Perhaps, it is not the policy paralysis in India but policy adventurism among Indian political leadership against the public interests while striving for neoliberal economic policies in the name of economic development of the country ! Many things including foreign direct investment ( FDI) in the multi-brand retail trade are being initiated at the highest -level of governance to liberalise our economic system right from the time of the minority-ruled prime minister ship of Narsimha Rao and his union finance minister Manmohan singh (now prime minister). Country's interest is being compromised not only by the ruling United Progressive Alliance(UPA) , led by the Congress but also by the NDA, led by BJP as well as regional parities like DMK of Karunanidhi , RJD of Laloo Prasad Yadav , BSP of Mayawati,Trinamul Congress of Mamata Bannerjee, BJD of Navin Patnaik , Janata Dal (U) led by Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar and Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav All these stake-holders on the Indian political scenes are manipulating the things in the practise of opportunism to serve their enlightened interest..
Happenings of the last six to eight months, particularly in the run of governance and parliamentary proceedings, for carrying the government business in the Parliament and throughout the country have aggravated the situation-not only deterioration on the economic front of the country but mainly widening the gap of social and economic disparities. Political classes are making "democratisation of corruption".Corruption has become a symptom of a widening gap between the 'powerful and powerless'.Political classes as a whole are indulging in anarchy.Pantomime like situation is prevailing in the country! Thus the country is sitting on subdued volcano. India has been passing through worse phase in the world.Both the houses of Parliament-Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha- have virtually turned into political theatrics, unmindful of meaningful discussions for the upliftment of poor classes in the country!
In this game of manoeuvring politics by both major political players-Congress and BJP -appear conniving each other to divert the attention of people from burning issues like corruption right from high-level to rural panchayat level in the country as well as lack of food to poverty -ridden poor, education and health measures throughout the country.The political players are playing their own games. Congress and its partners are engaged in criticising the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), which has exposed the UPA government over wrong doings in 2-G spectrum, coal block allotment and other financial irregularities. Not only that they rushed through in managing the resolution of FDI in the both the houses of Parliament and also hinting other liberalised economic measures, detrimental to the majority of poor living in India.
Likewise, the main opposition-BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-led Sangh Parivar have been trying hard to hush-up corruption charges against the national president of the BJP Nitin Gadakari despite the facts that many senior BJP leaders including Ram Jethamalani, demanding the resignation of Gadkari. Sign of party with a difference-BJP- has also done the same thing in covering up Nitin Gadkari. Such harakari by the BJP and RSS have adversely affected the opposition onslaughts against corrupt practices by the Congress and other UPA ministers. In this way, it appears that BJP and the Congress appear on the same wave-length despite their tall talks in at least recent parliament session on various issues of public interest. With regards to regional outfits, which virtual keep lever of power, have also grown weak. Many of its leaders like Mayawati and Mulayam of Uttar Pradesh, Laloo Prasad Yadav of Bihar and Karunanidhi of Tamil Nadu are involved in neck-deep corruption and the ruling UPA led by Congress is controlling them by whipping the 'CBI stick'. Recent drama in the Parliament over passage of FDI resolution have exposed the entire political classes in the country.
Situation in the country is heading towards the one that existed in 1989 when the Rajiv Gandhi , who was allegedly involved in Bofor scandal and HDW submarine scam, was humbled in the Lok Sabha elections by the Jan Morcha led by Vishwanath Pratap Singh. Corruption is becoming the issue second to only price rise. Lamentably, there is no leader of V P singh stature on the Indian political scene. Singh had vision and organisational statures to unite the people of the country for a change and biggest issue of that Lok Sabha election was corruption. Apart from vacuum in almost all political parties because of lack of strong and efficient leadership, there are general perceptions that all political leaders are corrupt.. The recently formed Aam Aadami Party by Arwind Kejariwal, has , however, evoked mixed response and the party is attracting attention, mainly from urban middle classes. A ray of hope has also arisen some significant performances of Jan Sambad by a group of civil society activists led by Aruna Roy and P V Rajagopal The Jan Samwad is holding fruitful discussions and peoples' participation in the proposed movement. In this endeavour , the recent Ekata Parishad-led padyatra of P V Rajagopal on land reforms has also noticed political awareness among masses , who are fighting for "jal, jungle and zameen",Apart from that gatherings and agitations, launched by left parties and its trade union movement, farmers and agriculture organisations have also shown a significant development during the critical hour in hte country because of failure of entire system.But for all these changes in the prevailing rotten system, there is need of charismatic leadership, which the country is lacking in today's context.
