SUNANDA PUSHKAR MURDER CASE

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It is deplorable to see Sunanda Pushkar murder case not reaching its logical conclusion? In addition, I’m even shocked and surprised to see the horrifying and poltroon attitude of Shashi Tharoor who isn’t seen pushing for justice for his slain wife. Any other politician husband who still happens to be the Congress spokesperson would have gone hammer and tongs to town and would have threatened to go on fast until death till the culprit is nabbed. But the situation out here is tragically quite different. As he is trying to maintain that stoic silence, but in whose interest no one knows. And one loosely feels the family is in no hurry to get her justice.

     On the other hand look at Delhi Police. They appear to have botched up the entire case, as per TV reports, of certain channels. And what to talk of Home Ministry, that is incubating over the matter as if to assess the political gains. Least they could have done was to hand over the matter to CBI. Very sadly … this happens to be our callous India that loves, playing around with dead and fractured souls. What a pity. Mare hua ko bhi nahi chodte (They don’t even spare the dead).

    One wonders how easy it is for the state to dump a murder case and that too of a socialite coming from high society. So, then what happens to the lower and the downtrodden, and of course the whole thing is reeking of filth in our high social circles.

    And last but not the least. The likes of Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Erle Stanley Gardner who made crime as their mission of life must all be churning in their graves over the alleged bungling up, by Delhi Police in this high profile murder case. Now let us see how Subramaniam Swami takes the lead.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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http://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

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 I knew for sure. This ever changing world around me will only keep changing. But I just didn’t know how much. Ever since, you left us, on this very day, many years ago. I have stayed off Lucknow. And after a long time I’m home around this time. Thinking, I would sight the change myself. So, on this serene and dismal morning I went out for a morning walk. Pursuing, quite the same route. That, you once frequented. And it gave me a feel as if I was following the same trail that you had left behind.

     To be frank I wasn’t surprised to see. The surroundings have really sprung up to the hilt leaving, no niche for that stilly calm. The flow of river Gomti has receded and it isn’t what it used to be in your times. It has thinned down. Like the plait of an ageing lady. The chirping Gauraiyas are nowhere to be seen. And no one knows where they have gone. Did you see them by any chance? Did they come to you? Meanwhile some Gods have grown in stature but some remain where they were. The temple of Hanuman Setu has exalted both in pomp and spirits, just like you. But the small Shivalaya near the banks has only greyed. It still emanates that salt and pepper looks. The overarching, Banyan tree there, has spread all around the Shivalay. As if, protecting, the God of the poor, residing in it. That reminded me of the days when you protected all of us.

     The chauraha has become quite psychedelic as everything out there has changed. The famous samosawalla—Phullu who had his makeshift shop in the middle of it is no more seen—the samosas are there but the walla has changed. No one knows where he has gone. Some say he is no more. One, Good Samaritan has converted her home into an institution. I wish. Many were like her.

     The chauraha gossips are no more vociferous. The morning newspapers have changed and with that even the feel. From Swatantra Bharat it is now Dainik Jagran and some others. What has grossly depleted over the years is ‘time.’ People don’t have time but enough to whine. Morals have declined.

    Even in the faint trickle and rustle of the holy river. I could hardly hear the serenading calls of the joyous koel in the colourful months of spring. That used to be so piercing earlier. It has been overtaken by the roar of the swarming vehicles thriving on the embankment. That sadly pollutes the vicinity, all along the scorching day. Lots of people walk up to the newly resurrected Mandirs, Ashrams and even a Masjid nearby for peace of mind. Perhaps, someday, their temples within, shall also rekindle to the call of the Almighty.

    Most bright children in and around have left for good. I now only find their parents whiling away their time in obsolescence. Is when, I wonder what I got from you and what I gave to my child. If the equations are not comforting peace shall always elude me.

    So much has changed over the years. Yet a few things haven’t changed. Just as, the day and night take their turns. The sun still rises and the rain comes when it has to come. Seasons too, alternate when they have to. And more importantly the chord we struck will never ever change.

