Arvind Kejriwal: Can he make an impact in politics? (Comment)

No individual has dominated the Indian political space more than Arvind Kejriwal in recent weeks. The reason is that he has done the unthinkable: levelled corruption charges against the family of Sonia Gandhi, the most powerful woman in India, and Nitin Gadkari, the Bharatiya Janata Party president. Next in line was Reliance Industries Ltd of Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian. The allegations may or may not stand legal scrutiny but there is no mistaking their rattling effect.

A Magsaysay award winner and a former Indian Revenue Service officer, Kejriwal shot into prominence last year when he joined social activist Anna Hazare. Their agitation attracted unexpected and massive public support, forcing the UPA government to bring out a Lokpal (ombudsman) bill to tackle corruption at the political and bureaucratic level with an added sense of urgency. That bill, rejected by India Against Corruption (IAC), is now with a Parliamentary Standing Committee but is no longer a pressing issue now.

The anti-corruption movement began to lose its momentum. Kejriwal realized there was no shying away from the political process. As Hazare was reluctant to enter electoral politics, Kejriwal decided to set out on his own with some IAC members and has finalized plans to launch a new political party. Launching a party may not be difficult but making it count can be challenging, more so when it seeks to be driven by a single-point agenda of rooting out corruption.

The truth is that issues like fight against corruption can appeal to urban middle class and occasionally succeed in mobilizing flash mobs but are unlikely to serve as foundation for a political party. For instance, Communists in India are for the most part untainted by corruption but they never go to town about it. Their support base has more to do with ideology than perceived probity.

In a space crowded by seven national parties, 30-odd state level parties and a multitude of unrecognized parties, it is no mean a task for a new party to carve out its own constituency. Further, election strategies in India are based on the composition of the electorate in terms of religion and caste and promises of sops and caste-based job reservations. Fighting elections is an increasingly expensive proposition.

If Kejriwal's new party wishes to stick to its high morals and is content just to make a formal entry into the political arena, such a foray is not going to make any difference for several years to come, if ever. However, given his unmistakable ambition, Kejriwal is more likely to come to terms gradually with the realities of electoral politics and forge pre-election alliances with select parties without being unduly concerned with their source of funding or type of candidates they field. Since he has chosen to jolt both the Congress and BJP, it is evident he will try to position his party in the Third Front space.

It is in this context Kejriwal's ideology and views on important matters merit attention. His opposition to market mechanism and profit motivation, unqualified faith in the wisdom and integrity of village committees to decide how to spend development funds and outrageous statements attributed to him like "If you want to change the system, you have to break laws", and such other pointers are cause for concern. It is possible his views are still at a formative stage and amenable to change through constructive interaction. Since the basic intent of the crusader is laudable, every effort should be made to draw him out through persistent engagement so that his views on issues like inclusive growth and empowerment are not divorced from reality and he commits to respect democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Source: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/11/06/166--Arvind-Kejriwal-Can-he-make-an-impact-in-politics-Comment-.html 

Why Political Parties want immunity from RTI?

Yesterday while watching one of the news channels, NDTV. A debate on their programme Left Right & Centre, kept me thinking all night where do these political parties lead our Nation to?

The programme had a debate on whether political parties should be covered under the RTI or not? I was really taken aback from the response that political parties gave in regards to the above. The reason they gave were very flimsy and unthinkable even from the layman's point of view. What’s wrong if they are covered under RTI Act? The people of this nation have a right to know, what these political parties do at the back hand. We vote for them isn't it?

The kind of political funds they receive, the kind of thinking that goes into choosing a candidate on grounds, which affect nation’s image, and don’t you think we all have a right to know? It’s a serious question which needs to able answers.

To my knowledge not all parties ever list the donations they have received on the public domain, why is it so?

During the whole debate, only one person who caught on my mind was Mr. Anil Bairwal of ADR India who is the National Coordinator. He had repeatedly approached various political parties to provide information to RTI applicants. In their defense all political parties collectively claimed that they are not public entities defined under the transparency law and hence are not required to set up infrastructure for processing the applications under it or replying to such queries.

Following the refusal, Anil Bairwal filed the complaint against political parties before the Central Information Commission. In yesterday's meeting with the political parties, the bench of CIC has reserved their verdict on political funding.

My request to all of you is to aware yourself through this article and the following links for your reference and introspect, why these political parties do not want to come under the RTI Act.


Please visit the following to know more 


To watch NDTV Debate visit – 

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/left-right-centre/are-parties-trying-to-avoid-public-scrutiny/253320?hp&video-featured

To know what CIC thinks visit - 

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-16/news/33880231_1_political-parties-rti-act-rti-applicants


To know about Mr. Anil Bairwal visit – 

http://adrindia.org/about-adr/our-team

To know about the ADR and its activities visit – http://adrindia.org/

To know what replies were given by the Political Parties visit – 

http://adrindia.org/content/political-parties-under-rti 

To read interviews of Mr. Anil Bairwal visit -

http://www.countercurrents.org/bairwal050109.htm

http://www.im4change.org/interviews/anil-bairwal-national-convenor-of-association-for-democratic-reforms-adr-and-national-election-watch-new-interviewed-by-rediff-com039s-vicky-nanjappa-13670.html
         

Political Parties oppose RTI

Major political parties yesterday opposed the move to come under the ambit of of the Right to Information Act saying that facilities and subsidised buildings given for their offices do not constitute funding from the government.

