Offstumped – Commentary on Indian Politics

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Politics and Public Policy in India

August 28, 2010 • 6:19 am 4

Rights based Left Liberalism has queered the pitch

Recent tweets

  • Must read highlights cognitive dissonance within UPA RT “@cbcnn_Pilid: Kaushik Basu’s full paper on Fin min website http://bit.ly/cheJ8Z
  • Interesting coincidence RT “@pragmatic_d: Shekhar Gupta on Congress’ left-turn. http://is.gd/eHzQ6”
  • But Shekhar Gupta must realize this left ward drift is significantly different from the earlier ones on two counts
  • It has not concentrated power in State instead it has marginalized it devolving power to quasi-constitutional bodies with no accountability
  • In doing so it has created a stake for a new class of leftist special interests going far beyond delhi’s leftist intellectual circles
  • There in lies the long term damage to the Constitutional Institutions and to Governance
  • Disagree with @swapan55 http://j.mp/9Qw1Kd backroom interventions in Parliament are not same as taking a coherent public position on policy
  • Let us be clear there is only one credible yardstick to measure if BJP is on it’s way to recovery or not
  • That yardstick is the degree to which BJP challenges the Congress’ left liberalism at it’s very root through direct public policy positions
  • All else like this intervention on nuclear liability issue is just feel good politics that’s far from making lasting impact on it’s fortunes
  • Urgently needed – a “Values based Constitutionalism” to pose a credible challenge to the Sonia Rahul “Rights based Entitlement Left Liberalism”
  • Absolutely true federalism will be a key constiutional value RT “@raoabhijeet: @offstumped Alternative is True Federalism”
  • BJP’s current non-strategy can be summed up: Nation will tire of Congress. Let us be non-shrill enough to be acceptable to lead a non-Congress coalition
  • Hence BJP non-strategy requires not taking strong ideological policy position against Left Liberal entitlements to humor noncongress rag tag
  • Need more proof that Rights based Entitlements have queered the pitch for Congress http://j.mp/dufX3j
  • That LK Advani could not think of a single Rural Enterprise success story as theme for Peepli Live and only NREGA came to his mind says lot
  • RT “@centerofright: @offstumped he shld hv read @rashmibansal‘s stay hungry stay foolish or connect the dots, both have good examples”

Original Blog Post

In 2007 then BJP National Vice President and Lok Sabha MP from Orissa Juel Oram had raised the banner of protest in Orissa against the state government’s move to sanction prospective license (PL) to Posco for mining at Khandadhar iron ore reserve. Two years before in 2005 Juel Oram had this to say of his opposition to mining projects in Orissa

displacement will affect the socio-economic conditions of the people and this is a major issue. “When a project comes up in any locality it affects not only the tribal people, but also the community as a whole,” says Oram. He has been vehemently opposing the12-million-tonne POSCO steel project near Paradip. Thousands of people who were displaced by the Rourkela Steel Plant, the Hirakud dam, the Rengali dam, and many other medium and small projects have not been compensated till date, he says.

But for Juel Oram’s opposition there is not much to glean from the last 5 years on where exactly the BJP stands on the issues related to Mining from the point of view of the environment and more importantly the Forest Rights Act. On the Forest Rights Act itself there is little that can be found by way of an informed policy position from the BJP. There are stray stories on Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh demanding speedy implementation of the Act and later on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi claiming credit for its implementation in his state. But beyond that there just is little to glean on

#1 what exactly was the BJP’s contribution to the debate on this legislation

#2 if there was an informed point of view on this Legislation that was both rooted in its political ideology and was derived from an enlightened political/electoral strategy

#3 if there was even an attempt by the BJP to influence public opinion one way or the other on the various aspects of the Act to bring to bear pressure on the UPA in shaping the contours of this Act

The story is not very much different when one looks at the BJP’s role in shaping and influencing other key Entitlement programs succesfully legislated by the UPA as Constitutional Rights.

Let us take the case of NREGA to which every BJP ruled state government has been a willing party. But for stray election time remarks on NREGA there has hardly been any firm political opposition to it. But for this criticism from Yashwant Sinha, it is hard to find any strong position on the NREGA. Only belatedly Narendra Modi has spoken up on corruption within the NREGA but not much beyond.

The BJP’s approach on Right to Education, RTE is no different either nor do we see any well formed position on the proposed Food Security bill.