    What I continue to learn from you is pillars should not change. But they should allow change.

    May, you rest in peace.

    By Kamlesh Tripathi: Homage to Babuji (K.P. Tripathi). He left us this day in 1984.

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WHAT IS GOOD FOR DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA—POLITICAL STABILITY OR POLITICAL COMPETITION?

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

   It is said, competition is good for consumers, but how about competition in politics? Where, I am reminded of what Indira Gandhi once said,   

  

    ‘My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition there.’

    She indeed was one of the tallest leaders of the Congress party, and even that of India, who could even dare to dismembered a neighbouring country. Therefore, if we superimpose her quote on the tenets of Congress Party or for that matter on any other political party it will be an interesting churning of inferences. 

    Before India attained freedom there were thirteen political parties that jointly fought the British Raj for independence, with Congress in the forefront. The focus then was not development, but to attain independence. Where, they competed and colluded in a smart manner and achieved it. Post independence some of these parties wound up as the mission was over, and some dissolved in each other. Congress then became the tallest party with practically no opposition. Muslim League the other powerful party was more or less hived off to Pakistan upon partition. Congress thereafter ruled for around fifty six years. But in these years they could have done much better than what they actually did. On the contrary they brought in the ‘License Raj’ post independence that only stifled the progress and development of the country and only benefited the few in power. So can one say political stability attracts development?

     License Raj was dissolved when P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1991 took over as the Prime Minister with Dr Manmohan Singh as his Finance Minister in a Congress Government. Thereon, things started looking up in India. But by then the coalition politics had also come into play. No single party was ruling the roost. Competition had set in, and every political party had to perform on economic parameters too, apart from the usual socialistic ones. The voter’s aspiration had also increased with the spread of literacy.

-          If we go through India’s GDP in absolute numbers we find in 1950-51 it was 2.79 lac crores that reached 20 lac crores in 1991-92 (15% annual growth for 40 years). But, was that enough when we were starting from a very low plank? This grew to 57.41 lac crores by 2013-14 (8.90% annual growth for 21 years). When the environment had become much more challenging. These growths were also facilitated by growth in population.

-         If we briefly analyse the annual growth of India’s GDP at factor cost again. In 40 years, starting 1951-52 to 1991-92. We will find. Thrice it showed negative growth, and in 79-80, after thirty years of independence it even went down to -5.2%, which is shameful. In fact growth started steadying above 5% only after 91-92 when competition amongst political parties had increased even within the coalition governments. And also when policies of open economy had set in.

-         In 1950-51 the food grain production was 50.83 million tonnes. In 1991-92 it reached 180 million tonnes. An increase of 129.47 million tonnes (an annual growth rate of 6.36%). This could have been much better, had the economy been opened in the 70’s, which the Congress government didn’t bother to do. By the year 2013-14 production reached 263.2 million tonnes. An increase of 83.2 million tonnes since 1992 (a 2.20% annual growth rate). That goes to show political competition lost focus on agriculture.

-         In the infrastructure sector. Construction of roads, (both surfaced and non-surfaced) picked up a steady pace only after 2008-09. After political competition started heating up in India and the same goes for exports which too picked up post 2003.

    The US is the world’s largest economy. There are two main parties, the Republicans and the Democrats. They follow each other close on heels on various issues. Yet, in the last two decades, like in the case of many other developed nations, its growth rate has been decreasing. If in the 50’s and 60’s the average growth rate was above 4 percent, in the 70’s and 80’s it dropped to 3 percent. In the last ten years, the average rate has been below 2 percent and since the second quarter of 2000 has never reached the 5 percent level. So has political stability in American politics helped the growth rate? Or is it that the continuing good sound policies of the government is driving growth, irrespective of which party rules, or is it that there is no politics over growth?

       In India we have seven national parties that include BJP, INC, CPI (Marxist), CPI India, BSP, TMC and the NSP. In addition we also have forty eight state parties. There is enough competition on the ground but whether it is helping development, is the big question. There is no firm paradigm of continuous fast track of development. That only goes to prove political competition may not mean development in India.

