Building a Freedom Team for India
Dear All, it is my pleasure to publish this guest post by Sanjeev Sabhlok.
As you know, good governance in India is something very close to my heart. I am glad that Sanjeev has taken the initiative on this. A great deal of effort and clear-headed thinking has gone into this document.
Please do read and discuss it with your friends, acquaintances and everyone who is passionate about doing something for our country.
This topic deserves serious attention.
*** POST BEGINS ***
����� I’d first of all like to thank Shantanu for giving me the opportunity to write this guest article. His blog raises a range of matters of concern from time to time and allows open and free discussion from a wide range of perspectives. I consider his blog to be a valuable contribution to the evolving culture of freedom in India. This article is about building a Freedom Team for India. I’ll summarise below what I mean. I hope that you will be interested in pursing it further. I’ll take queries on this blog.
����� The concept of Freedom Team is discussed at length in more detail in my book, “Breaking Free of Nehru” (preview available at: http://sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html). First, why Freedom? I show in my book that India is not as free as it should be. I argue that if India were to become more free, the first thing that would change dramatically would be its governance. We would get first-rate political leaders and bureaucrats and world class governance. Improved governance will immediately help India to get rid of corruption. It will create opportunities for entrepreneurship and provide high-quality education to all of India’s children. In this manner, but also directly, it will eliminate poverty.
����� None of this will happen on its own since the current crop of political and bureaucratic leadership is neither capable nor interested in such things. That India desperately needs good political representation focused on freedom is no longer in doubt. But it won’t happen on its own. On the other hand, merely jumping into politics with brash fervour will not solve any of India’s problems, either. There has to be a very systematic effort.
����� The process has to begin by people good and competent Indians stepping forward to take the message of freedom to the people; people willing to personally step forward to provide India with good governance through electoral politics. I suggest in my book that a Freedom Team should be formed at this stage to form the critical mass to kick-start a freedom movement (the previous one was not a freedom movement but an independence movement). When only good, selected, people are allowed to join and to continue, the Freedom Team will strengthen quickly. No person of poor moral character should be allowed to join; or if selected by accident, allowed to continue. Even one black sheep can destroy the Freedom Team’s good name.
����� An immediate goal would be to collect 1500 good persons. This will give roughly three outstanding leaders for each of India’s 550 constituencies. That way, if one of them can’t contest the elections at the last minute, then two others will be ready to stand up. And if that second one is killed by the mafia, then the third will stand up. Whoever is left will contest the local assembly elections. In this manner a good government will be formed in India, and the message of freedom taken to the state assemblies.  Hopefully, among a billion people, 1500 good people will be relatively easy to find. The Freedom Team should target that women should form half its membership.
����� Members of this group should meet the following criteria:
They must have impeccable ethical standards, grounded in freedom. That is the bare minimum.
They must be wholly committed to the advancement of freedom and fully understand the philosophy and logic of freedom. The group would follow the highest standards of internal democratic decision-making and public disclosure of all sources of its funding and expenditures.
The leaders of the group should meet the following criteria:
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They must be extremely competent and able to formulate clear headed policy on complex issues, consistent with the logic of freedom.
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They must be capable of dealing with challenging problems were they to become future ministers, without panicking and running for shortcuts or politically expedient solutions.
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They must be at least Level 4, if not Level 5, leaders: people who are very superior and therefore humble enough to listen to others and assimilate and build on the feedback they receive from others.
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They must be willing to admit mistakes, and willing to change their mind on the basis of new evidence.
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They must be great team players, willing to work in any capacity that the party asks them to work in, recognising that groups or teams comprising of expert individuals are generally wiser than isolated geniuses no matter how brilliant.
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They must be willing to consult with citizens widely on all policy issues.
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They need not be perfect (no one is), but they must be transparent about themselves and willing to expose their lives and minds for public scrutiny.
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Over and above these qualities, these people will need to have lion hearts and an unwavering determination to overcome the greatest adversity in order to achieve their goal.
