries are eyeing these major sports events to showcase their mite to the world. India will be only the 2nd Asian nation to host the Commonwealth Games. In what can be termed as a direct competition between the two emerging superpowers of the world, two of the biggest sporting events are happening within a span of two years. The world will watch closely the Delhi Commonwealth games to draw conclusions about India’s mite and capability to host major events.
But the problem is not about competing with China only. Olympic Games & Commonwealth Games are just not sporting events, but an opportunity for nations to showcase themselves to the world. Not to mention the amount of revenues that flow in the form of tourism & business.It also gives an opportunity to bolster the infrastructure of the host city which benefits millions of people living in the city.
The current state of infrastructure required for the games are not at all encouraging. 14 out of 19 stadiums are behind schedule, the airport enhancement program is lagging behind and so is the construction of bridges and roads that will connect the sports village to the various venues. It is expected that after the games are over, Delhi will have 47 fly overs & a full fledged metro service connecting almost the whole of Delhi. The biggest beneficiaries of this infratsructure would eventually be the common man.
But with Fennel settinp up a technical committee to monitor the work progress of the Commonwealth Games is nothing less then an insult for government of India. This clearly indicates the kind of confidence & faith the Commonwealth games federation has in the Olympic committee & the Sports ministry. When the Union Sports Minister MS Gill was quizzed by the media on this issue, surprisingly the Minister, who usually has an opinion (sometimes uncalled for) on everything related to Indian sports, zipped his mouth. If the sports minister of India cannot display confidence & assure that the preparation will be completed meticulously in time then, how can the federation have any faith in the organizing committee?
This is the same minister, who lambasted the greatest woman athlete of this country PT Usha, when she broke down due to the ill-treatment by the Sports Authority of India. This is the same minister, who refused to recognize Formula 1 racing as a sport. How does it matter that the viewership for this sport is one of the highest in the world and has been picking up constantly in India. The sports minister has hardly made any right noises from the time he has taken over.
However this is a golden opportunity for MS Gill to go down in history as a successful ‘Sports minister’ of India by ensuring that the Commonwealth Games are not only organized smoothly but in the best possible manner. Not only is the pride of India riding on the Commonwealth Games but also the future of Indian sports which has been one of the most underdeveloped area of this developing yet ambitious nation.
Just a year back, China stunned the world by hosting argubly the best ever Olympic Games. It was a grand spectacle that left the world staggered and truly proved China’s determination to emerge as the super power of this century. The Olympic Games is a much bigger event in magnitude compared to the Commonwealth Games. Rio de Janerio, Brazil won the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games setting another example as to how emerging countries are eyeing these major sports events to showcase their mite to the world. India will be only the 2nd Asian nation to host the Commonwealth Games. In what can be termed as a direct competition between the two emerging superpowers of the world, two of the biggest sporting events are happening within a span of two years. The world will watch closely the Delhi Commonwealth games to draw conclusions about India’s mite and capability to host major events.
But the problem is not about competing with China only. Olympic Games & Commonwealth Games are just not sporting events, but an opportunity for nations to showcase themselves to the world. Not to mention the amount of revenues that flow in the form of tourism & business.It also gives an opportunity to bolster the infrastructure of the host city which benefits millions of people living in the city.
The current state of infrastructure required for the games are not at all encouraging. 14 out of 19 stadiums are behind schedule, the airport enhancement program is lagging behind and so is the construction of bridges and roads that will connect the sports village to the various venues. It is expected that after the games are over, Delhi will have 47 fly overs & a full fledged metro service connecting almost the whole of Delhi. The biggest beneficiaries of this infratsructure would eventually be the common man.
But with Fennel settinp up a technical committee to monitor the work progress of the Commonwealth Games is nothing less then an insult for government of India. This clearly indicates the kind of confidence & faith the Commonwealth games federation has in the Olympic committee & the Sports ministry. When the Union Sports Minister MS Gill was quizzed by the media on this issue, surprisingly the Minister, who usually has an opinion (sometimes uncalled for) on everything related to Indian sports, zipped his mouth. If the sports minister of India cannot display confidence & assure that the preparation will be completed meticulously in time then, how can the federation have any faith in the organizing committee?
This is the same minister, who lambasted the greatest woman athlete of this country PT Usha, when she broke down due to the ill-treatment by the Sports Authority of India. This is the same minister, who refused to recognize Formula 1 racing as a sport. How does it matter that the viewership for this sport is one of the highest in the world and has been picking up constantly in India. The sports minister has hardly made any right noises from the time he has taken over.