A Full Bench of the CIC comprising Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra and information commissioners Annapurna Dixit and M L Sharma was convened to decide on whether political parties come under the RTI Act or not.

According to the RTI Act, a non-governmental body is declared a public authority if it is substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate government. Such public authorities are answerable to public queries raised under the transparency law.

During the hearing, all major national parties like BJP, BSP, CPI-M and NCP except Congress were present while CPI had already represented their case during the last hearing.

Speaking for NCP, its counsel Amit Anand Tiwari said that according to the RTI Act, public interest is not a criteria to declare a body public authority.

He also said if the details of the donors and such details are put in public domain, other parties may threaten them and thus bring down the entire electoral process.

BSP represented by lawyer Shail Dwivedi claimed that there was not "direct or indirect funding" by the government and the facilities like free air time, buildings at cheap rents and other facilities do not constitute funding.

Similar arguments were put forth by CPI-M Politburo member Ramachandran Pillai who said 40 per cent of its funds come from its cadre which is slightly over 10 lakh across the country as membership of annual Rs two annually while rest come from 'levy' and donations and it was practically impossible to give such details.

Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-11-01/news/34857883_1_political-parties-rti-act-public-authority

Swaraj Yatra - Jaipur Region

IAC Jaipur is organizing SWARAJ YATRA to cover all tehsils in Jaipur district.

The team would move as per schedule. The provisional schedule is as

follows. If you are interested to join kindly on a particular day kindly contact 

Mulk Raj on 9782009900

An Idiot Indian

Why Do we Vote ? Is it for Time Pass ? or Is it in our Habit ? or Do we Vote because its another holiday declared sometimes by the respective governments (State or Centre).

Or we vote every Five years to remind us that we are returning a favour of being an Indian. Or we vote because we get free liquor, Quilt, Saree, Mobile or even the money, or we as a community vote to get favours later.

And if at all, we vote expecting a change, or for the development of our country, then there is no greater Idiot than us, We the people of India, who has been voting for last 65 yrs.

In the last 10 to 15 years or may be more, in a hope for better government, how your Life has changed ? or how the corruption has been tackled ? How many promises were fulfilled as per party manifestos ?

Have you ever tried to count on those? have you even, or ever thought about this? I wonder what's your answer?

Year after Year, the politicians have whipped us with their misdeeds, and most of us just watch the flogging like a mute spectator. If we didn't wake up by these coming elections, then we all have no right to crib about the happenings in the country, its much better that we remain indoors sitting nicely on our couch potato and wonder how we can be corrupt too.

Remember it’s not mandatory or a custom to vote for a particular party, it’s not even a family tradition to vote for a particular party but casting a vote is entirely our own personal matter on which our future is dependent.

If it’s not party then it’s Religion, if it’s not religion then its Caste, till how long we so called educated brilliant minds can endorse such nonsense? By standing on the streets / locality / parks or your home, commenting and abusing the system or the government is easy but before doing that hurl one or two comments or abuse at yourself too, because we are directly responsible for the mess that we see around in the present political system. We ourselves are corrupt. No .. No .. don't shy away, we are corrupt or otherwise they (the politicians) would not be corrupt too.

These politicians have understood one thing very easily and that is … We the people of India are very tolerant, they are divided on the religion and cast lines and above all they are very thick skinned and their memories are very short and faded. The politician knows our pulse like any good doctor, and they prescribe us a right treatment, and we deserve that treatment that they are meeting us out to.

We are to be blamed for this agony that we are personally going through and put the Nation to it also. So, when next time you go out for voting, keep the above in mind and vote for the issues that you really feel for and not which are the favorite of front benchers. Press the voting button only if you see the following:

1) Provide Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

2) Provide for basic Health amenities

3) Provide for quality Education for the children of the country

4) Provide basic social security to the family members, the people of the

    Country 

5) Lets us Live with Pride and Honor in the country

6) Truly make us feel Proud to be an Indian

7) Provide all round development of Infrastructural facilities

8) Provide Employment opportunities to the lowest level

9) Provide for better agricultural revolution like white revolution (Amul)

Once this is kept in mind, then nothing can affect us on the lines of whether its Religion / Caste or a Party.

This “An Idiot Indian” will be talking and writing about issues related to common man regularly on different forums, which he feels from the bottom of his heart. 

If you like this Idiot’s rumblings then keep reading or you have the RIGHT to discard me like any of your votes of the past, not on the streets but in a dustbin.

Like any of You

“An Idiot Indian”