How to proceed
����� The good thing is no one has to find 1500 people at one go. Just finding one more leader will do. We know the story of the farmer who taught his sons the value of sticking together. He gave his five sons a bundle of sticks which, individually could easily be broken, but together were unbreakable. The moral being that we need to join with other good people. There is great power in civil society. My suggested way to proceed at this stage is provided below:
Any two believers in freedom should come together to start the Freedom Team of India. I have set up an electronic platform on Yahoo groups to help coordinate this effort (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freedomteam-india/). A few people have already joined. Others can start their own teams if they don�t want to join this one. Let a million flowers blossom.
The Freedom Team of India will first need to agree on what the new India will look like and how its members will deliver the reforms if they were to ever come to power. I’ll be very pleased if chapters 2 and 7 of my book can inform the answers to these two questions, but of course, the blueprint would entirely be the work of the Freedom Team.
After that will come the question of who. Once ready, this group of 1500 should select outstanding leaders from amongst itself and form a new, ethics and freedom based political platform.
Its leaders and supporters should then go from village to village, explaining the proposed policies to the people.
Finally, about 550 outstanding leaders should contest elections. With the right effort and good luck, a majority of them will hopefully get elected. After that it would be a matter of disciplined� implementation of the planned reforms.
Next steps for you
����� If you think you meet the criteria specified above either as a member or leader, and you are committed to freedom and to the greatness of India, then please join the Yahoo group mentioned above. Your request to join will be vetted and you may be asked to provide details of your interest and past activities. After you join, your next immediate job would be to find one more person like you.
����� Once a sufficient number of people (say 1000?) have assembled, detailed discussions on future steps will be started and potential meetings held on the ground. Platforms like http://brainreactions.net/ will be used to advance lateral thinking. The intermediate goal would be to create a blueprint that all members of the Freedom Team agree upon.
This is a sketch of my thoughts and I’ll be happy to take questions. Questions may help point out shortcomings of this approach and help to improve it.
***�POST ENDS ***
Thanks Sanjeev.
Related Posts:
Politics & Corruption: Here�s how to fix the “system”
BPD, BM, LP: Light at the end of the tunnel?
Silver lining to dark clouds.?
.
A Freedom Team is a good idea. Already, web forums that serve as think tanks of Indian thought have senior members who meet with each other. A larger networking of such forums is what is needed. When I say Indian thought, I mean thought that is really Indian, not something that is really a foreign meme (or Mem) thrust upon us.
Some forums have established themselves as having the real information on certain issues. And these forums are those that influence the public. Sooner or later. What is discussed on those forums is picked up by the press, and many things find their way into the way the average guy speaks. Believe me, the Pakistani press is an avid reader of certain Indian forums that discuss Pakistani affairs.
I have found that big ideas need an incubation time of 3-5 years, during which most people just give up, since they don’t see their views gaining traction within, say, 2-3 months.
I would like to add to your list of qualities to be sought in a leader:
The ability to think on your feet and think of the other person’s reply to your question and re-word your question several times so as to pre-empt smart aleck replies is key.
Many leaders do not have this ability. They talk of something (point 1, say), and never get to go on to point 2, because they are left trying to tie up the 17 loose ends they left with point 1, which their audience picks up.
Another thing is the ability to keep repeating your message in different contexts and thus hammering it into people’s heads. This has to be done without being boring.
Yet another thing is to smell out people who want to create diversions, but have little other value, and let them win, so you can move to bigger fish.
The abilty to *not* take credit is the one ability I would single out as the most important one.
I believe that such a Team needs to have, in addition to a public wing, one large wing composed people who will be able to contribute without having to be in public view. That is the essence of building lasting, real change, instead of having people feel that they are being led by the nose. Many people want to contribute without being seen, just hoping that they generate like-thinking and eventually “better-thinking” peers out of their audience.
Comment by Ashish | January 10, 2008
Dear Sir,
I am fully with Shri. Sablok with regard to the matter of a Freedom Team for India. Wearing a black hat is my passport to success, so keeping that in mind we should understand that we are asking for a place in the moon.
We should understand that the “Bloggers” are mainly the elite who wish to express their opinion anonymously so that if one meets them on the street they need not be recogonised. NOTE: There are very few like Shri: Sanjeev who are willing to expose themselves.
This means that it will be very difficult for the chosen 1500 to ever take up the cudgels on behalf of the society fearing severe retribution in many cases. “Let me bring to your notice that one leader today in southern india is facing a lot of problems because he has his own party and not willing to toe the line.”