However this is a golden opportunity for MS Gill to go down in history as a successful ‘Sports minister’ of India by ensuring that the Commonwealth Games are not only organized smoothly but in the best possible manner. Not only is the pride of India riding on the Commonwealth Games but also the future of Indian sports which has been one of the most underdeveloped area of this developing yet ambitious nation.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
RICH MINISTERS, FAILED MINISTERIES
Open sky is not the limit…Minister of state of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel must be telling himself, but not because of Air India, which is fighting for survival at the moment, but refering to his own personal business. The richest minister of the union government of India is heading the sector which on the verge of a financial collpase.
Praful Patel also runs his Rs 500-crore CeeJay Group & owns one of India’s biggest bidi and tobacco-derivatives businesses. He is also referred as the ‘Bidi King’ in certain parts of Maharshtra. On one hand his business has grown at a tremendous rate, with his revenues increasing each year substantially, and on the other national carrier, Air India which is a public sector unit is struggling to survive. The national carrier has incurred loss of over Rs 7200 crores & accumulated a ‘massive’ Rs 15,000 crores as debt. The problem is that Air India was run comfortably if not profitabily over the past so many decades. The real problem started in the 90’s when a series of irrational steps were taken by the management. But the main trigger point for the speedy downfall was the merger of Air India with the government’s domestic carrier ‘Indian Airline’. Employees in the organization blame the merger as the main cause for the abysmal financial position of Air India.Other major carriers Jet Airways & Kingfisher are also under huge debt and fighting to stay afloat. Many from the industry blame the genuise ‘businessman’ cum minister Praful Patel for not helping the sector to come out of thi mess in any way.
Sharad Pawar the union agriculture minister might be having a tough time fighting the drought that has hit the country but when it come to his own business he has been laughing away to the bank. Though on paper his assets are worth 3.6 crores, but his family has business interest in agricultural land on prime highways which if converted to non agricultural land would fetch a premium of atleast 300%!!! His family also has huge stakes in various projects build around Mumbai & his party controls 70% of the sugar factories in western Maharshtra. According to an article in ‘Covert’ magazine there is a famous joke in Maharashtra about Pawar’s wealth, which people say is enough to run 5 delhis!!!...But yet the state of agriculture is in doldrums.One cannot blame the minister for the drought but what about the steps been taken to reduce the damage. Between 2004 & 2008, from the time Sharad Pawar has been the union agriculture minister, the average number of farmer suicides per year has been 17,513. Assuming that the number will remain the same for this year as well, even though it has been a drought this year, the total number of farmer suicides would be touching 90,000!!
These are just two examples from the current union cabinet of ministers who have been super sucessful businessmen but complete failures in lifting their sectors. The idea is not to target these 2 politicians, as there are many more such names…some of them making wealth illegally. Making personal wealth is not a sin for a politician as long as that is done legitimatly. But when successful businessmen fail to lift their respective sectors as ministers, then it really leaves a big question mark on his ability to deliver.
Sharad Pawar is also the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) president in waiting and has been the successful president of the cash rich Board Control Cricket of India (BCCI). Praful Patel is also on the verge of becoming the president of the All India Football Federation of India (AIFF).Both are known for their business & administration acumen.Then why is that these two ministers have completely failed in their respective sectors???? Aviation ministry was booming 3 years back and is now on the verge of a breakdown. Patel will be blamed for some of the policies and his inabilty to help the sector to fight the crisis. Many would argue that globally the aviation sector is struggling, but then what would one say about Air India, which was atleast able to some how sustain itself till 2 years back. The merger of Air India & Indian airlines (Patel’s brainchild) was implemented against the wishes of many has proved to be a blunder. Similarly, Pawar has failed to device any kind of methods & concrete startegies to help the farmers. It would be unrealistic to completely eradicate farmer suicides in 5 years which has been an ongoing agony for years, but in the last 5 years including the ones in which the rainfall was good, Pawar has failed to bring the number of suicides down. There has been no sign of any williingness to curb this ongoing deadly financial & social virus. In fact in 2006, in the Vidarbha region, which is in his own home state of Maharashtra, 4000 farmers committed suicide. Even if 10% of the revenues which the BCCI generated in the last 5years were invested in helping the farm sector, atleast a few thousand farmers could have been saved.
