The Pioneer- Dilli Billi-2nd Dec 2012- " Politics is about vested interest”

Politics is about vested interest

The nexus between politics and corporate always existed but, today, it has become a norm. So much so that politicians can’t see anything beyond their selfish needs.

The preparations for the Lok Sabha elections are underway. The UPA-2 Government has also started gearing up for the elections. And those who had expected a lot of excitement around the Cabinet reshuffle are disappointed. Many had thought that the elections would be held in 2013 and not in 2014. It is said that the Budget session of March 2013 would be a people-friendly budget. The message from the Finance Ministry would be clear for all to read – it would be the aam aadmi who would benefit the most.

One waits for the day when the prices of essential commodities would be slashed and the benefits of various schemes started by the Centre manage to reach the common man easily. As is common, many wannabes join the political bandwagon just before elections. This is because today, there is no better business than being a politician. Joining politics is rather tempting; it is an easy route to making money and having a lot of power. We know that politics today is dirty but it has its advantageous.

It is impossible to stand for an election without a strong financial backing whether it is national parties, regional parties or even Independents who are backed by business houses who have their own agenda. Many demand and push for policy changes to suit their purpose. Recently, many businessmen have started to openly associate themselves with politicians and political parties so that they can be nominated to the Upper house. Rajya Sabha, at one point of time, was reserved for the elderly statesmen today, unfortunately has many businessmen as its members. A lot of their time is spent dining and wining with policy-makers. As a member, they can easily meet the people who matter. This is one of the reasons that the kind of people entering into politics has gone down leaving a bad taste in the mouth of the ordinary man. It is difficult for the common man to be able to identify with the leader who travels in a private jet without a care for the public who voted him to power. Such leaders can’t see beyond their own selfish needs.

The media and some activists have exposed the nexus that exists between politicians and businessmen. In this era of coalition Governments, it is known fact that the Capital has its share of people who liaisons with different Ministries get the maximum benefit for their business house. Lobbying is a reality today. In fact, in countries like the US, it is legal and is political parties openly made use of it. I believe that as long as the Government protects the interest of the aam aadmi and works for the betterment of the nation, it is okay to lobby. The public is not so innocent to believe that the Congress is the only party which can deliver. It is no doubt the oldest party in the country but regional parties, which work only in a selective area, are gaining ground.

The Congress really needs to get its act together. It is a difficult task but with hard work and commitment it can change its image.

The Pioneer- Dilli Billi-25th Nov 2012- "Cong, BJP losing ground"

Cong, BJP losing ground

Regional parties are gaining ground because the two national parties – the Congress and the BSP – are losing touch with grassroots workers & the common man

Most political leaders wonder what annoys the aam aadmi. The sad part is that even though these leaders claim to have caught the pulse of the public, they are yet to fathom the reason for anger. While regional party leaders who have grassroots connection appear to have some sort of understanding, the two national parties – the Congress and the BSP – are at sea.

Probably, the fault lies with the fact that leaders at the centre have never been in touch with ground reality. They prefer to stay in New Delhi and become advisors to their High Command. When State leaders who are the main workers, come to New Delhi to meet senior leaders, they have to wait for days on end to get an audience. And, often, they return disappointed. It is then that one gets to see the difference in thinking.

The Grassroots leader talks with conviction and authority and the problems he faces when he goes asking for votes. It’s easy to sit in Delhi and give out orders. There is no understanding on any side. People who come from the States don’t understand the reason for the arrogance that central leaders have. It leaves the worker disillusioned.

It is unfortunate that the top leaders in the BJP and the Congress are unable to put a stop to the infighting. One has to remember that strong leadership is able to do way with any negativity as soon as it starts. Time and again we have seen that problems are created for a strong State leader by leaders in New Delhi. Whether it is created by a few men who vested interests, on doesn’t know.

For such people it is always self before the party welfare. The wrong information given by such people only irritates the real leader because he has a strong base and doesn’t need to ask for any favours from anyone. This is because he brings substance to the table which no baseless person can ever bring. Begging for a meeting with the top brass is humiliating and demeaning for a strong State leader. They get tired of the decisions that are forced upon him and then snubbed in full public view. Under such a situation, many self respecting leaders break away from the party and float their own.

If the Congress and the BJP wants to survive they need to start respecting their State leader.  It is because of these grassroots level people that others are able to rule at the Centre. It is sad when senior leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Vir Bahadur who can deliver are put to test time and again.

