The BJP still has a chance at the next elections. But the problem with them is that they also never learn from their mistakes. The more they try to act different, the more similar they become to Congress. They have still a chance and should in fact look at constuting a shadow cabinet from within their own party and the rest of the NDA partners. They should speak of policies that they would implement. They should, as we speak now, start a nationwide program for membership drives and funds for the next election. If they start a grass roots movement now, they have a huge chance of succeeding.But they need to be be clear on what they offer and how they go about doing it.They should pioneer a point based quota system and take a leaf from Mayawati on this.They should pioneer the introduction of coupone for people below the poverty line with banks delivering these coupons to people directlyThey should pioneer food for work programs where the work being done is of permanent nature and focuses on construction activities like building roads, schools, hospitals etc. in the rural areas. They should announce incentives to massively increase government employment but only in fields like police, security, intelligence, education.They should look at integrating forest dwelling tribals with the development of forests. Incentives and schemes should be focused on that ensure protection of the tiger and the development of the tribals living on those forests. These are not mutually exclusive. If their focus stays on the economy, jobs, security and education, then with the kind of image they already have, they can come back to power very successfully.
But then the big question is whether they are ready and more important whether India's time has really come?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Call the bluff
It is high time the Indian politicians and Indian citizens called the bluff of these non sensical and irrelevant Indian marxists.
These guys do nothing beyond talk. They have no specific agenda except for opposing any and everything right from the nuclear talks to Jodha Akbar! I mean, come on guys, give your selves a break.
Why is it that they continue to garner media and political attention? What is it in them that despite supporting China in the 1962 war, they still continue to be heard? Even when they hardly get enough votes to be even politically relevant to any degree except being represented in two states in the entire country.
People should be apologetic and embarressed about being called communists in today's day and age. And yet here we are regularly listening to their ridiculous banter. Why? What is it that even the BJP is worried about them?
These guys do nothing beyond talk. They have no specific agenda except for opposing any and everything right from the nuclear talks to Jodha Akbar! I mean, come on guys, give your selves a break.
Why is it that they continue to garner media and political attention? What is it in them that despite supporting China in the 1962 war, they still continue to be heard? Even when they hardly get enough votes to be even politically relevant to any degree except being represented in two states in the entire country.
People should be apologetic and embarressed about being called communists in today's day and age. And yet here we are regularly listening to their ridiculous banter. Why? What is it that even the BJP is worried about them?
Monday, January 21, 2008
Delhi is a polluted and congested city
Everyone knows things are not getting any better in our capital city. With increasing road congestion comes higher amount of air pollution. With the higherst per capita income city in the country attracting migrants by the thousands every week, it is bound to get more heavily populated. With increasing population comes the stretch on resources and comes the water pollution, sanitation, higher level of sewage, just about everything!
Delhi could begin with learning simple things from within the country. For instance, as regards water, it could simply borrow from what Jayalalitha did in Chennai. Make it compulsory by law for all high rises to have water harvesting including rain water harvesting within a stipulated time frame, say by December 2009. Just need to share notes with Chennai on how this has changed the drinking water supply situation there.
Then, simple things like building concrete walls on both sides of the Yamuna right from where it enters New Delhi to the point where it exits. The dirty nullah water can then go along these walls through canals and get collected at the end of Delhi state in a large sewage treatment plant. A private company could develop this and also make money by selling the fertilizers / biofuel that come up from this sewage treatment plant. Some of this could even be used to light up the Yamuna in the evenings.
Instead of giving licenses to all and sundry for operating transport buses within the city, the government should insist on 4-5 big companies with credible business experience to operate these buses across Delhi. They could be insisted upon to give the existing drivers a first right of refusal to join the new bus fleets, subject to driving tests.
At the same time these companies should be insisted upon to use eco friendly, modern buses with driver operated doors so that there is no option for anyone to hang on to the door handles of a moving bus.
It would be far easier to manage a few companies than so many independent operators. Instead of thinking of buses as a menace, the Delhi government ought to give them special treatment and ensure that bus routes are prioritised across Delhi. Once the bus services are regularized, there should be special dedicated paths for the buses and they should get priority over all other vehicles.
Thereafter, the car parking fee should be increased manifold in the main office districts and on all parking spaces near any heavy traffic route. This would incentivize commuters to start car pools or avoid using cars altogether on a daily basis. The parking charges for 4 wheelers should be calculated basis some kind of a benchmark with the rentals for office / residential space in that area. Surely if a person works in an office area that probably costs the company Rs. 10,000 per sq.ft., he should not be expected to park his car for Rs. 10 per 4 hours or some such ridiculous amount.