It would be unfair to generalise all businessmen cum politicians in the same bracket. The Sibals, Marans have atleast proved their agility in their respective sectors.But if changes for these important portfolios are not made soon then it won’t be surprising to see the current UPA government leaving a new legacy behind in the form of ‘Union (Failed ) Minister of successful businesses & sports bodies’.
Praful Patel also runs his Rs 500-crore CeeJay Group & owns one of India’s biggest bidi and tobacco-derivatives businesses. He is also referred as the ‘Bidi King’ in certain parts of Maharshtra. On one hand his business has grown at a tremendous rate, with his revenues increasing each year substantially, and on the other national carrier, Air India which is a public sector unit is struggling to survive. The national carrier has incurred loss of over Rs 7200 crores & accumulated a ‘massive’ Rs 15,000 crores as debt. The problem is that Air India was run comfortably if not profitabily over the past so many decades. The real problem started in the 90’s when a series of irrational steps were taken by the management. But the main trigger point for the speedy downfall was the merger of Air India with the government’s domestic carrier ‘Indian Airline’. Employees in the organization blame the merger as the main cause for the abysmal financial position of Air India.Other major carriers Jet Airways & Kingfisher are also under huge debt and fighting to stay afloat. Many from the industry blame the genuise ‘businessman’ cum minister Praful Patel for not helping the sector to come out of thi mess in any way.
Sharad Pawar the union agriculture minister might be having a tough time fighting the drought that has hit the country but when it come to his own business he has been laughing away to the bank. Though on paper his assets are worth 3.6 crores, but his family has business interest in agricultural land on prime highways which if converted to non agricultural land would fetch a premium of atleast 300%!!! His family also has huge stakes in various projects build around Mumbai & his party controls 70% of the sugar factories in western Maharshtra. According to an article in ‘Covert’ magazine there is a famous joke in Maharashtra about Pawar’s wealth, which people say is enough to run 5 delhis!!!...But yet the state of agriculture is in doldrums.One cannot blame the minister for the drought but what about the steps been taken to reduce the damage. Between 2004 & 2008, from the time Sharad Pawar has been the union agriculture minister, the average number of farmer suicides per year has been 17,513. Assuming that the number will remain the same for this year as well, even though it has been a drought this year, the total number of farmer suicides would be touching 90,000!!
These are just two examples from the current union cabinet of ministers who have been super sucessful businessmen but complete failures in lifting their sectors. The idea is not to target these 2 politicians, as there are many more such names…some of them making wealth illegally. Making personal wealth is not a sin for a politician as long as that is done legitimatly. But when successful businessmen fail to lift their respective sectors as ministers, then it really leaves a big question mark on his ability to deliver.
Sharad Pawar is also the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) president in waiting and has been the successful president of the cash rich Board Control Cricket of India (BCCI). Praful Patel is also on the verge of becoming the president of the All India Football Federation of India (AIFF).Both are known for their business & administration acumen.Then why is that these two ministers have completely failed in their respective sectors???? Aviation ministry was booming 3 years back and is now on the verge of a breakdown. Patel will be blamed for some of the policies and his inabilty to help the sector to fight the crisis. Many would argue that globally the aviation sector is struggling, but then what would one say about Air India, which was atleast able to some how sustain itself till 2 years back. The merger of Air India & Indian airlines (Patel’s brainchild) was implemented against the wishes of many has proved to be a blunder. Similarly, Pawar has failed to device any kind of methods & concrete startegies to help the farmers. It would be unrealistic to completely eradicate farmer suicides in 5 years which has been an ongoing agony for years, but in the last 5 years including the ones in which the rainfall was good, Pawar has failed to bring the number of suicides down. There has been no sign of any williingness to curb this ongoing deadly financial & social virus. In fact in 2006, in the Vidarbha region, which is in his own home state of Maharashtra, 4000 farmers committed suicide. Even if 10% of the revenues which the BCCI generated in the last 5years were invested in helping the farm sector, atleast a few thousand farmers could have been saved.
It would be unfair to generalise all businessmen cum politicians in the same bracket. The Sibals, Marans have atleast proved their agility in their respective sectors.But if changes for these important portfolios are not made soon then it won’t be surprising to see the current UPA government leaving a new legacy behind in the form of ‘Union (Failed ) Minister of successful businesses & sports bodies’.
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