I am pretty much a Liberal centrist moderate  who has a 10 degree oscillation on issues to the left and right. There are policy issues on which I may agree with either, neither or sometimes both. For example – GM – the Indian Left & the right were in tandem on this issue. or the Women’s reservation bill – ditto.

I have a problem with labels because they tend to straight jacket views and opinions and polarise discussion – which may make for great spectator sport, but achieves very little in terms of tangible goals.

In India most of these labels break down. I don’t know why but they do. Most parties seem to occupy more or less similar positions on most issues. the points of dissension tend to be Minorities – be they gender, religious, ethnic, caste etal. and policies regarding these minorities.

Just as the cold war was between right wing ‘conservatism’ & right wing socialism – In India the sides are left wing ‘conservatism’ and left wing socialism in various various avtaars. .I see right wing socialism from the BJP and left wing socialism from the Communists. The Congres, is somewhere in the centre.

Of all the parties – I see the Congress, or rather the UPA, being more free market. I see the BJP having a slightly more aggressive stance on National security – but – if I leave out ‘secularism’ and do a blind test between the parties – they are in more or less the same space.

Be it reservation – caste or gender; be it social welfare – in terms of NREGA or education – politically there is a broad consensus that it ought to be done. There may be dispute on the modalities – corruption, leakages, no reservation for religious minorities, no reservation for women etal – but no one is opposing any of these ‘conceptually’.
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I see Liberalism – as essentially standing for freedom – freedom of choice, freedom of market, freedom of individual, freedom to be, and a modern Constitutional Republic being one that guarantees these freedoms. I don’t see any of these parties really standing for these values –because their entire power base is vote bank driven . This entire ‘majority minority’ fault line that is referred to in the question – is also a result of these vote bank politics.

And then I see this fringe – both on the left and the right that will protest at anything – that that is that is made up of the Arundati Roy’s and the Pramod Muthalik’s of the world . They exist on the left and right – and tend to scream shout and grab media attention.

Now, if we are going to use the neo conservative label of ‘left liberal’ with all its associations of the ‘loony fringe’ and that includes the Indian equivalent of being anti big business and pro gay marriage or Anti state – then the answer is no –that group if it exists is barely organised or indeed in agreement on a variety of issues. However, these groups tend to be more elite – and therefore can occupy more media space and are – IMHO – fairly colonised in their thinking. The kind of people who will talk about Indian issues with the US constitution as a reference point.. I have had ‘debates’ with them where, for example, theism would immediately be countered by ‘do you believe in evolution’

But, I believe it is more arm chair rather than any direct involvement ! It is also got the wrong reference points ! but these are convenient reference points for the ELM to latch on to and further the debate. And, to be very honest – the same is the case with the right wing – the western reference points in terms of Nationalism and National Identity – which breaks down in a multi dimensional entity like India.

All sides of the debate – have taken on very firang definitions & positions – that neither accounts for the differences in history, nor the diversity of India, nor the unique developmental challenges. They have taken on values from more or less homogeneous states and societies and tried to transplant them here. So, the debates that I have followed on the net are more in the “Hindutva” v/s “Secularism” space rather than balanced budget v/s “Social Spending” space. I guess the former is easier to disagree/agree on.

Economics is very rarely discussed. There may be an occasional outcry on the farm loan waiver, or a diatribe against Nehruvian planning – and how it is bad for the economy, but very rarely do we discuss the fact that an average of Rs.50,000 crores annually is given as subsidy to fertilizer companies – that possibly distorts the entire market ! There is little focus on now and tomorrow. Most of the focus is historic – and the tack seems to be ‘they misbehaved then, i have a right to misbehave now’ – fairly juvenile and not very productive in terms of achieving anything! it often seems like a fight between kids in the 3rd standard !

Most groups are still stuck on the Hindu v/s Muslim (yawn !!) issues with little attention given to economics or strategy – except that it would be broadly pro regulation – yet not clear on how much; broadly anti-Pak, look blank about China, Think of Africa as a place where they could go on Safari, South America being somewhere out there !
And, of course the fact that we should do ’something’ about poor people who live in the villages – a line that has me cracking up with laughter !