    So, sadly India has seen both the extremes. One, when Congress was stable and virtually in a monopoly for 56 years. When sadly there was only a steady, self complimenting and complacent development, and nothing exponential, which was what was required. And even now when you have a number of political parties on the ground, the development is dismal and that too at the cost of corruption that we saw in Congress UPA regime. Somehow, BJP has been able to reverse this trend because it is in full majority and politically stable, and its top leadership is averse to corruption. Needless, to say political parties are competing not for development, but for retention of power. This reflects glaringly in Uttar Pradesh.

    Uttar Pradesh the political hot seat of India has BJP, SP, BSP and Congress as main parties on the ground. In the past there were five prime ministers also who represented UP, apart from Dr Manmohan who also was under the command and control of the first family of Indian politics who also are supposedly from UP. Yet UP is where it was some forty years back. Despite, being the cradle of civilization, and the cynosure of every era. Today, UP is poor hungry, unemployed, illiterate and is one of the most prominent members of the Bimaru states of India.

    In six and a half decades of independence, India has grown manifold in population, but sparsely in infrastructure. But some states have grown faster than others and that’s where UP has lagged behind. UP is still way behind Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana.

    So then what went wrong especially after independence and where did UP drop the ball? It was one of independent India’s most prosperous states. It kept growing till 1980s, from a steady growth in the beginning of the 1^st five year plan in 1951 till the 1980s. UP has also seen frequent change of guard and therefore most certainly is a victim of political competition.

    So then what is good for India? Political stability or political competition? There are no straight answers, but I found an appropriate quote that can act as a solution—‘stop competing with others, start competing with yourself.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

In the annals of Indian history compiled by historians who pledged their prolonged allegiance to Congress, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) was always projected as an untouchable organization along with its off-shoots, one of which was even held responsible for the gruesome murder of Mahatma Gandhi—father of the nation, and together they all are blamed for fuelling communal disharmony in the country. So much so that very recently Congress leader and Rajya Sabha M.P. Ghulam Nabi Azad mindlessly compared RSS with ISIS. But be that as it may, it may not be out of context to say that Indian history was mis-written on several pages by these historians. Reason: Because it was biased towards RSS and not in sync with what was happening in the neighbourhood of new born India. It did not even deal with the regional demography and its effect on India and was devoid of prospective anticipation of how the troublesome neighbourhood of India is likely to be after a bunch of few decades.

     In the annals of Indian history compiled by historians who pledged their prolonged allegiance to Congress, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) was always projected as an untouchable organization along with its off-shoots, one of which was even held responsible for the gruesome murder of Mahatma Gandhi—father of the nation, and together they all are blamed for fuelling communal disharmony in the country. So much so that very recently Congress leader and Rajya Sabha M.P. Ghulam Nabi Azad mindlessly compared RSS with ISIS. But be that as it may, it may not be out of context to say that Indian history was mis-written on several pages by these historians. Reason: Because it was biased towards RSS and not in sync with what was happening in the neighbourhood of new born India. It did not even deal with the regional demography and its effect on India and was devoid of prospective anticipation of how the troublesome neighbourhood of India is likely to be after a bunch of few decades.

    I always feel any historical perspective should always be dipped at leisure in the demographic paste of the past and the present and the anticipated gush of future much before it is presented to the world to have an unbiased view. But unfortunately it was not presented in that manner and so RSS remained a villain of all times. RSS, was formed on 27^th September 1925 on the day of Vijay-Dashmi, and would be celebrating its centenary in less than a decade and thus has come a long way since then. It was banned during the British Raj and thereafter thrice in the post independence era but more for political reasons. But RSS couldn’t care less as recently it has decided to graduate into trousers replacing those vintage shorts in an attempt to jerk off some of its vintage looks. But will it also change its inveterate mindset is something we need to wait and watch, but I’m sure it’ll surely try and bolster its global image across the world.