It is here that regional parties gain. They don’t have to report to anyone. They are responsible for their actions. It is their decision that means a win or loss for them. They are their own bosses. Hence, it is not surprising that many congress and BJP leaders would love to change places with them.

Many leaders are of the opinion that time is fast approaching when Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would win the Gujarat Assembly elections and change the number game for the 2014 General Election.

The Pioneer- Dilli Billi-18th Nov 2012- "Festivals have lost meaning"

Festivals have lost meaning

Gone are the days when festivals like Diwali were celebrated with simplicity. Spending time with the family has been replaced with getting drunk and gambling away lakhs of rupees.
 

Diwali is one festival that I look forward to. And for one reason – the entire family comes together and for the next three days, it is celebrations all around. The festival is so simple yet there is much to rejoice. Days are spent eating alu puris and lots of mithai. In our family, it is a tradition to play teen patti. Of course, since every family member plays, the stakes are not too high – it is limited to ₨10 board.  It’s bonding time for my family and my husband’s too.

Strangely, these kind of celebrations are seen as old fashioned and boring now. Today, for most, Diwali means getting drunk and playing cards where stakes are in lakhs. I am told, sometimes, it goes as high as a crore. I have some friends who chartered a plane and took their card playing friends to a resort so that they would not be disturbed. The question of spending time with family was zero.

Their life is so different. I feel sorry for these parents and their children. For me, festivals like these are family time. Those who don’t bond on these occasions usually find themselves at a loose end. If parents are busy elsewhere, who will teach the children importance of bonding with each other? Who will teach them the meaning of giving, patience and tolerance towards each other?

For me, the biggest gift an elder can give to the younger generation is values. Unfortunately, over the years, the meaning of Diwali has undergone a change. For many, especially in the Government, it has become a means to bribe officials and politicians by giving them expensive gifts. Love is weighed not by affection and hugs and cares but how much the Diwali present cost.

Therefore, our generation is confused. Studying in foreign universities and exposure to the western culture means that these children have not been able to fully adopt a single culture. Being modern, to them, means freedom which in turn means that all their demands must be met – a Mercedes or a BMW and pocket money to spend at pubs with no questions asked. And if a parent does ask for an explanation, the usual retort is ‘stay out of my personal life’.

Till date, I have not understood what is personal between a parent and a child, especially if the child is financially dependent on the parents for everything. I wonder why a parent allows a child to bully or emotionally blackmail them. Parents who give in to their child’s demands every time usually end up ruining their ward’s future.

When I was a child, I was never given a choice of missing prayer times, meal times, and any festival or birthdays. Today, some parents ask their teenage kids if it would suit them to attend a particular family function.

Most of the children today, don’t’ know why some of the festivals are celebrated. Our rich heritage and traditions has been lost to them. The west wants to learn our culture, values and traditions. Our own children are running away from it.

I felt ashamed when my friend’s son said that he didn’t know why Diwali is celebrated. What is sadder still is that he knew why Christmas is celebrated but ignorant about festivals in India. Faulty upbringing and giving wrong values is the cause of many problems in the society today.

It is time we took pride in celebrating our festivals.

The Pioneer- Dilli Billi-11th Nov 2012- "Make Accusations if they can be proved"

Make Accusations if they can be proved

Today, politics has become a game where leaders make personal attacks without thinking of the repercussions. It is time that elections are fought on more concrete grounds

One watched the campaigning for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh with a lot of interest. What was shocking was, of course, the bad and foul language used at Press conferences where the leaders had nothing to say but make personal attacks. This kind of behavior is shameful. The politicians need to understand that the youth are major voters. They are educated and are aware of ground realities.

Meanwhile, the news channels have become channels of entertainment especially when they discuss politics and politicians. One can see which side a particular channel is inclined towards. Candidates always complaint that news channels play favourites. The personal equation that many channels have with a particular media house, obviously with gains forming a major part of it, affects the coverage of the news. It is sad that the media has sunk to such low levels that people are doing sting operations on the media heads. Nothing can be more shameful than this. With so much bias shown on news channels, many prefer to watch a serial than watch the news. These people rely on Doordarshan for the news of substance.

