Saturday, August 13, 2011

State of the Nation



-State Of The Nation-
(Note to the Oppostion Parties to get their Election Dreams back on track)

At this Point of time, the present ruling party is undergoing some disastrous times that one could imagine. Its buried under the massive no of hugely shameful and very lossy (to the exchequer) scams, including the Common-Wealth scam, 2G spectrum allocation scam, Adarsh Housing Society scam, the ISRO spectrum allocation scam, multiple Land-grabbing cases from the ministers of the UPA yaadi yaadi yaada. Other than this there is even a boat-load of problems including (but obviously and unluckily not limited to) Huge inflation with the Food inflation being the Big Boss of this( I believe the Food inflation is presently slated around 9.5% -HOLY $#!@ ), the fact that massive amounts of food grains including Rice, Wheat etc from the bumper crops of last year (many many millions of tonnes actually) being wasted due to the fact that there wasn't enough of werehouses that could be gotten to safeguard them, the food that did eventually get stored rotting away since they were not properly maintained, wasting away the opportunities that were gained by India in the last couple of years. (I will agree with the fact that, that was possible thanks to the efforts of our present PM- Dr. Manmohan Singh, and his and the Cabinet ministers efforts as part of UPA-1), growth slowing down, Corruption still seeing a rise, the goveernment offices and services still sucking pretty badly etc etc.

Yet the problem is that still a large majority of the people you ask in India, will say that they prefer voting for the Congress than other leading (presently) Opposition parties. With this post I'd like to discuss why that is so.

In Business, it is known that competition brings rise to better products and better pricing for the consumers, due to a more research and thought given to the products. (Yes i know that pretty much everyone uses the same analogy, but hey! its used coz it Just fits SO DAMN PERFECTLy that it just begs to be used, - that too with puppy dog eyes.) Similarly aving a strong contendor for an oppsition would (generally) bring good governance and hopefully prosperity to the people of the nation/ state. In terms of our Country India, that role would atm be assigned to the BJP - i.e Bharathiya Janatha Party. (Sorry Marxists but you've been reduced to the role of a thrid class party by now.)







-Bharathiya Janatha Party - BJP.-





+Introduction+

The BJP that last ruled was pre UPA-1 under the leadership of the esteemed leader Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee (who may or may not have been sleeping ½ the time but that is another topic of discussion. :D ). The fact is that during this period of ruling in a general one shot answer was sort of like a transitional period, as nothing much of importance happened, they didn't exactly screw up badly like the UPA-2 (on most counts), but nor did they do anything much when the chance was given. To the general public itself, it felt like the time when Bharathiya Matha (a.k.a Mother India!) Fell asleep while watching some soaps. In terms of the present situation, You see the fact that most of the BJP leaders that are ruling CMs have done pretty well and in many cases, waaay better than what the Congress ministers have been able to achieve. For example, lets take the case of Mr. Modi, who has had his run-ins with some serious (generally political-life destroying - but this being India.Zzzz) cases of alleged corruption + favoritism + the alleged role in the Gujarat riots etc. Yet the guy has managed to not only grab the spotlight (again and again it seems) for good aspects. HE has successfully gotten the state of Gujarat (which agreed is considered the business-wala state) to some amazing heights recording really high rates of growth of prejecting (mostly) even higher rates coming right up. The man has gotten the state some really good governing measures being able (or atleast trying really hard unlike many of the lazy CMs of some other states) to woo more businesses and creating jobs, Opportunities for all. The man may be corrupt (or not if the reader is one who likes brandishing swords and guns to injure/kill people.) but for all his faults, hes got some Damn good ones to add to the count as well such as.:-
(A) a LOT of Government and state Developmental work done,
(B) He's got many a successful plans running in action/ or being planned with methods to get the job going right up till the end.
(C)He works hard (or atleast successfully projects the image that he and his group of merry men work hard.)
(D) The man certainly cannot be denied that hes got Flair.