       For Congress and other left-of-centre pseudo-secular parties; RSS remains that untouchable ball of fire that will only disintegrate the country. But then the moot question is who brought about the painful disintegration of India in 1947? For RSS was just about twenty-two years old then, when Congress was about fifty two and definitely more matured and resourceful. And moreover the typical slippery and conniving mindset that is brewing in India for a long time now is; support the Muslim minority and get the Sikh minority killed in riots and you won’t be called unsecular. This is what Congress did in 1984 Sikh riots. So can one call Congress a secular party?

    As of now RSS bashing is vital and important for pseudo-secular parties to survive and trade vote bank politics and will continue to be so as long as they can fool the Muslim minority of the country that RSS is a threat to them, but with continued co-existence of RSS and the Muslims the fear and misunderstanding falsely crafted will only subside as per the law of time.

    The mission statement of RSS says it was formed:

    ‘For the welfare of entire mankind, Bharath must stand before the world as a self-confident, resurgent and mighty nation. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has resolved to fulfil this age-old national mission by forging the present-day scattered Hindu Society into an organized and invincible force both on the plane of Adhyaatma and on the plane of material life. Verily this is the one real practical world mission – if ever there was one.

    The mission of reorganizing the Hindu society on the lines of its unique national genius which the Sangh has taken up is not only a great process of true national regeneration of Bharat but also the inevitable precondition to realize the dream of world unity and human welfare.  Our one supreme goal is to bring to life the all-round glory and greatness of our Hindu Rashtra.

    In order to take our nation to the pinnacle of glory, the first and foremost prerequisite is the invincible organized life of the people without which even the highest national prosperity will crumble to dust in no time.

    Expressed in the simplest terms, the ideal of the Sangh is to carry the nation to the pinnacle of glory through organizing the entire society and ensuring the protection of Hindu Dharma.’

    While some may find the mission statement to be bearable, some others may find it as incendiary, but that’s up to them. But to me it appears; it delves more in uniting the otherwise fragile Hindus and their ethos hitherto divided so much by caste, class, language and even state. In fact both British Raj and Congress instead of bridging the gap left no stone unturned in widening it. This is what RSS wants to rectify and so it should not be misunderstood as aggression or a lurking danger against any minority community as often projected by pseudo-secular parties and the media. Hindus were never receptive to unite under any single temple or deity like the Muslims do under the name of ‘Allah.’ So in some ways RSS tried to act only as a counter balance in the demographic space of India and I doubt if it will ever go ballistic first, and that too like ISIS.

    Political parties can’t be relied upon for protection of a particular religion or faith completely as they first nurture their own selfish needs where their first priority is always their vote bank. Congress today doesn’t know where to look at ever since other pro Muslim parties have spring up and their Muslim vote bank has shrunk (In Lok Sabha only 44 seats) and for the majority they never bothered. Most Muslims and Christians even when they lean on left wing parties still cannot afford to stay away from their mosques and churches that issues diktats about whom to vote which is not the case with Hindu temples. Political parties confine you to geographical boundaries and nations whereas mosques and churches make you global but not temples.

    Hindus though intelligent were never a marshal race, rather for over four hundred years they have been gullible and subservient; be it under the rule of the Mughal Sultanate or the British Raj. They were always naive and never united under a religious banner and had big individual egos and therefore were always exploited individually by their opponents. Their temples never united them, and on the contrary their day-to-day living only separated them by caste wars. As compared to Islam and Christianity where churches and mosques were heard and acted upon temples had practically no say in moulding important milestones decisions of Hindus except for milestone rituals. So no temple could have brought Hindus together and that is where RSS came into picture to hold the hands of Hindus and fill the gap, and not to launch an onslaught on any other religion. Earlier Sikhism was formed as a marshal force and religion to protect Hindus from the onslaught of Afghan and Mughal invasions.