So what we have here is the BJP mostly reacting to the Congress’ left liberal “rights based agenda”, riding on its bandwagon in states where it is in power while being mostly clueless on the long term strategic implications of this “rights based left liberal law making”.

The Vedanta episode highlights how these Rights based  laws like the FRA have effected a long term strategic advantage to the Congress. The Rights based Agenda allows the Congress to

#1 – appropriate a messianic political role making any opposition to its agenda look petty and belligerent

#2 – give a stake to a nationwide network of NGO activists who in turn return the favor by advocating  its cause if not overtly by proxy. This is happening on multiple dimensions ranging from mobilizing public opinion on local issues to beseiging its political opponents through litigation and popular protest.

#3 – remake the electoral landscape to suit its class rhetoric. The myriad challenges in the recognition of these newly granted Rights will ensure an abundance of victimhood that the Congress can conveniently exploit as is evident from the Vedanta episode

#4 - give a permanent stake to the Delhi based Left Liberal opinion making class (across the media, Judiciary and intelligenstia)  in law making and law enforcement as is evident from the dual role played by NAC members

#5 – distort the constitution with complex legislation that over the long term weakens the primary Institutions of the State, diffuses accountability while creating new special interests that no non-Congress government of the future can either displace or fully overcome

The BJP on account of its intellectual vaccum and myopia has shot itself in the foot by contributing unwittingly to this Left Liberal strategic shift in favor of the Congress.

What is worse the BJP still does not see a need to chart a fundamentally different course Legislatively or Politically to challenge the Congress.

The Congress under Sonia and Rahul Gandhi may be lacking in tactical political acumen as is evident from the political bungling over Telangana. But the mother and son duo have more than made up for that lack of tactical political leadership by effecting a long term strategic shift in favor of a messianic role for the dynasty. Unlike in the past this time they have nurtured a network of NGOs and Delhi based special interests to ensure the gains from this strategic shift are Institutionalized.

This has raised the threshold significantly against any effective politco-intellectual challenge to this” Rights based Left Liberal Agenda in favor of the Dynasty”.

The Indian voter does have a mind of its own. Electoral outcomes are far from pre-determined. The Congress has no immunity from the effects of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

This “Rights based Left Liberal agenda” may not guarantee electoral success to the Congress.

But it does queer the pitch in favor of the Congress forcing the BJP to play a me-too game. A game that does not come naturally to the BJP, thus making it look like an opportunistic B-Team of the Congress.

And we all know when given a choice between the Original and a pale imitation, what choice the voter will likely make !

Filed under: Assembly Polls 2009, bengal polls, betrayal of aam admi, Chattisgarh Polls 2008, Chhattisgarh Polls 2008, Delhi Polls 2008, Dharmayudh-2009, economic freedom, Gujarat Polls 2007, India Elections 2009, India Lok Sabha Elections 2009, Indira Gandhi, Left Liberalism, Local Governance, Lok Sabha Polls 2008-2009, Madhya Pradesh Polls 2008, Madhya Pradesh Polls 2008, Maharashtra Polls 2009, Manmohan Confidence Vote, Maoist Terrorism, Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, Progressivism, Rajasthan Polls 2008, Telangana, UPA-II Critical Appraisal

June 4, 2010 • 11:04 pm 7

BJP Convention on Good Governance – Open Letter

Governance is not about running welfare schemes

Governance is about making the Institutions of the State deliver

all the time everytime for everyone

The BJP is holding a first of its kind National Convention on Good Governance at the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini’s Knowledge-Excellence Centre at Bhainder near Mumbai between June 5th and and 6th 2010.

The convention was announced by former Goa CM and fellow IIT Mumba alumnus Manohar Parrikar who was also recently appointed as convenor of the BJP’s Governance cell.

The convention will be attended by Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states and others from NDA ruled states with Narendra Modi set to deliver the keynote.

Following is an Open Letter from Offstumped to the attendees of the Convention.

Dear BJP Chief Ministers and Leaders focused on Good Governance

As you get together in Mumbai to discuss Good Governance, I am reminded of a poem by an American Poet Ogden Nash.

The poem is titled “A Stitch too late is my fate” and builds on the famous proverb “a stitch in time saves nine” alluding to the Middle Class ethic of planning ahead to secure tomorrow.

I want to expand on this Middle Class ethic in the Indian Context and more specifically on why I think Institutional Reform must be the center piece of any agenda on Good Governance. I want to also highlight that without that Institutional Reform we will fail to chart the future for Young India.
  
