S-elections 2009

What does India need? What does the world need?

Might as well as the second question rather than the first…

The favourite question of all people when they want to hear their own views rather than that of others….and also the most fanciful if not the most facile of all conversation starters….well, mostly for Indians, but I have known a lot of non-indian's to get started as well….

This is a question that can cause most Indian's to at least jump in on the band wagon and expound on their pet peeves….especially for people who don't live in India…

And yet, no one has answers to the question…all merely have views…

I do as well…

India is nearly 60 years old and in terms of world history, is merely a toddler learning to walk….some would say, in terms of children's ages, it's the terrible two's and three's, that's the age when kids are at their worst…and most in need of guidance and control.

As students of law, politics, economics, or for that matter any discipline, we had all argued rather fiercely and adamantly for our belief's….usually half drunk on the poison of our choice…and usually the generalization would be Indian politics and Indian cricket, in specific…

After nearly 13 years of hotly contested debate on Indian Politics, I have come up with the following issues that could be considered. These views are perhaps regressive and conservative, but it's an opinion, just like freedom was an opinion as well -

1. Make India a bi-party system – the multiparty system is causing so much havoc and regionalism that the Union of India has been under siege from its inhabitants and its members. A two party system would at least ensure cohesive planning and policies and reduce much of the biased and chaotic state of the economy as much as of the political camps, horse-trading and worse. It would also strengthen the central apparatus and that's what we need so urgently now.

2. Lift up the age of the average voter and put in the criteria of education and employment – Anyone wishing to vote will need to show that he's a graduate or employed and 25 years of age. Cut out vote banks and put in the system of electoral colleges. Stop the illiterate masses voting for the promise of a 100 rupee note and a screwed –up future in the hands of illiterate representatives who can incite regionalism for a chance at abusing and misusing power and its privileges.

3. Create a stronger central government and enforce it via autonomous monitoring bodies and evaluation teams…of citizens picked randomly and changed every 2 years. Impose a jury system for checking public utility of their representatives as much as of their procedures.

4. Enforce an age limit on parliamentarians – 55 years and that's it. After that age, they can be consultants, lobbyists or whatever, but not leaders or even representatives. Politics is a young men's game, let those with the energy and vision play it.

5. All elected representatives to hand over all interests or shares or seats or positions in all profit making or non-profit-making organisations and to be closeted within the Assembly hostels. And also to live within the salaries and the houses provided and nothing more with any breaks or disruptions penalized and criminally liable. If you want to rule and make policy, then do so at the cost of your personal life and profit. All representatives should submit themselves for periodic and infrequent department as well as personal checks by judicial evaluation bodies. Also, cut out the security details, they are representatives of the people; let the people be able to access them at their wish. This will ensure accountability and responsibility. Give security only in cases of dire need and necessity. If they cant take flak or terrorist threats or whatever, dont take on the job. Our freedom fighters knew the dangers before they became fighters....

6. Make Kashmir neutral territory – Break up the provinces and let it be ruled by its inhabitants like the Swiss Canton's and no more land purchases within Kashmir as well. Put in non-taxable and treaty-based banking systems viable with Pakistan as well with high levels of security and confidentiality with the borders defensible by a joint guard system of both India & Pakistan . Also let MNC's handle the tourism with strict eco-controls and upgradation and get the bloody army off it. The defence budget is cut in half and the state will pay for itself within 3 years with all the grey money of the sub-continent as much as the hassle frees tourism industry from all over the world.

7. Every able bodied man within India to be forced to undergo two years military training and the standing army to be posted, lent out to any nation in need of military forces. The young men see the world and get over regionalism, communalism and issues thereof. Any man wishing not to join must prove a handicap or be willing to pay a pre-determined sum to the treasury. Being a citizen of the India will mean something to them and they wont expect a free lunch as well.

8. Start a subsidy-less culture – Apply Darwin's theory of evolution and Adam Smith's corollary of a free market system, but charge every MNC that comes in for business and create a fund for free schooling of every child in India through that fund. Enforce sanctions and penal provisions against the parents of every child not in a school till the age of 15.

9. Privatise every public service utility service on a time share basis and create a system of transparency of budget allocations by making available all records of monies so spent on allocations online.

10. Make the judiciary autonomous of the government – let there be rule of law, at all costs and create stricter penal laws which are also applicable to the members of the judiciary as well, without need of sanctions. Any citizen may file suit against any member upon sufficient evidence and if proved false, be penalized instead,

Perhaps, my views are stupid, idiotic, immature, impossible, moronic, or even perhaps impractical…..

Do you have any which are practical? Care to spend 5 minutes to write them down and mail them to me? Are there any issues you wish to contend with?

My email id is – goswami.debashish@gmail.com

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