There Is An Alternative!
If you think of the political scene in our country, over and above despair, the query ITNA (Is There No Alternative) invariably brings up the cliché 'TINA'. Perhaps we can now look forward to an immensely possible alternative.
You'll find Hasan Suroor's explanation on exactly such an idea
A Gandhian idea gets a British makeover extremely heartening - a change for the better is after all quite possible. In the UK there is a "high-profile campaign to reduce the dominance of organised political parties and provide a platform for citizens to contest elections as independent candidates".
Captain Gopinath of Air Deccan seems to have precisely these ideals when he decided to enter the election fray.
One would like to think there's still time now for someone to put together the Indian equivalent of The Jury Team - Politics without Parties (started by Sir Paul Judge)
(I realize I may have gone around in circles around this very same idea in these two posts - 'Leadership in short supply and Fittest minds in Needy Places.)
Update:
1. The Professionals' Party of India (PPI) is fielding candidates who want to make a difference.
2. Mallika Sarabhai, Meera Sanyal are candidates with intentions of making difference, independently of any party.
You'll find Hasan Suroor's explanation on exactly such an idea
A Gandhian idea gets a British makeover extremely heartening - a change for the better is after all quite possible. In the UK there is a "high-profile campaign to reduce the dominance of organised political parties and provide a platform for citizens to contest elections as independent candidates".
Captain Gopinath of Air Deccan seems to have precisely these ideals when he decided to enter the election fray.
One would like to think there's still time now for someone to put together the Indian equivalent of The Jury Team - Politics without Parties (started by Sir Paul Judge)
(I realize I may have gone around in circles around this very same idea in these two posts - 'Leadership in short supply and Fittest minds in Needy Places.)
Update:
1. The Professionals' Party of India (PPI) is fielding candidates who want to make a difference.
2. Mallika Sarabhai, Meera Sanyal are candidates with intentions of making difference, independently of any party.
A very nice thought and a very good write up. Keep up the good work. Thank you…
ReplyDeleteHi Swarna :)
ReplyDeleteShasi Tharoor, who was India's candidate for UN Secretary General's post, has entered the election fray as an UPA candidate. He has already received a court summons for singing the National Anthem with his hand on the chest like the Americans. He has also been criticized for his anti Palestinian stand.
Many thanks for the interesting post.
Have a nice day!
Joseph :)
Interesting links, Swarna!
ReplyDeleteGood post.
ReplyDeleteIts heartening to see many individuals getting into the fray, to fill the "Leadership in short supply"
If only all of them join hands to form a front... Individually, the good deeds would get diluted like a drop in the ocean.
Wish some rule is brought in this country which prohibits 'starting a party' at the drop of a hat.
Hi Swarna :)
ReplyDeleteI'm awfully glad that the court refused to give permission to Sanjay Dutt to contest the elections.
He was drug addict, acted as a blood thirsty murderer in most movies setting a bad example to youth, sentenced to serve in the prison and yet he had the temerity to contest the elections. What cheek!
Best wishes :)
Interesting post, and thanks for the links. Agree totally with Kat and Joseph Pulikotil's comments.
ReplyDeleteinteresting !
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard that Sanjay Dutt was thinking of entering politics. On the surface of it, you'd think it ludicrous at best. But on the other hand, you can at least say that his past doesn't contain any surprises -- everything's out in the open. Which means there's no twisting his arm through blackmail. That's something at least.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there's that whole connection to the '92 bombings... but I wonder how much of a connection there actually is, and how much of it simply comes from the fact that a famous person could be linked to it. Seems from what I've read that there were several degrees of separation there and that what Sanju was mostly guilty of was lamentable judgment.
Then again, I'm reading the story from 10 time zones away so it's easy for me to comment. But given the state of politics in my own country over the last few decades (or more) I think I'd prefer to have someone seeking office who wasn't more worried about hiding his past than running the country!