My Columns: Without Fear and Favour

Electioneering in India By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 13, 2014 It is interesting that when the first General Elections were held in 1951-52, the whole purpose of elections was challenged in the face of a fragmented Opposition. It was the Congress all the way as a party of stalwarts who had liberated the country from the British raj and Jawaharlal Nehru was the star campaigner who travelled about 40,000 kilometres to cover almost a tenth of the country’s population. He had then addressed nearly thirty-five million people of the country! Birth of Anti – Congressism The Nehruvian era was the one that saw complete domination of just one man – Nehru, till he breathed his last. The Opposition was insignificant and for a quarter of centuries after Independence there was not even a Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha for want of the required strength for the post! In 1951, the only Opposition party to have opened its account was the Communist Party of India, and that t...

Political Campaigns and Elections in India By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 12, 2014 The general elections 2014 could well be remembered for the way Narendra Modi campaigned. His sabre-rattling did take the wind out of his opposition’s sails and this was reflected in the end result. He demolished opposition who cried hoarse over the style of his campaigning and alleged use of (black?) money to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore! According to Modi’s detractors, his campaigns often tested the limits of election laws too that provide two weeks of electioneering period to every candidate contesting the election and a stipulated amount for such campaigns. (Also remember the BJP releasing its manifesto on an election date and Modi flaunting the Lotus before television cameras outside a polling booth even when voting was in process). Modi’s Hi-tech Trend – Setter Campaign For months together till the election time, Modi was on a campaigning blitzkrieg across mediums. He seemed...

Indian Politics : Lack of Youth Representation By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 11, 2014 At a time when 50 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 30, why can’t we have dynamic and efficient young politicians in their twenties or thirties? The general elections this year saw the highest number of young voters ever, yet it saw the highest ever percentage of older candidates becoming Members of Parliament! A research by PRS Legislative Research – a New Delhi-based independent research institute – showed that the proportion of MPs aged 25-40 was the lowest ever in the 16th Lok Sabha with just 47 members of Parliament belonging to this age bracket. How can one explain the prevailing state of affairs in Indian politics? Doesn’t this suggest that there is either a leadership vacuum among the youth in the country or the established senior political leaders are not willing to give political space to the youngsters? You may also like to read Top 10 ...

Can Politicians in India ever be Honest ? By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 10, 2014 “Na Khaoonga, Na Khane Doonga,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently declared. Loosely translated, it meant the PM would not tolerate corruption at public offices and one of his cabinet ministers lauded his remarks saying it required “real guts” for the PM to make such public proclamations. Why can’t we have honest politicians? Consider a quote from Simon Cameron, who served as United States Secretary of War for Abraham Lincoln at the start of the American Civil War — “An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.” It does conceal less and reveals all! Role of Big Money and Lobbyists in Politics You may also like to read Politicians of India At this juncture I am reminded of American Gil Fulbright’s last year’s satirical crowdfunding campaign for his project, ‘The Honest Politician’, that sought to enable him contest for the Kentucky senate aga...

What does Amit Shah mean by Congress – free India statement By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 9, 2014 (Published todayhttp://www.elections.in/blog/what-does-amit-shah-mean-by-congress-free-india-statement/) What does a “Congress- free India” mean? Doesn’t it allude to the Congress being the culprit for all the ills that we have in today’s Indian society? How justifiable is such an argument? Can we term it as a calculated and systematic ploy of its arch rival – the Bharatiya Janata Party – to denigrate the Congress in the people’s eye to an extent that it becomes an object of hate and disdain? Yet, more importantly, is such a scenario probable? War of Nerves between BJP and Congress One could well articulate the differences between the Congress of yore that fought for our freedom, and the Congress remote controlled by the Nehru-Gandhi family, which is now being singled out for rampant corruption, inflation and poverty. Whether such charges of corruption stick to t...

Outcome of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s India Visit By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 8, 2014 Overseas bounties seem to be pouring in this monsoon for India. It began in July with the presidency of the new BRICS Bank to India, followed by the out-of-turn visit by US Secretary State John Kerry to New Delhi to facilitate a better chemistry between President Barrack Obama and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before they meet in Washington later this month; and the USD 35 billion ( Rs 2,10,000 crore) pledge by Japan to invest in India over next five years for various developmental works, besides Japan lifting ban on six Indian companies including HAL during Modi’s visit to the country a few days ago. The latest in the line is the inking of the long-awaited Indo-Australia nuclear deal that allows the latter to sell uranium to India, during the recent two-day state visit of the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to New Delhi during 4-5 September 20...

Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day Speech By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 6, 2014 http://www.elections.in/blog/narendra-modis-teachers-day-speech/ Consider the impact that Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day address could have on young impressionistic minds of school going children! Wouldn’t it have a lasting impression? We have seen US President Barrack Obama interacting with students at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai during his India visit and we still remember it. Yet, Modi’s interaction with students is more ubiquitous because of his choice of the date – the Teachers’ Day! Modi’s Teachers’ Day Address :  Meticulous Exercise Wasn’t his live address to millions of students across the country through electronic mediums and digital technology a grand spectacle? It did require meticulous planning and swift execution and Modi effectively displayed that he is a great organiser of spectacular events. School timings were shifted when Modi addressed from New Delhi’s Mane...