We have a very biased media which can play a very destructive part in the destruction of very constructive ideas if it goes against their grain of thinking.
It has been reported in todays news (NDTV) that funds meant for NGO’s have been deverted to Maoist’s to create communal problems in a particular state where there were recent communal clashes.
Unless we are willing to face the truth: that you will be ostracised, no caviar and free booze and no a/c cars and rooms and free food and all type of climates to be lived in; no tv’s no e-mail no laptops, no girl friends, no coverage of your activities unless it goes along wiht the grain of thinking of the Media.
Throw in a few beatings, maimings, family life destroyed, fighting against established brainwashed mentalities, fighting against systematised destruction of a way of life.
1500!!
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | January 10, 2008
Brilliant ideas and thought by Sanjeev shablok. Effective and Inspirational.
One more thing, India is going through regional politics, discrimination among Hindus itself and caste system needed to be addressed first before we move to freedom. Once the person comes to power regionalty starts coming in that is worst case which can hinder the progress of the country. So what if I am Tamilite or Gujarati or Bengali or Maharastrian, all has equal oppertunity for jobs and previlieges. After all we all belong to same Nation and community of Hindus.
Hindus must unite, not to threaten other but to preserve our own values, culture, morals, and ethics and tenents of Hindusism.
Comment by Indian | January 10, 2008
Ashish, vck and Indian: Thanks for sharing your thoughts with all of us. I will try and respond by the weekend and also request Sanjeev to provide his views.
Comment by B Shantanu | January 11, 2008
Dear Friends,
Thanks for your comments. The idea of the Freedom Team is in its very early stages at the moment. The two key points for someone wanting to join are: (a) commitment to freedom (and justice) and (b) aspiration to become a level 4 or 5 leader, which means a values driven and competent individual. Once about 100 high quality people committed to freedom join (or are invited to join), some preliminary discussions can commence on whether there will be a public wing, etc. Thanks for these ideas. They will be explored at the right time. And of course, given that these people are going to be team players, each of them will contribute freely to the extent he or she can. No compulsions.
Re: “The abilty to *not* take credit is the one ability I would single out as the most important one.”
– This is subsumed under level 4 and 5 leadership. Genuine humility is the main characteristic of such a leader; so taking credit does not even come anywhere in the consideration. Giving is the nature of such leaders, not taking.
Re: “The ability to think on your feet and think of the other person’s reply to your question and re-word your question several times so as to pre-empt smart aleck replies is key.”
– I suggest this is not an ability to aspire for. If a person is sincere and pays attention to the question, then the reply provided in humility and within the limitations of that person would be appropriate. This is a constant learning experience. Let us train ourselves for values and knowledge and reflect on our own selves; the rest will take care of itself.
Re: “discrimination among Hindus itself and caste system needed to be addressed first before we move to freedom.”
- May I suggest that freedom tolerates different approaches to life and God, but is completely intolerant of intolerance and discrimination. A person who believes in the caste system has no place in the Freedom Team. The leadership potentially to be thrown up by the Freedom Team will be quite different to what you see today.
Re: “We should understand that the “Bloggers” are mainly the elite who wish to express their opinion anonymously so that if one meets them on the street they need not be recogonised. This means that it will be very difficult for the chosen 1500 to ever take up the cudgels on behalf of the society fearing severe retribution in many cases.”
- Membership to the Freedom Team is only for those who are willing to be open, transparent about themselves, and willing to take a stand for what they believe in. Hiding under ‘black hats’ won’t do . The Freedom Team is on the look out for true lion hearts, not people afraid of what the media will write about them or what others will say about them. There is no point in being a member of a Freedom Team if you don’t believe in everyone’s freedom to say whatever they wish to. Let everyone have their say, including the critics. Each member of the Freedom Team should be strong enough to stick to his own beliefs. It is a personal journey of discovery as much as an effort to reform India.
Re: “Throw in a few beatings, maimings, family life destroyed, fighting against established brainwashed mentalities. 1500!!”
- 1500 brave and good people in a population of 1 billion. Is that too much to ask? Is India afraid of shadows? I’m sure we have tens of thousands of such good people. Now is the time to stand up and join hands.
