An excerpt from column in today’s Pioneer
In his recent book titled Transforming India, blogger and economist Atanu Dey proposes an interesting construct for such non-sectarian political engagement. Atanu Dey calls for a voluntary association, ‘United Voters of India’, that functions as a lobby of sorts to pressure political parties and Government to make policies consistent with what he describes as “Pretty Good Principle”. Atanu Dey’s UVI is not much unlike what Mr Arun Shourie calls a “Lobby for Excellence” in his book We must have no price. Where Mr Shourie stops short of spelling out what the lobby of excellence must do, Atanu Dey is quite forthright in what he believes the UVI to be — a vote-bank of urban educated voters.
A riveting point Atanu Dey makes in his book is that any urban middle class vote bank like the UVI must not be apolitical. He sees the vote-bank as a means to change politics in India by becoming part of the political process. Atanu Dey’s book is an easy read. The pretty good principles are clearly stated that should appeal to the common sense of any urban middle class Indian. The book also stands out for its clarity on the kind of economic choices Middle India must make in the pursuit of its own enlightened self-interests.
…. this book merits being exposed to high school students given the preponderance of Left-liberal thinking that has biased an entire generation towards statist economic policies. A cursory glimpse of NCERT text books will reveal both a deep Left-liberal bias and very poor appreciation for the kind of democratic temperament young Indians need to develop to discharge their future responsibility as voters. The allure of many young urban Indians towards the ‘apolitical’ Anna Hazare campaign is also a direct reflection of the Left-liberal bias in education.
While the jury may be out on whether the ‘apolitical’ IAC of Anna Hazare can become a vote-bank like the UVI ……
Read the rest of the column here on The Pioneer’s website.
Filed under: Advani Yatra against Corruption, Anna Hazare, उत्तर प्रदेश २०१२, Baba Ramdev, UPA-II Critical Appraisal, Uttar Pradesh Polls 2012, Varun Gandhi
Investors can create jobs for you.
Anti-corrupt agitators/Laws/Courts/CBI cannot provide employment for you.
Best wishes for Atanu.Urban Indian vote banks is the idea whose time has come.
Those running poverty industry don’t have the correct data on no of BPL.So they indulge in guesstimates.Is it 40%? Even if it is,it means ,70 crore Indians are doing fine.This could be true, as we have 15 crore house holds with TV sets.40 crores of these 70 crores live in urban areas.They need to come forward to CHANGE THIS GAME FOR EVER.Center and the states had Rs 36 Lakh crores in their budgets in 2009.That is huge.Hence the corruption and wastes too are huge.Only urban elites can put a stop to this loot and the collosal waste.
Hence very best wishes for Atanu.
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