+Draggin its feat on acting on its Members+

In India, lets face it everyone is corrupt to some level or the other. Therefore we all have a Tolerance to levels of Corruption. (Obviously Mr. Kalmadi or A. Raja level corruption is seriously frowned upon). So, like Mr. Modi if someone can get work done on time and providing good levels of governance + good services, then nevermind the corruption the man will be branded a good CM and a good person. BJP isn't really short of some such "good" men, but it seems to me that they do lack the political will and courage (yes courage!!!) to make some changes. A good example will be the recent case of the shamed Karnataka Chief minister (claim Bull shit or not) B.S. Yeddyurappa. The Party could have and should have chucked the guy out of his seat like a cat from a water tub, yet the party drags its feet like they were using Goku's training gear. Even in the end, to all watching the debacle, it felt like the Hand was in control of the Head. Since even though the Party claimed to have tried to get Mr. B.S. from the seat, the real B.S. more or less nearly managed to buckle his seat belts and go for a ride. (He actually did go to Mauritius or something. :/ ) and even after he did will himself to be let out, he just got his follower (claimed by the media to be a lap-dog) on his seat which just doesn't really instill confidence to the voter's mind.

+Opp party Scam management+

Next on is the fact of how they managed the Scam fiascos that their opponents i.e. the UPA got themselves into. Every time a new Scam (from the many) surfaced, we saw the BJP go all guns blazing claiming how badly the UPA governs and how badly they suck. If you consider the whole of the BJP as an Internet Commentator, You'd just call the guy a troll and Move on. because by doing what they did, we Just saw that the BJP guys have a talent and an ability to claim the obvious (W00t for Captain Obvious!?). To know that we got a pretty shitty government is nothing new to us Indian blokes. What you should have done is gotten together (before blabbing about badly the government sucks), and get a stratergy of
(a)how you yourself as a party would have done to get things better.
(b) getting a good (remember not biased but an actually good one) stratergy (preferably with multiple points AND a multi-pronged stratergy) of how to tackle this problem and telling that to the ruling government who fell in the trouble before the ruling government (in this case the UPA) themselves can call a press-conference and give out what they are planning to do. Such an action (and I mean a prompt one)can have many good results including (and again not limited to:-
(i) Showing the masses that the BJP would be a more Hands-ON government.
(ii) Proving (or atleast showing to the masses) that you guys are more smarter and more well-meaning to the people.
(iii) A more Hard working party.
(iv) Proving (rather than simply stating/claiming in a loud hoarse voice) that the present government sucks really bad.

But what has actually taken place???? It is this: - The BJP members Just scream (and try to instigate others to also follow their example) of how badly you believe the government has failed its people. The BJP guys go all guns blazing on this prospect and Kudos to you for getting that much perfectly (even this just most of the time and not always) but then Fizzle out/Burn yourselves out completely before giving out any (good) suggestions. You readers might be saying that the BJP does infact give good suggestion and what I have to say is this. - NO THEY DO NOT!!!!!!. Reason - their suggestions mostly just includes how the PM (+ the guy who screwed up bad should give up their post i.e resign). If you give out any other suggestions (I don't know and most of the folks that I talk to have not heard much else, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here,) then please make sure that you really HIGH-LIGHT the other proper suggestions as all your suggestions could obviously do is cause more anarchy and chaos to the already chaotic system that we have here in India. The fact that this is a ploy to just de-stabilize the government is so obvious that not even the totally illiterate people that we have alot of in India will not fall for it. (Note:- I'm not claiming that the illiterates that we have in India are stupid or anything, and not only Hope but believe that we have many more A.P.J kalams amongst them). Think of it in terms of chess - . Just using your Minister to get a check against the king of the Opposite team is Just a waste of a move, if you don't have moves to block or advance your own position in the game to finally get a check-mate. Similarly in politics just checking agaisnt them is not only a waste of a move but also makes your party vulnerable to being targetted by (a) people claiming - So how are you guys yourselves any better. (b) Screwing yourselves over against some or the scam that you guys (which no doubt will come at some point in time will come) will fall into.

