10-18-2006, 07:00 AM
<!--emo&:argue--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/argue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='argue.gif' /><!--endemo--> Diagnose the Ailments of Indian Democracy and find Rx thereof
The independent India of 500 princely states had it's PM even before it became free. Though Sardar Patel could unite these states into 25 or so states but late joiner Kashmir with it's article 370 has become the biggest headache. While Nehru was modernising India, the rural base became insecure. Lal Bahadur Shastri avenged Nehru's China debacle by defeating Pakistan in 1965. It was left to Indira Gandhi to usher in green revolution. Rajiv did not know what to do faced with Bofor charges in middle of his term and thereafter he was ineffective. This was followed by VP Singh whose reservation policy was opposed by Congress who is promoting this today. Chandershekhar, Devgowda and Gujral filled in the blanks but it was PV Narsimha who for the 1st time started the process of freeing shackles of license quota raj. Vajpayee looked very impressive but did not secure the rural basis. Let us see what MMS will do.
Ailments and Treatments:
1. We are in political mess as Parliaments and Legislatures have duplicate power of framing the laws as well as being the executives. The Supreme Court has very rightly said that these institutions take executive action and then legitimise it.
Rx: Don't expect from MPs and MLAs to divest their own power. The only way to do this is thru proposals voted by voters to have separate executive and legislative branches.
2. While everybody else protected their occupations, farmers' endangered occupation was not taken care of.
Rx: Everything associated with farming e.g. even the profits made by hoteliers on agricultural products be shared with farmers.
3. Reservations remain the holy cow untouched by any political party especially in coalition politics though Ambedkar himself put it for 5 yr terms of parliament to be renewable at every term.
Rx: Those who have reaped the benefits of reservations should be immediately taken out of it.
At this point, I will leave it to all of you to add what you dianose as ailments and treatments thereof besides discussing what I have said.
Jai Hind
The independent India of 500 princely states had it's PM even before it became free. Though Sardar Patel could unite these states into 25 or so states but late joiner Kashmir with it's article 370 has become the biggest headache. While Nehru was modernising India, the rural base became insecure. Lal Bahadur Shastri avenged Nehru's China debacle by defeating Pakistan in 1965. It was left to Indira Gandhi to usher in green revolution. Rajiv did not know what to do faced with Bofor charges in middle of his term and thereafter he was ineffective. This was followed by VP Singh whose reservation policy was opposed by Congress who is promoting this today. Chandershekhar, Devgowda and Gujral filled in the blanks but it was PV Narsimha who for the 1st time started the process of freeing shackles of license quota raj. Vajpayee looked very impressive but did not secure the rural basis. Let us see what MMS will do.
Ailments and Treatments:
1. We are in political mess as Parliaments and Legislatures have duplicate power of framing the laws as well as being the executives. The Supreme Court has very rightly said that these institutions take executive action and then legitimise it.
Rx: Don't expect from MPs and MLAs to divest their own power. The only way to do this is thru proposals voted by voters to have separate executive and legislative branches.
2. While everybody else protected their occupations, farmers' endangered occupation was not taken care of.
Rx: Everything associated with farming e.g. even the profits made by hoteliers on agricultural products be shared with farmers.
3. Reservations remain the holy cow untouched by any political party especially in coalition politics though Ambedkar himself put it for 5 yr terms of parliament to be renewable at every term.
Rx: Those who have reaped the benefits of reservations should be immediately taken out of it.
At this point, I will leave it to all of you to add what you dianose as ailments and treatments thereof besides discussing what I have said.
Jai Hind