    If we compare the world demographics and religions across various countries and colonies we will find there are 161 countries where Christianity is in a majority; 49 where Muslims are in a majority; in 7 countries unaffiliated religions rule the roost; 3 countries where Hindus are in a majority; 7 where Buddhists are in a majority; 3 countries where Folk Religion guides the majority and 1 where Jews are in a majority. Whereas Christianity is more predominant in other continents such as Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand just to name a few; Islam and Hinduism on the other hand largely dominate Asia and the Middle East and that to neck-to-neck. As compared to Muslim adherents of 1.12 billion in the region Hindus number around 1.03 billion. I’m placing the vital statistics on the table as that will only expose the tilt of the heft and the crucible required to balance the heft.

    66% of the world’s Muslims reside in Asia and the Middle East. They are 27% of the total population of Asia and the Middle East with around 1.12 billion adherents and thus the heart of Muslim civilisation on earth. And it is noticeable they share space with over a billion Hindus in the same region. But there is always a tug-of-war between the two on strength and mettle.

    If we further zero in on South Asia which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka we will find 48 crore Muslims stay in South Asia which is about 28% of the world’s Muslim population and 30% of the population of South Asia and in comparison there are around 102 crore Hindus residing in South Asia which is around 98% of the total Hindu population of the world and around 64% of the total population of South Asia. And with a little over 95% of world’s Hindus living in India alone, a mind game of sorts is always on the prowl, where RSS plays the card of Hindu saviour and where Congress and other pseudo-secular parties are considered minority protectors.

    RSS came into wider relevance and recognition ever since terrorism escalated in J&K where Kashmiri Pandits had to flee the valley and the Congress government in the centre did nothing effective about it. It also raised its voice whenever Hindu minorities were crushed in Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries. Even the illegal entry of Bangladeshis into Assam was overlooked if not encouraged by the Congress government that changed the demographic pattern of Assam. Thus it was also because of the Congress that RSS started gaining traction in India and today the antenna of RSS goes even beyond the borders of India and stands as a peaceful Hindu insignia whether you like it or not.

    But times have changed. Besides trousers RSS should also think of broad banding their base and get in their fold the dalits and minorities. And India needs to realise as long as you have vote bank politics organisations like RSS will come up to take the cause of the neglected.

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Only a skilled nation can create national wealth

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

50% of the world’s wealth remains with 4-5 countries

    “National wealth” refers to the total value of wealth possessed by the citizens of a nation at a set point in time. That is, the total value of wealth and goods generated by all economic activity in a particular nation.

    It is also referred as the national (net) wealth, or the national net worth, or even the gross national wealth (GNW); summing up to the total national wealth and is the total sum value of wealth possessed by the citizens of a nation at a set point of time.

    This figure of national wealth is an important indicator of a nation’s ability to take on debt and sustain spending and is influenced by not only real estate prices, but also by the stock market, human resources, technological advancements which may create new assets or render other worthless, and it also steered by the national infrastructure and exchange rates. For value creation optimum skill levels are a must for any nation and therefore skill building is an important ingredient required to augment national wealth.

    The most significant component by far among most developed nations is commonly reported as household net wealth or worth, and also reflects infrastructure investment. National wealth can fluctuate, as evidenced in the US data (to follow) following the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent recovery.

    There are 196 countries in the world today. If we compare the national wealth figures of the first 30 major countries we will come across an interesting paradigm as below:

    ANALYSIS

-               The world’s wealth has grown from 117,225 billion USD in 2000 to 171,577 in 2005, up to 216,374 in 2010 and to 250,145 in 2015. This is a cumulative growth of 113% over the last 15 years and an average annual growth rate of 7.5%.

-               USA remains the richest in terms of national wealth and also a consistent performer since 2000 to 2015. In 2000 it had a national wealth of 42,941 billion USD which has grown to 85,901 billion USD in 2015. This is a cumulative growth of 100% over 15 years and an average annual growth rate of 6.67%.

-           The national wealth of the US in 2000 was 42,941 billion USD, a little more than the national wealth of Japan, UK, Germany, Italy and China, put together.

-           The national wealth of the US in 2005 was 59,664 billion USD, a little more than the national wealth of Japan, UK, France, Italy and Germany, put together.

