THE OTHER SIDE: 2014 elections

Showing posts with label 2014 elections. Show all posts

New Opposition

I am confused with the way current government is behaving in most of the cases the recent being the Augusta Westland Scam related to some army chopper deal with Italy in UPA regime. The government seems keen to target Gandhi Family i.e Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for their involvement in accepting bribe in this deal from the company. In no way I am giving clean chit to them or defending them in this case but the power of investigation, inquiry, arrest and punish rests with the government in power and the courts and not with the Congress party. Why government is behaving like opposition and targeting Congress and its two main leaders instead of investigating their roles and arrests them if they are guilty?

It is also interesting to note that Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar in his address to the parliament on this issue didn't mention Gandhi family name neither indicated their roles. He talked about some invisible hands which he was and CBI unable to investigate in 4 years , 2 years of which were under Narender Modi. Government even denied time bound Supreme Court monitored investigation on this issue which clearly indicates that government is just using the issue to malign Congress Party's image for future electoral gains. Please note that the company was blacklisted and the deal was cancelled in the UPA period itself while Modi government revoked that company's name and allowed it to work in India.

In 2013-14 during election campaign period and also during Anna Movement we heard both Arvind Kejriwal and Narender Modi accusing Congress of corruption,corruption and corruption. They showed evidences against them, promised that they would bring down 'The Tower of Corruption' called Congress as soon as they came in power. I thought then that soon the Indian myth of Gandhi family is our only savior and only Congress can rule the country will soon burst and a corruption free India would emerge when these stalwarts would serve the jail term but nothing of that sort happen. On the contrary these two parties when allegation fell on them defended themselves in similar way as Congress used to do when accused by the opposition.

Corruption is the main cause of poverty and slow growth. These parties and the two leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Narender Modi should act on their promises. People behind bars on charges of corruption were more in Congress rule then now, they even arrested their party-men and allies on corruption charges while current government is unable to arrest even people of opposition. Either they don't have any evidences against them and those pre-election talks were just to grab votes or they are incompetent enough to punish corrupt people. It is very necessary in current scenario that God Bless India.

Gujarat Model - A Myth.

"The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed"

- Paul Joseph Goebbels (Adolf Hitler's Propaganda Minister in Nazi Germany).

I never believed in the myth of Gujarat Model advertised by BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) in 2014 Indian General Election to show Narender Modi as developmental man because I have read the reports of high malnutrition deaths, most anemic mothers and poor conditions of farmers in Gujarat state. But those who believed could see the proof of it in recent agitation and violence by Patel community lead by Hardik Patel a young individual from this community. "Repeat a lie thousand times and it becomes a truth," this quote is also attributed to Paul Joseph Goebbels is holding a firm ground in the case of Gujarat Model.

Patels of Gujarat which constitute most of the Gujarati NRI's, diamond traders, big business owners and holds important positions in the government including Chief Minister post (Anandiben Patel) are demanding reservation in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) category due to pathetic condition of their community. The community which is considered rich and prosperous if facing such a situation then you could easily judge the conditions of SC/ST and Dalit community which stands at lower end of the caste system in India. This agitation is also a slap on the claims of caste less society in Gujarat - the dream which Narender Modi also selling to the people of India after becoming Prime Minister without any steps towards its implementation.

I haven't seen any social and economical improvement in the standard of poor SC/ST, Dalit and OBC from reservation since the time I am following national politics closely (i.e last 15 years). The benefits of reservation go to a selected few while the large population remain unaffected with its effects. This is happening from the start making the idea of reservation as uplifting of backward classes worthless. Moreover it has increased the caste divide among those sections of upper castes who lost their seats to reserved candidates in spite of being more eligible for the post. Such people dislike advancement of lower castes and try to humiliate them when ever get a chance.

I see economic help as solution to this problem. Economically weaker sections from every community, caste, religion should be supported with money to study and work. Their should be no reservation only equal opportunities on qualification basis, this also mean removal of privilege classes. This would be the real social justice but the politicians which garner votes just by creating caste divide would never put worth such an idea. The possibilities of RSS propaganda couldn't be denied in Gujarat since they are not in favor of any reservations which lower caste believes is a move against their growth. I pray for safety of people in Gujarat stuck in the violent clashes between the police and demonstrators in the land of Mahatma Gandhi.

Vote For India With Social Mobile Apps

'AAP Effect' in Delhi assembly elections of 2013 is no longer a secret. They won 28 seats there,not only that they have their presence felt all over the country with online campaigns through Facebook and other social networking sites. Narender Modi's social media management remains an issue with his opposers who criticize him for spending huge amount of money in that but his followers on twitter,Facebook ,his blog are enough to calculate the effect of his social media management,these are the people who might provide numbers in his rallies.Congress's top leader always maintains a distance with social media which created their distance with the masses.

Today whether it's a new product launch,a film promotion or even promotions of one's self the first medium which comes in mind is social media like Facebook,and twitter, these sites are easily accessible through their mobile apps which is further increasing their reach. Other mobile apps like Whats App, We Chat, Line,etc are also gaining popularity because they are free and easy to use.

Owing to their mass usage and easy accessibility these apps can become a good source to spread any message of concern to the nation like in mobilizing the youth to vote. App like We Chat which introduces interesting emoticons on various occasions ( Sachin Tendulkar's Farewell, Dhoom - 3 promotional Aamir Khan's emoticons,Varun and Parineeti's emoticon,etc.) has a great connect with the youth, emoticons to encourage people to vote will surely help in spreading the word. Official accounts of superstars,organisations such as election commission,politician,famous celebrities,etc if promote any cause its effect will be more than any other way of promotion.