A Patna -based eminent columnist Surendra Kishore has said ' "present situation could be compared with 'art of the possible' regime of Narsimha Rao. There are several similarities between that regime and the present one. Both are minority governments in formal sense, but both have survived on the basis of a value-neutral pursuit of power using questionable means. During Narsimha Rao's regime, one saw the blatant cash votes scam, where in members of of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a regional party of tribal state now Jharkhand, were literally bought with money transferred to their accounts to ensure survival of the government. Now we see other carrot-and-stick ploy being used to bring regional parties in line. On the one side, you have the bait of special packages for states in which regional parties have roots. Then there is ploy that broadly term as CBI consent, which involves beating down leadership of regional parties by periodically showing them the stick of various investigate and punitive agencies."
Prakash Karat, general secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), who also shown concern over prevailing political scenario in the country, has told the Frontline in a recent interview , " To cope with the present situation, the challenge is how to build an alternative politics which is not influenced by big capital and money and to build an alternative platform, which can rally all sections of the working people. As far as the left parties is concerned, we cannot rely on some of the non-congress alternative policies. The vote in the Lok Sabha, disapproving FDI in retail is an example of the opportunism of some of these parties. We do not think a third alternative is possible with such parties as there cannot be a common platform of alternative policies. The only way an alternative to the present set-up will emerge is through developing movements and struggles and building a left and democratic alliance in the process."
Now before I further discuss other aspects of the present situation, I think it better to highlight about neoliberal measures. Prabhat Patnaik, a prominent social scientist, has said, " Neoliberal measures include, above all, an opening of the economy to free cross border movements of capital, including in particular, finance capital. In a country like that is open to such free movements of finance capital, if the state pursued measures that are disliked by finance, then finance would pull out of the country and more else where: and since such movements can be quite large, the economy would find in itself in and an acute crisis. In a neoliberal economy, the state is forever caught in the attempt to retain the confidence of the investors in the economy (a euphemism for keeping finance capital happy).For this it has to bow to the caprices of globalised finance capital (with domestic big capital is closely integrated) and adopt only such measures as finances likes, that is , measures that promotes its interest. This fact itself constitutes a negation of democracy. In a democracy, the state is supposed to pursue policies that benefit the people, who are sovereign and on the basis of whose electoral verdict the government is formed. But if the government elected by the people must follow policies that are not in the interests of the people but in the interests of finance capital, then we have negation of democracy."
Corruption is bane of neoliberal economic policy. One must be watching that since the implementation of neoliberal economic policy from Narsimha Rao regime, corruption started touching a new height in India. New policy compels the dictum of globalised country to put persons on the helm of economic affairs not traditional politicians but technocrats from the world finance, former employee of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or other international financial institutions. All of them implement the policies of neoliberal to the hilt where globalisation of economy has taken place. In the case of Narsimha Rao, he had appointed Manmohan Singh, well-known World Bank employee as finance minister and since then such technocrats weere appointed on key position by the respective union governments. Currently Montek Singh Ahluwalia, World Bank and IMF person, has been appointed deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and his views on economy in the context of India is well known and some times his statements become matter of joke. Many other top ranking posts in the economic affairs wing are filled up with such technocrats during Manmohan Singh regime. To substantiate the facts; one example must be cited for prevalent corruption among political classes. There becomes conflict between traditional politicians as ministers and liberalised trained officials. And for solving the situation, and to win over traditional political- ministers , a price is tagged and that price is 'corruption' in that price. One must have observed that only political rulers like ministers are involved in corrupt practices not the persons of international finance bodies, who had brought political-ministers under the trap of corrupt practices!
With such bending of rules and laws in India, the country is slowly moving towards fascism. There was a time when Hindutva forces, used to be of adopting fascist style of functioning. Now, such fascism has developed every where in the union and state governments . University professors in West Bengal are arrested for circulating a cartoon of the chief minister Mamta Bannerjee,; a man is arrested for posing a problem to Mamta Bannerjee at a public meeting; at many places leaders of political parties tortures dalits openly; two innocent girls were arrested for making comments on the Facebook, entire city is closed down on the death of a local politician, known for arms-twisting methods; a man who had presided over and possibly winked at a communal carnage being openly touted as the next prime ministerial candidate; a prolonged communal carnage inflicted upon a minority border state; the widespread glee surrounding the hanging of a young man who had indulged in ,no doubt ,in horrendous acts of terrorism but who was a mere minion of little consequences. Are not these incidents are symptoms of creeping fascism in the country? The haste in pushing up "reforms" by the Manmohan Singh government is bound to bring further miseries for poor, particularly tribal, dalits and other weaker sections of society as the capitals will be accumulated under the hand of a few detriments to the general people of the country.