Arun Shourieji writing in his latest book has given that profound message an Indian Context that all of us must reflect on.
 
Shourieji says that an extremely high price the country paid for starting the reforms late. And even these late reforms have taken place only in economic policy and not in administration and governance. Reforms in these fields are stonewalled because politicians don’t want to commit harakiri. One major problem before the country is the plethora of small parties who have their own narrow agendas and no national vision. Combined with the corrupt section of the business class, they derail even essential reforms. Shourie suggests that to bring about these mandatory changes, what is needed is a lobby for excellence.

There has been a lot of debate in our political world on the priorities of Government. Unlike Vajpayeeji’s NDA Government, Manmohan Singhji’s government has placed a higher priority on what it calls “Aam Admi” policies which have come at the expense of real development oriented reforms.
 
This government’s motto has been to postpone politically tough real reforms.
 
Instead this government has avoided the political challenges to pursue what at best can be called “feel good” policies by taking the easy way out of populism, thus postponing real reforms.
 
Unless we think “a stitch time in saves nine” we cannot muster the will for real Institutional reform .
 
I have no hesitation in saying that the BJP’s mission of Antyodaya cannot be realised unless there are Institutional reforms that make the system work all the time and everytime for everyone and not just the “Last Man Standing in the Queue”. 
 
It is only in a system that works all the time and for everyone can the poorest of poor be helped without being at the mercy of opportunistic politics.
 
This can only happen if Institutional Reform focuses on the areas of Economy, Local Governance and Education.
 
The UPA government has been very succesful in its pursuits of feel-good politics.
 
Thus a Right to Education bill is passed without real reform in maximizing educational opportunities for everyone through public and private means.
 
Tomorrow a Right to Food bill is being contemplated which too is aimed at making us all feel good without any real reform on the wastage and inefficiencies in the Public Distribution System.
 
Learned Policy Experts who are neutral and not associated with any political party have in recent days analyzed and exposed the fallacies of the UPA’s feel good policies.
 
Pratap Bhanu Mehtaji writing in the Indian Express has cautioned us on what he calls the diversionary tactics of the Government in ignoring Price rise and inflation which in part could have been contributed by the very same feel good policies touted by the Government from NREGA to the loan waivers.
 
Bibek Debroyji also writing in the Indian Express has also reminded us of the many failed promises of the UPA on reforms in the Food sector and how the UPA has failed accurately identify the Poor.
 
If there is one consistent message from these politically neutral experts, it is that the UPA’s feel good policies are deeply flawed and have come at the expense of real Institutional Reforms.
 
It is this postponement of reforms that has jeopardized our economic future as Pratap Bhanu Mehtaji puts it impacting not just the welfare schemes for the poor but also the costs of Education and other public services for the Middle Class.
 
Neutral experts are warning us that the Economic Success of past 2 decades the seeds of which were sown by Narasimha Raoji and which was harvested by Vajpayeeji’s government is at a grave risk on account of the UPA’s flawed policies and politics.
 
It is time for us to wake up before it is too late and to remind ourselves that a “stitch in time saves nine”.
 
Recently the Middle Class in Bangalore exploded many a myth about the BJP and Urban India by voting overwhelmingly for the BJP in the municipal polls. This should be taken as an opportunity for the BJP to distinguish itself in the area of Local Governance.  An important area of Urban Local Governance is Security and Police reforms. Unless Institutional reforms focused on building capacity we cannot win the war against Maoists or Islamists and the stray un-Hindu terrorist.
 
As a demonstration of your commitment to Good Governance the BJP should pledge to distinguish itself as the Party for Institutional Refors and the Party of Local Governance. 
 
Please pledge that you are ready to make tough political choices so we can bring in the Institutional Reforms we need urgently. 

Let us not forget what the experts are saying. The UPA is spending its way out of the gains of the last economic boom. Without Institutional Reforms there is little hope of incubating the next economic boom. Without either of these we will not be able to afford the welfare schemes needed to help the poorest of the poor for Antyodya.
 
With these words I enjoin you to think of  yourselves as a Lobby for Excellence as Arun Shourieji puts it and strive to dispel the “chalta hai” mindset in Governance and spread the message “ab nahi chalega”.