+BJP Brand Screw Up+

Next point is the part of how the BJP has tried to get people to think that its gone under sea-change. Its methods. Change its leader from Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee --> to Shree L.K Advani --> to the present Fat guy (Forgot his name. Sorry!) who is leading the Banner. I also believe that you have toned down a bit (unluckily not enough) on the Hindu-centric theme that the lot of you went under till some time back. You see, in India as I said before We seem to have a quite High tolerance for Corruption (and even Laziness.) We have taken it as part of our blood, or in a sense the Indian-way. The media is rife with how in Politics we go under the policy of adjustment / Jugaad as most prefer to call it. But BJPs ways of Favoritism to the Hindu community is quite obvious how-ever much you try to hide that under the bed-sheets. Remember that you cannot hide an elephant with just a hanky. By playing favoritsm shows that you guys try to rule India using the rule of *Divide and Rule* similar to that of our previous over-Lords from Britain. And Obviously not many in India are too Chummy with the British-people as many of us feel that the Golden Fleece was stolen from right under our Foot. Also the fact that the British Cricket team just thrashed our team with not seemingly completely Honest methods doesn't help the cause- but again thats another Debate. -Or is It??? Because notice that Indians just feel it as an unfair and unequal methods. Right similar to the BJPs tactics in a sense as most just see the *Divide and Rule* method just an under-hand method to get to the seats of POWER!!! I agree with the fact that having a group to identify youselves is a clever stratergy. But the problem with that is that in India the Hindus don't really hold a 99% majority as compared to others or anything. SO if you do leave out those of other religions in your descriptions of your own people, then obviously they will feel left out, and choose one that would gladly welcome them. In respect to this aspect the Congress has been able to score a host of points because it *claims* to represent all the people of this nation whether Young/Old/Male/Female/ Black/White/Christian/Muslim/+Hindu/those with Blond/Pink/black Hair. Basically everyone, instead of just claiming the majority amongst all these. As just claiming the majority won't exactly help because in that majority itself tere will be quite a few (a sizable/ un-ignarable share atleast) who will have some issues with the party or just plain prefer the other parties or some who don't vote. Yet BJPs activities makes it seem as though they named it wrong as the Bharathiya Janatha Party seems that it should actually have been some thing on the likes of say Bharathiya Hindu janatha Party (BHJP) or say Hindusthani Janatha Party (which is one where you try to give hitns/indications but not completely owning to the fact.) Thus makin BJPs name claim just sound Hypocritical.

To tackle this aspect, why not take it from a few other perspectives. Lets take it this way. The BJP is also called the Saffron-Brigade. Here the Saffron is more or less used amongst the party as reference to the Hindu Sages/ Hindu Priests/ Gurus/ Babas etc. Maybe it was started to show them - the party politicians as holy/pure as the above points of reference of the people representing the occupations, (I think that previous sentence may have been somewhat confusing to atleast some of you). OR as a show of strenght of the Saffron part of the Indian Flag. Notice that both these examples aren't really projecting the equality for all part??? In the First case it just shows something based on a single religion rather than all the religions taken as a whole. While in the second aspect it just takes one part of the Indian Flag while leaving the rest out. So try and loose the Saffron colour. Why not try something thats actually ttried and tested. go for say a Blue suit. If anybody asks why for the reason of the blue Suit say that it represents the Blue Chakram that unites the Coulours of our Indian Flag just like the Party wants to unite the People of India on all aspects.(Note: - also remember to wear something as simple as a White- Cotton Shirt inside for the Simplicity and the comfort). Such statements and Changes will go a long way or atleast will play a size-able role in the outlook the party is subjected to. Seriously, Loose stuff like the Saffron/Orange Kurtha or the Hideous and really tacky Kadhi (was it called Kadhar-silk?) clothes which are again mostly just in Saffron or white (which mostly seem to be gray). Wearing these would have worked to convince the people that the politicians are part of the common man or something till say 1980s or so. The Party members are allowed to be wearing them in say some Jan morchas with Farmers and the likes but to got the Parliament and all, let all the Party members wear something like a Blue suit. Getting all to wear it would all also get a sense to the people that the party is more united than it actually may be and gets brownie points even on some other aspects such as a seemingly more better-looking and maybe even a better-behaved outlook and most importantly a refreshingly (and well-needed) modern look for all the party members as opposed to stink disaster waiting to launch themselves on the people which is the image that is recieved by the people seeing the men in Saffron Kadhi clothes.
On the same note:- why not change some stuff like the symbol representing the party. That will surely wipe out some of the bad credits acccredited to you. As the Lotus mostly seems (atleast to me) as a reference to the the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. Maybe start it out by starting a nation-wide competition (such as the one undertaken to define the rupee symbol) and choose the best one (using an independent and preferably inter-racial and mixed class of judges). Let the Judges shorten the number to say 5 best designs with the Final design being chosen by the public by something like an internet Poll to choose the best design. Such activities will not only get the general public to undertake party activities and immerse the Raj/Patel/Muhammed/Peter (just stating common names of people of different religions) in a somewhat Fun(OMG in politics?) activities and also to interact amongst each other. This is Just one example of activites that can be undertaken for an actual sea-change as compared to just changing the leader from one to another. Also if the above example is not really followed, atleast notice the fact that the BJP flag/logo us based on mainly 2 colours. The Saffron (Orange) and the Green. In its essence there wouldn't be much of a problem. But I being a graphic Illustrator and Doing some art can Honestly say that the colours (or atleast the shades of colours) that has been used in the BJP flag just don't mix with each other.For one the shades are really Dark. Agreed making the shades this Dark gives it more of a BANG but past that the colours just don't mix well Each other. The Orange is Very Dark (far too strong an Orange - try using a lighter if stuck on Orange to give it more milder look so as to achieve a more peaceful sort of flag rather than one that was meant to represent people looking to pillage and Burn) while the Green is very (and Do take Note of the very) Dark green. Get it more of a much lighter shade say Use Leaf Green.(For those who think leaf green is the colour of some random green colour that you see on some radom leaf, think of the general colour of the leaf on say a Guava tree!!!). Best would be if the Orange and Green colbo itself is changed. you might Tell me that the Saffron/Green combo is used because of the Indian Flag. It might be so, but please recognise the fact that the Indian flag looks good because of the White and the Blue Chakram that unites the colours. Taken by itself, the Orange and green Just don't mix well(as they are close to the completementary colours red & green which are rarely chosen as these colours tend to look as if to *FIGHT* over each other to the common eye - Ask pretty much any artist, they will tell you why not to use it exactly. :) )
Such SUBTLE BUT MANY changes will surely be able to get the tag surrounding the BJP of being a completely biased party down atleast on a sub-conscious level.