These also tend to be very absolutist – for example M.F.Hussain. Does he have the right to paint – of course. Does someone else have the right to protest against those paintings ….. they are more ambiguous ! or Should people learn local languages – and can non violent protest be a way of ensuring that ? We may agree on that there should ‘be no violence’ but for some reason – we are anti – protest – and decry protest -against our pet causes – as being misguided.

In all this – the Middle Path is muddied. And, for me, India has always been about the middle path.

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Anonymous

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there is a panel discussion (more like panel typing) on “Challenging Left Liberalism” . It is being ‘held’ at the Offstumped Community Portal , and starts at 7 pm IST. the debate/discussion (i am hoping it is the latter’ will be between Swapan DasGupta, Kanchan Gupta, Ashok Malik & yours truly !!

Left Liberal is defined by the site as ” any ideology or policy that advocates all of below.” :

#1 Primacy of Individual over Community and the State in making Cultural Choice

#2 Illegitimacy of Community in making any Cultural Choice on behalf of Individual.

#2 Primacy of the State over Community and primacy of the Community over the Individual in making Economic Choice

#3 Illegitimacy of any autonomy to the Individual in making Economic Choice

#4 Illegitimacy of any autonomy to the State in making choices to preserve itself

I guess that this slicing & dicing would make Margaret Thatcher a somewhat left liberal the debate should be fun … do drop in !

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Tarun

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March 12th 1993, a set of blasts that shook Mumbai to the core. Buildings blasted, people vaporized and the sense of innate security that citizens of this metropolis had torn to shreds. In all,

A series of bomb blasts ripped through 13 places in the city, killing 257 people and injuring 713. These were the first blasts in which RDX was used and the explosions were allegedly planned by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

This was before the 24/7 news era – and therefore the term 12/3 has not passed into popular lexicon ! No body remembers the anniversary or places flowers at key places where the bombs went off and people died

Locations attacked include (dead in brackets)

* Fisherman’s Colony in Mahim causeway[15]
* Zaveri Bazaar[12]
* Plaza Cinema[12]
* Century Bazaar[12]
* Katha Bazaar[12]
* Hotel Sea Rock[12]
* Sahar Airport[12]
* Air India Building[12]
* Hotel Juhu Centaur[12]
* Plaza Theatre near Shiv Sena HQ[16]
* Lucky Petrol near Shiv Sena HQ[16]
* Worli[17]
* Bombay Stock Exchange Building[10]
* Hotel Centaur, Santa Cruz[16]
* Area opposite of Century Bazaar[13]
* Passport Office[18]

I was a student at that time, away in London. I heard about it on the BBC. I was terrified. My dad worked in Air India Building, my brother studied at Xaviers, my mom taught at Sophia’s – all in town, and both passing the passport office en route to our home. It was a different time – no instant messaging, no net, no twitter – and the land lines were impossible to get through to …..

My mother told me about this BEST bus that was blown up near the passport office. many commuters were 12th standard students, who having finished their HSC exams were returning to their respective homes. Not enough scraps were found for last rites.

SR pointed me out to a spot next to Sena Bhavan – the site of a petrol pump – where a bomb failed to go off. Had it gone off the whole area would have been levelled .

The foot soldiers behind the blast were sentenced a few years ago. Those who planned it still run free.

The BBC’s coverage -

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9 nominations at Sanskruti Kala Darpan Awards. As Shyam would say in the film “jhing Chik Jhing”

Best Film – Jhing Chik Jhing, Cogito Entertainment
Bets Director – Nitin Nandan
Best Cinematography – Amalendhu Chaudhary
Best Actor – Bharat Jadhav
Best Actor – Madhavi Juvekar
Best Child Actor – Chinmay Kambli
Best Background Score – Rahul Ranade
Best Lyrics – Shrirang Godbole
Best Costume

Feels good
BTW – Nitin Nandan got the best story award at Zee Gaurav

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shooting the crew, shooting at Madh.

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AnonymousTarun

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