-           The national wealth of the US in 2010 declined from 59,664 billion USD by 4.27% to 57114 on account of the economic crisis, but it still remained more than the combined national wealth of countries such as Japan, China and France, put together. China by 2010 had become a major skill development country and thereby started generating wealth. It would not be wrong to say that 50% of the wealth of the world is controlled by only four or five countries.

-           By 2015 the national wealth of the US had increased to 85,901 billion USD, a little more than the combined wealth of four economic super powers such as China, Japan, UK, France and Germany.

-           China’s policy of underscoring on skill development under the banner of human resources gave encouraging results when its national wealth from 4664 billion USD in 2000 went up to 8674 in 2005 and to 17505 in 2010 and finally to 22817 in 2015. And from 6^th position in 2000 it has jumped to 2^nd position in 2015 in terms of national wealth.

-           India on the contrary from 14^th position out of 196 countries in 2000 jumped marginally to 12^th position in 2005 and to 11^th position in 2010, but slumped back to 14^th position in 2015. Its national wealth was 1163 billion USD in 2000, 2142 billion USD in 2005, 3788 billion USD in 2010, and 3447 billion USD in 2015. It has cumulatively grown by 196% with an average growth rate of 13%. But it is not enough when we compare it with world standards and our political establishment needs to understand this. India requires wide spread skill development if it wants to grow its national wealth. A lesson we need to learn from China where there is no opposition when it comes to policies affecting national wealth.

-           50% of the world’s wealth in the year 2000 was with super economic powers such as the USA, Japan and the UK. This changed somewhat in 2010 where 50% of the world’s wealth was held by the USA, Japan, UK and France, and this further changed in 2010 when 50% of the wealth of the world was held by USA, Japan, China (China replaced UK) and France. In 2015 the scenario further changed when China jumped to the second position next to the US leaving behind Japan to a close third.

-           Canada with 35 only million people has maintained a steady 8^th position in the world. In 2000 it had a national wealth of 2,469 billion USD. This rose to 4277 in 2005, to 6212 in 2010 and finally to 6872 in 2015. Its cumulative growth in 15 years has been 178% with an average growth rate of 11.88%. But it has failed to take a quantum leap because it doesn’t have great reserve of skill bank which it is largely importing from other countries now. It also has a huge geographical territory and it remains to be seen how in times to come it will manage its assets with such a meagre population.

-           South Korea has turned into another industrial giant by lifting its skill levels. It rose from the 16^th position where it had a national wealth of 1089 billion USD in 2000, to 2149 billion USD in 2005 at 11^th position. But it slumped back to 14^th position in 2010 even when it increased its national wealth to 2791 billion USD. But in 2015 it jumped to 12^th spot with a national wealth of 3545 billion USD.

-           Greece a typical example with its economic crisis has crashed to the 30^th spot in 2015 with 743 billion USD from the 23^rd spot in 2000 with a national wealth of 493 billion USD.

-           Russia with the roots of once a super power has stagnated from 315 in 2000 to 1284  USD billion in 2015 but has gone up notches from 30^th to 23^rd position.

    The point to essence—mere size of population doesn’t increase national wealth. One has to individually create it for the nation. And you can create, only if you have the skill. The US remains the leader in this field with a population of 310 million people which is less than one third of the population of India. Even Canada with only 35 million people generates more revenue than India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is by far on track by underscoring on skill development in India.

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Judges to appoint judges … a voter’s perspective

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

Supreme Court has the done the right thing by keeping the corrupt executive and legislative out of the process of appointing judges. Some electronic media channels have also termed it as ‘Supreme Court’s judgement against the will of the people,’ rather I would call it ‘Supreme Court’s judgement against the will of the L&A,’ (legislative and elective) and not the people of India. Consequent to this, a spate of debates, have taken place in political circles, the print media and more vociferously in the electronic media, but sadly the general public is again a mute spectator in all of this. So from a voter’s perspective let me put forth some arterial points to which the big guns of the country may not be privy to.