It is high time for progressive Indians to unite for a long-drawn agitation to resist the policies against the general masses as well as erosion in democratic values in the country!
Happenings of the last six to eight months, particularly in the run of governance and parliamentary proceedings, for carrying the government business in the Parliament and throughout the country have aggravated the situation-not only deterioration on the economic front of the country but mainly widening the gap of social and economic disparities. Political classes are making "democratisation of corruption".Corruption has become a symptom of a widening gap between the 'powerful and powerless'.Political classes as a whole are indulging in anarchy.Pantomime like situation is prevailing in the country! Thus the country is sitting on subdued volcano. India has been passing through worse phase in the world.Both the houses of Parliament-Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha- have virtually turned into political theatrics, unmindful of meaningful discussions for the upliftment of poor classes in the country!
In this game of manoeuvring politics by both major political players-Congress and BJP -appear conniving each other to divert the attention of people from burning issues like corruption right from high-level to rural panchayat level in the country as well as lack of food to poverty -ridden poor, education and health measures throughout the country.The political players are playing their own games. Congress and its partners are engaged in criticising the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), which has exposed the UPA government over wrong doings in 2-G spectrum, coal block allotment and other financial irregularities. Not only that they rushed through in managing the resolution of FDI in the both the houses of Parliament and also hinting other liberalised economic measures, detrimental to the majority of poor living in India.
Likewise, the main opposition-BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-led Sangh Parivar have been trying hard to hush-up corruption charges against the national president of the BJP Nitin Gadakari despite the facts that many senior BJP leaders including Ram Jethamalani, demanding the resignation of Gadkari. Sign of party with a difference-BJP- has also done the same thing in covering up Nitin Gadkari. Such harakari by the BJP and RSS have adversely affected the opposition onslaughts against corrupt practices by the Congress and other UPA ministers. In this way, it appears that BJP and the Congress appear on the same wave-length despite their tall talks in at least recent parliament session on various issues of public interest. With regards to regional outfits, which virtual keep lever of power, have also grown weak. Many of its leaders like Mayawati and Mulayam of Uttar Pradesh, Laloo Prasad Yadav of Bihar and Karunanidhi of Tamil Nadu are involved in neck-deep corruption and the ruling UPA led by Congress is controlling them by whipping the 'CBI stick'. Recent drama in the Parliament over passage of FDI resolution have exposed the entire political classes in the country.
Situation in the country is heading towards the one that existed in 1989 when the Rajiv Gandhi , who was allegedly involved in Bofor scandal and HDW submarine scam, was humbled in the Lok Sabha elections by the Jan Morcha led by Vishwanath Pratap Singh. Corruption is becoming the issue second to only price rise. Lamentably, there is no leader of V P singh stature on the Indian political scene. Singh had vision and organisational statures to unite the people of the country for a change and biggest issue of that Lok Sabha election was corruption. Apart from vacuum in almost all political parties because of lack of strong and efficient leadership, there are general perceptions that all political leaders are corrupt.. The recently formed Aam Aadami Party by Arwind Kejariwal, has , however, evoked mixed response and the party is attracting attention, mainly from urban middle classes. A ray of hope has also arisen some significant performances of Jan Sambad by a group of civil society activists led by Aruna Roy and P V Rajagopal The Jan Samwad is holding fruitful discussions and peoples' participation in the proposed movement. In this endeavour , the recent Ekata Parishad-led padyatra of P V Rajagopal on land reforms has also noticed political awareness among masses , who are fighting for "jal, jungle and zameen",Apart from that gatherings and agitations, launched by left parties and its trade union movement, farmers and agriculture organisations have also shown a significant development during the critical hour in hte country because of failure of entire system.But for all these changes in the prevailing rotten system, there is need of charismatic leadership, which the country is lacking in today's context.
A Patna -based eminent columnist Surendra Kishore has said ' "present situation could be compared with 'art of the possible' regime of Narsimha Rao. There are several similarities between that regime and the present one. Both are minority governments in formal sense, but both have survived on the basis of a value-neutral pursuit of power using questionable means. During Narsimha Rao's regime, one saw the blatant cash votes scam, where in members of of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a regional party of tribal state now Jharkhand, were literally bought with money transferred to their accounts to ensure survival of the government. Now we see other carrot-and-stick ploy being used to bring regional parties in line. On the one side, you have the bait of special packages for states in which regional parties have roots. Then there is ploy that broadly term as CBI consent, which involves beating down leadership of regional parties by periodically showing them the stick of various investigate and punitive agencies."