+Review+

Now Lets review some of the core problems that the BJP (imho) seems to be facing.




(1) Failure to utilize some of the God-given opportunities. (example:- the UPA being seriously tainted by the multiple scnadals.)
(2) Simply blaming the UPA for all the problems but not exactly doing anthing themselves about the problems to help out (obviously taking full credit of the work done and if the government follows the same or atleast a similar plan then notifying the media that those ideas were those of the BJPs even though that would probably be Just because the BJP hosted the press-conference earlier than the UPA)
(3)Dragging its feet completely on its own Party members faulting. (ex: BS Yedyurappa amongst others)
(4) Being unable to remove the Biased party tag. (And not really trying very hard to also)
(5) Mainly known for Orgainising some stupid marches, Strikes, Hunger-strikes etc,. where some people either scream themselves Hoarse on some issue of which the minister (or the ones leading the march) heard about a couple of days back and started from there, OR singing some Bhajjans (mainly at Hunger strikes), Or Causing violence and Hence Damage to the property or (atleast causing a day's worth of losses to the general public). Now Read that netire sentence again (slowly) and You (the reader) will realize how Boring the prospects of attending the activities organised by the BJP is for the average person with special reference to Youths who may (or may not- Heck sitting at home doing nothing sounds like a very good option to me) have something else to do.(like hanging out with friends). (Heck!!!! you don't even get a Free good looking T-shirt. ) :/







-The Marxists (Left Party)-

During 70s and the 80s The Marxists (now also a rebel faction creating chaos and ruckus and killing people right and left unluckily) was one of the Big (and really Big) party outh there. Now its not even a shell of its former self. Plagued with (TOTALLY valid!!) claims of the party being extremely backward (stuck in prehistoric age backwards- okay fine realistically speaking, the party still thinks or atleast acts as though its the year 1970). generally contributing nothing but a LOT aof Noise (and sometimes a bit of blood of their own and of others )to everywhere and every activity that like to attend (which isn't even much). the fact that their approach to winning elections is so flawed that close to no state wants to be rules by them. Even their HQ and their ABSOLUTE Bastion (West-Bengal) seems to have Fallen prey to the attempts of the other parties. Seemingly odnw for the count, it seems that not only do they have to change their ENITRE Ideology and premise to remain valid (and for people to agree that they atleast have realised the 21st century have started), They also have to denounce their *brothers* in arms that rebel agaisnt the Indian Government.


....to be continued.