Group culture of these apps offer a very good platform for discussion about various issues among group members,it will remove misconceptions in some cases regarding some issues,an individual can also clear his doubts about any candidate or party by putting it forward in group discussions. Opinion sharing can become a useful weapon to inspire to vote.

We can inspire others to vote by sharing images of people at polling stations,images of ink mark on our own fingers and news of voting percentages. I have tried this in assembly elections of Delhi,sharing image of my ink mark on various groups in social mobile apps which boosted my friends to vote. If fake videos can result in communal violence by mobilizing people to fight than why not the good videos can mobilize the youth to do good and to vote for their better future. When one see a video of an elderly person going to vote or a physically challenged person or an ill person his/her confidence increases and this will definitely compel them to vote.

Today's time is the time of marketing, how you present yourselves and in what frequency determines the rate of success. If we see any social message,a picture,a person or a thing again and again chances for us to forget that thing,that date or that message becomes negligible. Take example of the movie Ra.One for instance out of the box marketing by Shah Rukh Khan helped in gaining profit from otherwise crashed project. Social mobile apps just plays the same role they let you not to forget important dates,important events,etc.

There are more than 160 Loksabha seats in India where social mobile apps user surpasses the total number of voters in that area according to the survey conducted by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and Internet and Mobile association of India that means campaigning through this medium could swing the results in any body's favor. Mobile phone subscribers in India have reached 875.48 million as of Oct. 2013 out of which close to 400 million are smart phone users. I think this data is enough to show the potential of this platform.

Information of polling stations, manifesto of political parties, criminal background of any candidate, portfolio of your areas candidate,works done by sitting M.P.etc, all can be shared and made public through social mobile apps. These apps actually reaches to the voter, so their role in mobilizing them to vote in coming General Elections of 2014 can never be underestimated.

This post is written for " Indian General Elections 2014 with social mobile apps" in association with Indiblogger

Politics At Its Best

Before the start of 2013,the preparation for 2014 polls by political parties started in full swing. There are sessions of blame game,there are situations of credit grappling and of course partners swapping. Since 2012 opposition is finding ways to degrade the reputation of UPA government and Prime Minister,with inflation on a high and boom in scams of this government an early poll will be boon for opposition and that's where political game begins.

If any body wants to learn politics observe what is happening in India from 2012. There are so many scams unfolding each day but the big one came with coalgate where Prime Minister was also involved. Opposition took it as an opportunity and disrupted the Parliament's monsoon session without any work,FDI was to be discussed than that's where government played it's first card FDI was passed in the cabinet meeting and than the magic happens it also got passed in the Parliament (Yes,CBI played a crucial role in it but this is how politics work.)

Than came game changer scheme i.e direct cash transfer to lure the lower and middle class changing the focus of masses away from scams and inflation. Then came the Railway recruitment scam which again disrupt winter session and part of budget session opposition was again on a high but to counter that government has food subsidy bill in it's hand for which government is working very hard, what a move I should say.

But here is more to come,Jagan Reddy son of former Andhra Pardesh CM Late Y.S.R. Ready has become powerful in his state being separated from Congress and it might be possible that he may join hands with BJP after elections also Chandrashekhar Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samiti is a threat to them. With creation of Telangana UPA and Congress hit two aims with one arrow ,there popularity increases in state and Jagan's power decreases and now Chandrashekhar Rao may again join UPA.

There are also other decisions during this period which are great political moves which I would like to mention,secret hanging of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru,suspicious death of main accused in Delhi gang rape,Lokbal bill passed in Lok Sabha curbing Anna movement, anti rape law came into force,making Pranab Mukherji as president of India. There is still time in 2014 election so we have chances to see more politics in coming months.

Cooking Justice

People in India pray not to fall prey to hospitals and courts because once you go there your rest of life will be spent in dates given by them. You can come out of clutches of such hospitals by spending lots of money in private hospitals but for courts there is no hope. People spend there whole lifetime in jails for small thefts without being heard in courts. Some died in the course of trial without charges being probed against him/her. Forget about thousands and millions of cases pending in our courts about which we don't have any idea of there whereabouts but high profile cases like that of Babri Masjid, Mumbai Blasts of 1993, Aarushi Murder case of Ghaziabad,Gujrat Riots,2007 Hyderabad blasts,1984 Sikh riots,Bofors,Bhopal Tragedy and recently Delhi gang rape,etc.

There are so many other cases of such high value to public which are in courts since always,there is no justice in such cases,either the culprit died a natural death or remain in 5 star arrangements of Tihar Jail or any other jail in India. If any how justice comes in these cases it was so late that its effect and impact was almost zero in society and on masterminds of other such crimes. In India justice is cooked before presenting and in this process it's either remain over cooked or under cooked to be swallowed by the victim/s and others associated with them. These cases are used for political gains and thus remain alive in public domain.

But there is also an other side of it,the positive side where each one gets a fair trial and gets a chance to present his or her side to the court unlike other countries where there is no fair trial and some innocent people also get judgement which they don't deserve, but there are so many cases in Indian courts that justice tend to be delayed and thus justice delayed is justice denied. There is an urgent need for judicial makeover and this must be among manifestos of political parties for 2014 elections.