Prakash Karat, general secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), who also shown concern over prevailing political scenario in the country, has told the Frontline in a recent interview , " To cope with the present situation, the challenge is how to build an alternative politics which is not influenced by big capital and money and to build an alternative platform, which can rally all sections of the working people. As far as the left parties is concerned, we cannot rely on some of the non-congress alternative policies. The vote in the Lok Sabha, disapproving FDI in retail is an example of the opportunism of some of these parties. We do not think a third alternative is possible with such parties as there cannot be a common platform of alternative policies. The only way an alternative to the present set-up will emerge is through developing movements and struggles and building a left and democratic alliance in the process."
Now before I further discuss other aspects of the present situation, I think it better to highlight about neoliberal measures. Prabhat Patnaik, a prominent social scientist, has said, " Neoliberal measures include, above all, an opening of the economy to free cross border movements of capital, including in particular, finance capital. In a country like that is open to such free movements of finance capital, if the state pursued measures that are disliked by finance, then finance would pull out of the country and more else where: and since such movements can be quite large, the economy would find in itself in and an acute crisis. In a neoliberal economy, the state is forever caught in the attempt to retain the confidence of the investors in the economy (a euphemism for keeping finance capital happy).For this it has to bow to the caprices of globalised finance capital (with domestic big capital is closely integrated) and adopt only such measures as finances likes, that is , measures that promotes its interest. This fact itself constitutes a negation of democracy. In a democracy, the state is supposed to pursue policies that benefit the people, who are sovereign and on the basis of whose electoral verdict the government is formed. But if the government elected by the people must follow policies that are not in the interests of the people but in the interests of finance capital, then we have negation of democracy."
Corruption is bane of neoliberal economic policy. One must be watching that since the implementation of neoliberal economic policy from Narsimha Rao regime, corruption started touching a new height in India. New policy compels the dictum of globalised country to put persons on the helm of economic affairs not traditional politicians but technocrats from the world finance, former employee of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or other international financial institutions. All of them implement the policies of neoliberal to the hilt where globalisation of economy has taken place. In the case of Narsimha Rao, he had appointed Manmohan Singh, well-known World Bank employee as finance minister and since then such technocrats weere appointed on key position by the respective union governments. Currently Montek Singh Ahluwalia, World Bank and IMF person, has been appointed deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and his views on economy in the context of India is well known and some times his statements become matter of joke. Many other top ranking posts in the economic affairs wing are filled up with such technocrats during Manmohan Singh regime. To substantiate the facts; one example must be cited for prevalent corruption among political classes. There becomes conflict between traditional politicians as ministers and liberalised trained officials. And for solving the situation, and to win over traditional political- ministers , a price is tagged and that price is 'corruption' in that price. One must have observed that only political rulers like ministers are involved in corrupt practices not the persons of international finance bodies, who had brought political-ministers under the trap of corrupt practices!
With such bending of rules and laws in India, the country is slowly moving towards fascism. There was a time when Hindutva forces, used to be of adopting fascist style of functioning. Now, such fascism has developed every where in the union and state governments . University professors in West Bengal are arrested for circulating a cartoon of the chief minister Mamta Bannerjee,; a man is arrested for posing a problem to Mamta Bannerjee at a public meeting; at many places leaders of political parties tortures dalits openly; two innocent girls were arrested for making comments on the Facebook, entire city is closed down on the death of a local politician, known for arms-twisting methods; a man who had presided over and possibly winked at a communal carnage being openly touted as the next prime ministerial candidate; a prolonged communal carnage inflicted upon a minority border state; the widespread glee surrounding the hanging of a young man who had indulged in ,no doubt ,in horrendous acts of terrorism but who was a mere minion of little consequences. Are not these incidents are symptoms of creeping fascism in the country? The haste in pushing up "reforms" by the Manmohan Singh government is bound to bring further miseries for poor, particularly tribal, dalits and other weaker sections of society as the capitals will be accumulated under the hand of a few detriments to the general people of the country.
It is high time for progressive Indians to unite for a long-drawn agitation to resist the policies against the general masses as well as erosion in democratic values in the country!
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