Government and some political parties, (because now Congress like a chameleon has changed its colour) feel the traditional collegium system of judicial appointments is opaque, out-dated, and even has deficiencies. But, as a common man I feel this opacity and deficiency is hundred times better than the blatant corruption and callousness of the L&A. For over a period of time since independence the ‘trust deficit’ between the common man vis-a-vis the L&A has only increased and therefore, why would the common man trust the L&A when it comes to appointment of judges. In that manner Supreme Court has shown maturity by drawing a line and not allowing them to tamper with the process of justice, even if it happens to be appointment of judges. In a healthy democracy some amount of turf war is desirable between the L&A and the judiciary. The moment the executive takes over judiciary, it will become like the various inefficient police departments of India that wag their tails incessantly only in front of the political class without performing their actual duty, and where the concept of a world class policing doesn’t even exist.

Democracy is only good if it is played as a gentleman’s game, but unfortunately this game in India has now been completely taken over by the goondas, opportunists and cheats, where the few honest ones are not even visible; and there is a great risk that if judiciary too goes into their hands, nothing will be left in the common man’s hand.

Across all political parties a trait exists that as long as they are in the opposition they talk the common man’s language but when they attain power they show their real teeth. When BJP was not in power they used to talk about anti-vvip culture, but now all their guns are blazing to promote VVIPISM. They are now snooping in to net- neutrality and even dictating what to eat and what not to eat. They had never shown their real teeth before elections otherwise probably they wouldn’t have won. Congress is no different.

Even after 68 years of independence the entire political class could not produce another Gandhi or anyone close to him and that itself speaks of the hollowness in the character of politicians that sum up as political class. 65% of India’s population was born after 1970s and the political class that often keeps harping about high standards of values and morals could not even produce a modern day Gandhi as a role model for the youth of this country. Some could only see a glimpse of that in Anna Hazare.

In the past we have had politicians like Sanjay Gandhi who forcefully got people sterilised, and then you had Mrs Indira Gandhi who for her own personal benefit forced the state of emergency down every Indians throat, how very selfish. There have been riots where thousands of Sikhs were killed, lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits were thrown out of their homes, together with several Hindu-Muslim riots in which members of both communities have been killed and all of this happened at the subtle behest of the political parties that runs the L&A. So how will such people add any value in appointment of judges?

In India democracy is only for the day of the voting and thereafter the elected politician has no connect with his voters, election commission also doesn’t monitor this, and therefore he is a tiger for the next five years. They rarely meet their voters and are only surrounded by sycophants and coteries. Most of them are low on morals and are criminals and only believe in promoting their family. They also enact laws that suits the entire political class, without showing any morals or respect to the common man, such as keep contesting elections even if you have cases against you till the matter is finally decided by the highest court, going on foreign jaunts when the state is reeling under famine, increased VVIPISM, vote bank politics and the list is endless.

If the elected legislative wants NJAC, that does not mean the voters also want it. Elected legislative has only become an eye wash for people’s mandate. Elected members do not discuss issues of national importance or state importance with their voters back in their constituencies to take their mind. So it is wrong to say that in every important decision the will of the people is involved. Rather the elected member listens only to his party diktats which may or may not suit the voters of his constituency. Voters are supposed to vote as per their choice after ascertaining what the political Party has to offer through its manifesto. But in today’s India political parties don’t work as per their manifestos, rather some don’t even release their manifestos, some only release their vision documents, and some work totally against their manifestos. And the election commission has no check on them. In fact Supreme Court has issued guidelines on this but political parties have not responded.

If we allow the L&A to takeover the media and the judiciary there is a great risk of political class playing havoc with the general masses.

What is legislated in the parliament is necessarily not what the people of India want and what people of India want is often not legislated in the parliament or the state assemblies. This is because the elected members have lost connect with their voters. For example the entire India wants VVIPracism to be abolished but has the government tried to enact any legislation to abolish it? On the contrary VVIPISM is only growing in this country.

Amongst the four pillars of democracy the L&A has largely let the masses of India down and there is now only hope from the media and judiciary and in no manner should they allow the L&A to enter their turf in the interest of the masses.

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