The other day at a dinner party, I attended, people were discussing that there was a time when a whistleblower would address the media, people would want to know what he had to say. Today, People are tired of self-proclaimed heroes who have taken it upon themselves to be conscious keepers. There is no doubt that they are doing the nation a service, but people are not interested in accusations. The public is not concerned with whether the person involved is good or bad in personal life. As long as he is working for the betterment, what he does in his private life doesn’t concern the common man.

It takes years to make a name for oneself. We are humans and make mistakes. This doesn’t mean that a wrong should not be highlighted. But to tarnish somebody’s image with frivolous charges is not in good taste. Ours is a democratic set up which the whole world respects. So unless there is concrete proof, one must resist the temptation to speak ill of the person. And if the charges are proved the Government must take strong action against them. As for the people who blow the cover, they too have a duty towards the society- to put portray the correct and true picture if the corrupt politicians, businessman and or the official involved.

At the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat election campaign, personal attacks were made. A Senior State leader was insulted by a young MP. The young leader said that the senior leader was mentally unstable and resembled a monkey. Who appreciates this kind of talk? It just shows bad upbringing and the voter is completely put off by the party which gave the young MP courage to say something like. After all, a person who has been in politics for 50 years demands more respect than shown by the first-timer MP.

It is sad that allegations are carelessly made and it is left to the accused to prove his innocence, in my opinion, if the accuser is proved wrong he should be punished and the media that was instrumental in carrying such fallacious news needs to apologise to the person concerned on the TV.

I is high time that elections are fought on issue based grounds rather than hurling insults and making personal attacks just to score points on a new channel.

Punjab Kesari Jalandhar Article 30th November, 2012

Punjab Kesari Jalandhar Article 22nd November, 2012

The Pioneer-Dilli Billi-4th.Nov.2012- "WORK,NOT PERSONAL ATTACKS,GETS VOTES"

 "WORK,NOT PERSONAL ATTACKS,GETS VOTES"

The common man is not concerned with what politicians do in personal life. They just want the leaders to deliver what they had promised during the campaign.

The much-awaited Cabinet reshuffle of the UPA Government didn’t make everyone happy. Many had been anxiously waiting for the reshuffle. It had to be postponed many times over due to various complications and compulsions of running a Government on crutches.

But in the end, the hype about the reshuffle was whether the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was given a free hand for this exercise or it was the Congress’ general secretary Rahul Gandhi who had taken charge of the re-vamp before the 2014 Lok Sabha election. One thing was clear, the reshuffle showed the party allies where their stood.

To be honest, the end result of the reshuffle was a mix of both what the Prime Minister wanted with leaders like Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Bansal given responsibilities with promotions and Rahuil’s young brigade when the High Command placed faith in Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot. They have been given new responsibilities which they are very capable of handling. MM Pallam Raju, the new Human Resource Development Minister was supported by his godfather, Defence Minister AK Antony. And then there is Manish Tiwari. Nobody in the Cabinet knows better than him on how to deal with the media. Hence giving him the I&B Ministry was a master stroke.

Meanwhile, the preparation for the 2014 General Elections are underway. The BJP and the Congress along with their allies have already started to point fingers at each other. With charges of corruption being levied, the leaders have lost control over their language. It is impossible for somebody with integrity and honesty to try and make a place for themselves in today’s politics. It is remarkable that politicians have not realised yet that the public is not interested in listening to derogative remarks made about opponents. They don’t cast their vote because a leader is targeting another on the personal front. The public may have got used to corrupt politicians but not the ones who do not deliver on what has been promised. The common man wants results. It doesn’t matter to him what the leader does in his personal life.

Coming back to the reshuffle. The new list of Ministers in the Manmohan Singh Government are young, educated, bright and honest. None of them are likely to use abusive language, unlike the senior leaders whom we see on TV fighting, rushing into the well of the House and sometimes even throwing chappals at each other.

What the public wants today is development. Development in the name of progress. He wants that the Government should have a fullproof system which makes it possible for him to be able to provide his family basic needs.

Any leader who is able to deliver what he promised would win hands down. For the aam aadmi nothing else matters. Even the uneducated youth who forms a major votebank today, are aware of what is happening around them.

In Himachal Pradesh, the statement made by Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi have not gone down well with the locals. The people in State respect their womenfolk and live with dignity. The politicians would have to change their way of thinking and think twice before they open their mouth.

The leaders today need to live by example for the youth of tomorrow.