Regards

Filed under: ABIDE Bangalore, betrayal of aam admi, DesiPundit, economic freedom, Gujarat Polls 2007, India Elections 2009, jeetega-bharat, Karnataka Polls 2008, Local Governance, Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, UPA-II Critical Appraisal

May 22, 2010 • 6:22 am 11

Indian Express editorializes fiction on Narendra Modi

It seems that the Indian Express is on a “bait Narendra Modi campaign” at the expense of  its credibility.

First the Indian Express came up with this rather colorful narrative yesterday of the events in a Planning Commission meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi.

Next comes this editorial in which the Indian Express attempts to censure Mr. Modi based on that colorful narrative.

But here comes the problem for the Indian Express.

Syeda Hameed, the Planning Commission member who has been at the center of this imagined controversy, in a note to the Express pokes a hole into yesterday’s colorful, a hole so embarassingly big that it leads one to ask

Is the Indian Express now in the business of editorializing fiction ?

Syeda Hameed’s note makes two points amply clear

#1 There was no discord in yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting with Narendra Modi as has been insinuated by the Indian Express in its report yesterday

#2 There was also no attempt at “venting victimhood” by Mr. Narendra Modi as has been insinuated by the Indian Express in its editorial

It is puzzling that the Indian Express should have proceeded with the editorial on Mr. Modi even after Syeda Hameed had set the record straight on what exactly transpired at the meeting .

By doing so based on an imagined narrative and unsubstantiated facts  the Indian Express has betrayed its deep prejudice against Mr. Modi.

Despite all Modi’s attempts to refashion himself after the riots and talk a bland “development” talk seemingly emptied of ideology, there is no denying that his politics thrives on, and exploits, these social divisions.

The temerity with which the Indian Express arrogates to itself the right to demand accountability of Mr. Modi’s governance in Gujarat raises serious questions of its motives

 A question as important as this should not be taken over by bluster — and neither side in this confrontation should object to impartial, empirical facts on the state of Muslim welfare in Gujarat.

That motive becomes apparent when one recognizes a glaring ommission in today’s editorial line up in the Indian Express.

On a day when the rest of the media is critically appraising Manmohan Singh’s insipid political leadership, it is clear that the Indian Express’ anti-Modi editorial bluster is a lame attempt at deflecting attention from the UPA’s failings.

The Indian Express’ silence on Dr. Manmohan Singh’s uninspiring governance on the first anniversary of his second term, speaks volumes on its partisan.

This partisan attempt at editorializing fiction on Narendra Modi comes after a similar attempt at peddling blatant lies in an editorial.

With these partisan cheap shots at Narendra Modi and with its silence on the UPA’s performance, the Indian Express has permanently damaged its credibility, reducing itself to a mouthpiece of the ruling dispensation.

What a fall for an Institution that once counted amongst its editors the finest and the most fearless critics of the establishment.

Filed under: betrayal of aam admi, DesiPundit, Dharmayudh-2009, Gujarat Polls 2007, India Elections 2009, India Lok Sabha Elections 2009, Left Liberalism, Narendra Modi, Progressivism, UPA-II Critical Appraisal

November 9, 2009 • 9:16 pm 9

Lok Satta for GHMC polls – Offstumped Endorsement

With the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, GHMC set to go for polls, it is with great disappointment Offstumped is noting the utterly imaginative agenda the BJP has proposed.

By raking up issues that are not even remotely of any consequence to Urban Local Governance in Hyderabad and regurgitating a laundry list on entitlement programs the BJP in Hyderabad tragically has demonstrated an utter lack of understanding of what an agenda for Urban Local Governance ought to focus on.

Tragic because the same BJP in Bangalore has come up with a promising vision with the ABIDE initiative under the leadership of Anantha Kumar and Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

On this tragic note, Offstumped has decided to endorse the Lok Satta Party for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls.

It is noteworthy that the Lok Satta Party echoes some of the ABIDE thinking on making the Ward the central focus of local governance.

For those wanting to learn more on the agenda proposed by Lok Satta for the GHMC polls more can be found on their website.

More in the media on the same in this story on Ward Level Agenda and this one on spending 10% budget at the discretion of Ward level committees.

Offstumped looks forward to more debate on this proposed agenda for the GHMC polls in the days to come.

Some Twitter accounts tracking Lok Satta

@LokSattaSupporter

@MarutiRaghuveer

 

Filed under: ABIDE Bangalore, DesiPundit, India Elections 2009, Local Governance, Shveta Chhatra

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Opinions expressed on this site using the alias Offstumped are the blogger's personal opinions and do not in any way reflect the views of the blogger's Employers.