I was stuck in a massive traffic jam two nights ago – idiot drivers taking u- turns everywhere. Rick drivers, professional drivers, car owners – everyone in Lokhandwalla Mumbai decided that the roads belonged to their fathers, and behaved likewise. The result was no movement for atleast 15 minutes. A lockjam had taken place and the word that kept popping into my mind was gathbandan – a word popularised by the NDA Government led by Vajpayeeji to mean an alliance – but which came to mean a lockjam in the last UPA government. I know that gathbandan means alliance – but for me, for some peculiar reason, it always meant a lockjam. It possibly also reflects my own attitudes towards alliances 🙂
So in a way I am glad that this current Government doesn’t need a gathbandan – it needs support, it needs to carry the Parliament along, but it doesn’t need to go into battle blindfolded, and with its arms and feet tied.
Yesterday the new Government was administered the Oath of Office. some random thoughts :
- It must have been a bitter sweet day for the Gandhi parivaar – vindication of a long, hard struggle to reclaim lost ground. They have made the Congress electable by focussing on the Party – and letting a Professional run the Government. I would really like to see the Party revive in other parts like Karnataka, MP, and WB – before they start looking at Government. Let’s be honest – other people can run the Government – only the family can revive the Party ! Victory in the elections plus the surrender of the LTTE – must have made the 21st of May all the more poignant .
- What is the DMK upto – kids, nephews, nieces and loyalists. If they don’t want to go into wilderness after the death of Karunanidhi – he is not immortal – then they need to stop making it an extended family business. It was seriously embarassing to see such a demand for the Family !
- good to see the non performers go – the thought of Arjun Singh handling HRD ministry was enough to make one want to throw up. Hope that someone with respect for the nation’s Human Resources takes over the portfolio – with one of the younger baba log as MoS (Pilot would be so good for that)
- Interesting to see that 6 ministers took the oath not to ‘God’ but to the Constitution. makes my heart swell with pride.
- Good to see that tainted Ministers are not in. Atleast, so far ! would like that entire concept of tainted ministers to be history
- Would like to see Local Self Government – both the Panchayati Raj and City Governance – at the core of this Government’s policy. Decentralisation is the key to Development. And decentralisation is not to the State Government but to local Government
- Sad to see Mr.Advani walk alone into Parliament . I don’t like his politics, never have. If he had not moved so far away from his core sense of Values – he and his cabinet may have taken the Oath instead of MMS and his cabinet.
- i would like to see someone younger and more in tune with modern Economics and Financial markets in charge of the Finance Ministry. but, it looks like a Political appointment
- I saw a picture of Mamta Banerjee – she had combed her hair and was smiling 🙂 gosh what a turnaround. If the women politicians smiled more , and tried less to be men, maybe there will be more of them in Parliament. Too much Testerone is an nasty trait in men, in women it is a complete and utter turnoff.
- Everyone loves a winner – i hope that the UPA sees this as a mandate for development – not for them, and doens’t get overconfident and trample on everyone around
- Finally, the citizens in the North Eastern States, Kashmir, and Naxal infested areas – have turned out in large numbers – braving militants, boycotts and the like – to vote for tomorrow. it would be such a beautiful gesture if the new Home Minsiter scarps the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, releases Dr. Binayak Sen – and brings socio economic development to the Naxal controlled areas. Open dialogue with those who want peace and development. Go after those who want violence. it is sad that in the nation that advocated non-violent protest – people like Dr.Binayak Sen and Irom Sharmilla are targetted !
Little things are big things 🙂
Fully agree on AFSPA and Binayak Sen, but I don’t have great confidence in Chidambaram. But it is very interesting that 6 out of 20 did not invoke God. Such a thing would be unthinkable in the US: even if a politician were really a non-believer, such a gesture would make headline news and alienate large sections of the electorate, so they’d never do it.
i trust Chidambaram to keep us safe from the bad guys – but I don’t have faith in Chidambaram’s heart – but i do in the PM’s compassion. also more importantly, in the compassion of Mrs.Sonia Gandhi.
God and relgiion are not really linked in India. Athiesm is a well accepted part of the Hindu school !