As a further incentive for car pool, the government must introduce congestion fee in the main areas. Those who really have the money can always pay. And Delhi having the highest per capita income has a load of money anyways. So this could probably increase the government revenues significantly.
To ensure a market dependent rate, the government could offer parking spaces to established companies that work with handicapped people and that agree to automate the parking spaces. With these two conditions, whichever company agrees to pay the highest revenues back to the government should be granted licenses co terminus with the government.
With a decreasing number of cars and a priority to buses across all areas of Delhi, the government should then designate quite a few areas as pedestrian only areas, for instance, CP, Chandni Chowk, Sarojini Nagar, to take a few examples.
With the increased revenues coming through these, the government then should look at developing dedicated cycle paths across the state of Delhi and definitely so in areas that are now under development. Ideally, the cycle paths should be in place through large swathes of Delhi well before the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Will the government even start thinking on these lines? Well...now, thats a question!
Delhi could begin with learning simple things from within the country. For instance, as regards water, it could simply borrow from what Jayalalitha did in Chennai. Make it compulsory by law for all high rises to have water harvesting including rain water harvesting within a stipulated time frame, say by December 2009. Just need to share notes with Chennai on how this has changed the drinking water supply situation there.
Then, simple things like building concrete walls on both sides of the Yamuna right from where it enters New Delhi to the point where it exits. The dirty nullah water can then go along these walls through canals and get collected at the end of Delhi state in a large sewage treatment plant. A private company could develop this and also make money by selling the fertilizers / biofuel that come up from this sewage treatment plant. Some of this could even be used to light up the Yamuna in the evenings.
Instead of giving licenses to all and sundry for operating transport buses within the city, the government should insist on 4-5 big companies with credible business experience to operate these buses across Delhi. They could be insisted upon to give the existing drivers a first right of refusal to join the new bus fleets, subject to driving tests.
At the same time these companies should be insisted upon to use eco friendly, modern buses with driver operated doors so that there is no option for anyone to hang on to the door handles of a moving bus.
It would be far easier to manage a few companies than so many independent operators. Instead of thinking of buses as a menace, the Delhi government ought to give them special treatment and ensure that bus routes are prioritised across Delhi. Once the bus services are regularized, there should be special dedicated paths for the buses and they should get priority over all other vehicles.
Thereafter, the car parking fee should be increased manifold in the main office districts and on all parking spaces near any heavy traffic route. This would incentivize commuters to start car pools or avoid using cars altogether on a daily basis. The parking charges for 4 wheelers should be calculated basis some kind of a benchmark with the rentals for office / residential space in that area. Surely if a person works in an office area that probably costs the company Rs. 10,000 per sq.ft., he should not be expected to park his car for Rs. 10 per 4 hours or some such ridiculous amount.
As a further incentive for car pool, the government must introduce congestion fee in the main areas. Those who really have the money can always pay. And Delhi having the highest per capita income has a load of money anyways. So this could probably increase the government revenues significantly.
To ensure a market dependent rate, the government could offer parking spaces to established companies that work with handicapped people and that agree to automate the parking spaces. With these two conditions, whichever company agrees to pay the highest revenues back to the government should be granted licenses co terminus with the government.
With a decreasing number of cars and a priority to buses across all areas of Delhi, the government should then designate quite a few areas as pedestrian only areas, for instance, CP, Chandni Chowk, Sarojini Nagar, to take a few examples.
With the increased revenues coming through these, the government then should look at developing dedicated cycle paths across the state of Delhi and definitely so in areas that are now under development. Ideally, the cycle paths should be in place through large swathes of Delhi well before the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Will the government even start thinking on these lines? Well...now, thats a question!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Life begins in office
Well, well.
My first day in office! Having been shortlisted to work for a PR firm in India, i was quite excited since while passing through the MBA phase i had always wanted to get into advertising / PR and here i was working for a highly rated PR firm in India!
Here i come and the first thing i am told is to get into newspapers and magazines. I am thrilled. Imagine being paid to go through magazines and newspapers the whole day! Before 11 a.m., however, i realize that it is not about reading the stuff...its simply about noting down any and everything relating to any and every client of the firm. So the whole day spent reading, or rather, going through 24 newspapers and 11 maagzines! At the end of it, if you were to ask me, what was the news, probably i wouldnt remember a thing since the only thing i was tracking was aerated beverages, shoes, liquor, telecom, heavy machinery, television, computers, u name it!
