Posts tagged Politics

As usual after anything big that happens, people have to find someone to blame. Post the Mumbai terror attacks, Politicians are going into a tizzy demanding each other’s resignations. They’re so busy blaming each other and asking for our votes in the same breath that they’re really not doing anything about the security situation we have at hand.

I was watching this interesting piece of reporting on CNN IBN yesterday. They were calling it the operation water Rat (you know Indian telly with their inclination to drama!).

Anyways, the piece had a smart looking reporting doing a dry run of smuggling suspicious looking wooden crates (that the reporter claims could easily be carrying 100 kgs of RDX) into the waters of Murud Janjira (a little ride north of Mumbai) and then moving on land in a tavera all the way o the gate way of India. The reporter claims to have tried this 3 different times and in different ways and not being challenged even once!! It’s that easy. He was saying it was such a cakewalk that anyone can do this…you don’t really have to be a trained terrorist.  That’s how vulnerable we are!

Some further investigations by the reporter took him to the customs office in Murud J. The customs have a joint responsibility of shore security. He reports that the office list 21 customs inspectors on its roll, but he has to wait till 12 pm to find the only one that decided to saunter into the office that day. Wearing casuals, yawing and asking the reporter to switch off the camera, he is hardly a solace to us Indians whom he is to protect.

The customs officials are expected to patrol the waters around their post and ensure no materials in being smuggled in or out without proper check and authority. Locals who were interviewed shared that some customs officials come in only 2 -3 times in a month and that too only to sit around and drink tea. On being questioned further on what really the customs office is supposed to do, the inspector very calmly says, “I don’t really know! You should check with the bahe sabih” (that being his boss)!! Apparently they have only a few boats that are used to patrol the seas and most of the time they do not work. And the people who patrol the seas are contract workers who have no clue what to look for! On being asked what their job is, they claim in broken hindi that they’re not very clear on that. They are asked to just take the boat for a ride around and bring it back safely.

This is the state of shore security….after the 93 blasts, after the train blasts and multiple other threats that the police receives on a regular basis.

I really have nothing else to say except…. OMG!! God save us… ‘cause we are definitely not going to do much else except find someone to blame.   

As Indians, I am sure all of us are quite used to watching the babu type politicians that we have for leaders, shout, fight and generally create ruckus over everything. It’s quite a common sight watching them lift their dhoti in annoyance, bang tables, chairs and throw books at anything that appears like opposition. They give long fiery speeches in their regional languages, labour through their English and try their best from refraining from spitting their pans during a TV interview. They rave and rant and wave their arms as if the world will come down if the merest change is to affect their vote bank in any way. Their immediate concerns are usually how they can hold onto to their position, make the most for themselves from public money and appear like they are actually doing something good without really doing anything. Well that’s Indians politics and as an average Indian citizen I have gotten used to the way things are. We go about our usual business, make our money, pay our taxes and generally try and keep way from any activities that would involve us interacting with any government / political official.  

There have been many times, when frustrated with the way things are in India, thoughts of actually doing something about it have entered my mind… but then I come back to reality and realize that there is really no point. Politics is a quagmire and anyways how can one person make a difference? Also how can one go to work, and yet be involved in something like politics? I recently got my answer…. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. R V Krishnan, the founder of the Professionals Party of India!

Krishnan, an engineer-entrepreneur, who runs a market research Bureau, was also disillusioned with Indian governance and he decided to actually do something about it. He had some unique thoughts on how educated professionals can contribute towards running the country which he put down in his manuscript, ‘Manifesto in Search of a Party’. He waited after his publication hoping someone would sit up and decide to do something about the solutions he had proposed for the country… but nothing really happened.

Saddened but not deterred, he then decided to implement some of his ideas. He called 15 of his friends (mostly professionals raging from 30 to 60 years of age) and mooted the idea of a political party. Thus started the journey of this Pune based Professional Party of India. After 11 months of working in local areas, this party finally got an official acknowledgement when the Election Commission of India registered it as a political party. That’s a step that has formally equipped them to start working towards their aim – of changing the way the country is governed through the active participation of educated professionals. Their belief is that they can bring honest, professional & progressive governance in our country.

The unique thing about this party many members are working professionals who contribute to the party and its goals while keeping their regular jobs! The party has grown quite rapidly and now has chapters and members in most big cities. As one would expect the party is quite tech savvy and uses technology to propagate its cause. Email campaigns, Blogs, seminars at corporate are some of these. Check out one such blog by them

http://professionalspartyofindia.blog.co.in/about/

 In his talk to us, Mr. Krishnan made a moving speech to the young professionals of India. He highlighted how young talented Indian professionals are leading large conglomerates across the world successfully. Then why if we got together can we not lead our country to success?  

Listening to and meeting him really made me re-think my inertia.  We need to make an effort and do something other than complain. I think it is commendable that Krishnan and PPI have taken this positive step towards doing something.  So what can we do? One doesn’t have to join politics to make a difference…. One can start with getting on a voters list and vote for the right people!