The founder of the RSS – Dr.Hegdewar and its later head Mr.Golwalkar were not really believers.
religion is more an identity or has become a part of identity politics and less with God.
of the lot who took their oath – the only one i know as a confirmed athiest is Mr.A.K.Anthony.
Chidambaram probably thinks that he is God 🙂
Well, I don’t know — the only atheistic tradition I know of in Hinduism was the Charavaka school, which is long dead.
It’s very likely the RSS founders were non-believers, which makes them hypocrites in my opinion.
Agree about Chidambaram 🙂
Thanks for 2, 3 ,6 and 12 th point are new to my knowledge area. And also thanks for recalling all other points to me.Nice array of thoughts.Good blog post…
“Decentralisation is the key to Development”
I wholeheartedly agree. There was an interesting feature on Rahul Gandhi in one of the newspapers today. It described the work he did at the grass root level in states like UP, where he designated one person to take care of about 50-odd houses in an area. So a medium sized village would have a few people like this, reporting to one person. And so on. He helped establish a hierarchy down to the very foundation to address the needs of people. Extreme decentralization, evidently. It seems to have worked, and how!
Nice list! I was pleasantly surprised by point 4.
Wholeheartedly agree about Dr. Sen and Irom Sharmilla. And it was a pleasant surprise to read about the oath, and that Didi actually managed to comb her hair.
Very nice post.
“i would like to see someone younger and more in tune with modern Economics and Financial markets in charge of” – the BJP 🙂
Lets face it we do need an alternative to Congress. This is BJP’s chance to shed their old ideologies and become an alternative party. They were never one in the first place.
Meghnad Desai has a good edit in the Sunday Express about the Sonia-led turnaround of the Congress, including Rahul’s wise decision to work at the grassroot level and letting MMS take executive charge. I think you’ll like the piece.
Three cheers for #4 in your list!
@ Rahul – for the RSS Hinduism was cultural nationalism. was not about God(s). but, it is a bit silly trying to impose a single culture on a diverse people, just as it is to impose a single God or Pantheon on diverse people
@yayaver – thank you
@ Suren – he is out 🙂 and i think that i am going to start blog pieces on her hair and smile
@ silverine – 🙂 yes. their youngest politicians are in their mid 50’s. the country needs atleast two strong national parties – so that they can keep each other in check
@Mahendra – thank you. i read that.
i remember having a similar conversation with someone – when i put up post on why i was voting congress – i like the separation of powers between the Party and the Govt.
one of the greatest damages that Indra Gandhi had done to the party was removing that separation.
I was thrilled by no. 4, despite being a beliver. aakar patel had a very good write up about that here – http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=179209
Hmm “Only the family can revive it” ? Sigh.. I lose my will to even comment on that.
anyway. check this out. I tried to verify the stats, but couldn’t, would do us all a huge favour if you could
http://plz-dont-read.blogspot.com/2009/05/myth-of-youth.html
In supreme court we trust…
The sen episode shows how the govt works, when it has a will.
on those caught taking the oath to constitution and not god
Hope they act according to and to strengthen, not ultra vires to constitution
I repeat this is a govt of continuity !
chk out the piece in toi by s a aiyar
youth stand for 40+ sons, reminding me of an old vitality suppliment (30+).
There are 9 ministers with criminal background
There are politicians who have been awarded for their incompetence too (accomodated) and i dont need to name names.
Where is the difference between party and govt? there is still one power centre in congress
arjun was not removed because of his policy but instead because he was gettin too big for his shoes making madam uncomfortable .. his policies of division will only increase…
A reservation speaker ? Meera kumar, whose claim to fame is reservation and being daughter of the famous Dy pm Babu Jagjeevan Ram, who didnt file tax returns for a decade and whose son got famous for his sex scandal (read Khushwant singh).
Agree about Chidambaram and FM appointment 🙂
Congratulations to people of India on giving thumbs up to terrorist attacks and politics of pandering and reservations. Be prepared for private sector reservations and minority reservation (part of congress manifesto so they will have to implement them).
Just two days ago we witnessed the culmination of the brilliant diplomacy of UPA regarding the 26/11 attacks, in the release of Hafiz Sayeed. So the six month hiatus in attacks is about to end now, it only remains to be seen where the next inevitable terrorist attack occurs.
In any case JAI HO!!