Before, i realized, the day was over and my boss, a lady, no less, asked me to cut all those articles that mentioned anything remotely related to any of the above and many more. Once the articles were all cut, they were to be pasted on white sheets of paper, photocopied in sets of three and one copy faxed to the respective clients. I came to the office at 9a.m. and left at 9p.m. on my very first day at work! And all that i got was gummed fingers!
My first day in office! Having been shortlisted to work for a PR firm in India, i was quite excited since while passing through the MBA phase i had always wanted to get into advertising / PR and here i was working for a highly rated PR firm in India!
Here i come and the first thing i am told is to get into newspapers and magazines. I am thrilled. Imagine being paid to go through magazines and newspapers the whole day! Before 11 a.m., however, i realize that it is not about reading the stuff...its simply about noting down any and everything relating to any and every client of the firm. So the whole day spent reading, or rather, going through 24 newspapers and 11 maagzines! At the end of it, if you were to ask me, what was the news, probably i wouldnt remember a thing since the only thing i was tracking was aerated beverages, shoes, liquor, telecom, heavy machinery, television, computers, u name it!
Before, i realized, the day was over and my boss, a lady, no less, asked me to cut all those articles that mentioned anything remotely related to any of the above and many more. Once the articles were all cut, they were to be pasted on white sheets of paper, photocopied in sets of three and one copy faxed to the respective clients. I came to the office at 9a.m. and left at 9p.m. on my very first day at work! And all that i got was gummed fingers!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Indian National Congress
The problem with the Congress is very well explained. The issue is how to go about doing this? TO begin with, why doesnt the Congress hold genuine organizational elections for each of the party posts. What is this nonsense about High Command deciding vital positions?
Why cant the High Command demolish itself for the betterment of the party? Because there are just far too many vested interests. Why does the party that brought India freedom have to pander to religious and casteist emotions when it is this same organization that gave us Nehru, Patel, Azad and Gandhi.
Why is it scared of anything at all? It needs to revamp the organization and thats about it. Yet again, who will do it and who has the time?
Can Rahul really bear the heat and dust of India? Can he really travel across India like Gandhi did when he vitalized and made the Congress relevant to the masses? How does anyone feel that a Rahul so out of touch with ground realities can really do it, sitting in Delhi? Its a long road ahead but if someone can withstand the heat and dust, then India is there, waiting to welcome with open arms.
Why cant the High Command demolish itself for the betterment of the party? Because there are just far too many vested interests. Why does the party that brought India freedom have to pander to religious and casteist emotions when it is this same organization that gave us Nehru, Patel, Azad and Gandhi.
Why is it scared of anything at all? It needs to revamp the organization and thats about it. Yet again, who will do it and who has the time?
Can Rahul really bear the heat and dust of India? Can he really travel across India like Gandhi did when he vitalized and made the Congress relevant to the masses? How does anyone feel that a Rahul so out of touch with ground realities can really do it, sitting in Delhi? Its a long road ahead but if someone can withstand the heat and dust, then India is there, waiting to welcome with open arms.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Whats with the politicians
The theatre that is Indian politics gets stranger by the day.
Imagine, secular CPM trying to eject Taslima whilst the non-secular, err, communal BJP trying to have her in Gujarat!
When will the politicians ever come out of their weird world or rather when will the Indian citizens show them where they belong, truly!
Imagine, secular CPM trying to eject Taslima whilst the non-secular, err, communal BJP trying to have her in Gujarat!
When will the politicians ever come out of their weird world or rather when will the Indian citizens show them where they belong, truly!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Smaller States
i think that very dispassionately the Indian and the US government, along with the rest of the powers that be, should also start promoting the idea of Pakistan being broken up into smaller countries.
I mean come on, what is the problem with that? And in any case it would be better to manage smaller countries than one big country which is anyway not manageable! No one seems to be presiding over anything in that country since the last 60 years. So what better than to have smaller countries where at least there would be some countries which could be better governed. The ones that are not, probably, NWFP or Baluchistan would have their own ethnic chiefs presiding over and it would be better to control them rather than someone sitting in Islamabad and trying to exert control where none can be.
I mean come on, what is the problem with that? And in any case it would be better to manage smaller countries than one big country which is anyway not manageable! No one seems to be presiding over anything in that country since the last 60 years. So what better than to have smaller countries where at least there would be some countries which could be better governed. The ones that are not, probably, NWFP or Baluchistan would have their own ethnic chiefs presiding over and it would be better to control them rather than someone sitting in Islamabad and trying to exert control where none can be.
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