Regards
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhlok | January 11, 2008
—Re The ability to think on your feet
This is not required for all, but for that group of people who will be responsible for talking to islamists/communists of the newer generation. That is what I meant.
Comment by Ashish | January 11, 2008
Dear Sir,
Any number of shadows will not make any substance. It is not that one is afraid of shadows but the feel is different today. The yardstick for the freedom struggle from an alien yoke was different from that exists today. Today one is attempting to get freed from the yoke of criminalisation, which is against the grain of civilised thinking.
Coming to the analysis; The first question that may come to one’s mind would be FROM WHAT!
The top 1% has all it needs to keep it going. Loads of money, opportunities galore, subsidised education, no rules for following either from parents or society,
pampered to the core. So what is the freedom they would be interested in?
The poltical circus leaders are living in their own world and are no way interested in FREEING INDIA from their clutches.
So whom are we left with, idealists or the extreme poor. Now coming to the aspect of the poor they go to the nearest vote booth with the least respect for themselves , as their self respect has been completely blunted over the years, due to a lax bureaucracy and an arrogant ruling class.
They are satisfied with a PROMISE of a TV, free deinks on the day of the poll, free Biriyani on the day of the poll, and free sarees.
The youth have no MORAL leader who can act as their “KINDLY LIGHT”. Religion is scoffed at as each one provides SALVATION in its own way and each one way is fighting for space to prove its method of salvation.
Coming to the idealists, they live in their ivory towers, talking from a place of running water, A/c rooms, powered vehicles, pressure cookers, microwaves and TV’s including home theaters.
Whom does one target to the 1500.
Let us understand what one is freeing oneself from and what for as otherwise the doubts of others, religion, language, cultures and the whole conundrum will just flow in as usual.
I just want some clarifications as a Black Hat thinker.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | January 14, 2008
Dear VCK
Please call me Sanjeev. No ‘Sir’, please. Equals. No hierarchies; no formalities.
You have raised extremely valid points. I’m trying within my limited means to communicate the message through combination of both my books, ‘Breaking Free of Nehru’ – partly on the internet today, and ‘A Short History and Logic of Freedom’ which I’m currently writing.
Please continue to ask questions. I should ultimately be able to answer things in a page or so, but I can’t at the moment since simplification takes a lot of effort. Once I have finished these two books I’ll think of a way to condense the key message into a few pages. Until then I can offer two answers: one short, one medium.
SHORT ANSWER
If one is not ‘frustrated’ with what happens around you then nothing more can be said, nothing will change. However, your comments indicate you are considerably frustrated with the state of affairs. The one who is frustrated has to choose: to do something or to give up.
As far as I am concerned, I do what I think is right irrespective of whether others will think similarly or do anything about things. If others wish to participate that’s their call. You are a free person: you can choose to give up without trying, that’s entirely your call. I may not agree with your choice, but you are surely entitled to throw up your hands in despair with a million reasons why things can’t change.
About freedom. We don’t want freedom ‘from’ something. It is an end in itself. We are born 100% free. We simply want as much of it as possible back to ourselves. Freedom is the condition which enables a society to achieve the maximum potential of all people in the society. In a free society there is no poverty. Everyone is well educated and well-to-do. Integrity and ethics rules the country. Such societies are not the world’s most corrupt but the world’s least corrupt. And so on.
India has a choice to revel in socialist models of governance which lead to poverty of the masses and extreme wealth among the immoral politicians and rich. Or India can choose the path of freedom which is the path of pure capitalism (not the pseudo-capitalism found in India today) and good governance. Each Indian makes that choice.
MEDIUM ANSWER
I’m simply adding here some preliminary notes from my second book ‘A short history and logic of freedom’:
On fundamental premises, freedom implies only one thing: freedom of action, which subsumes a range of things like freedom of thought and speech. A bird is free if it can fly. Even a child readily understands that. That’s all there is to it. Freedom is being able to flap one’s wings without colliding with other people’s ‘wings’ and things around us. A bird that is put in a cage can be our pet but it is not free.
In what way is a prisoner not free? While a prisoner receives food, clothing, and shelter, and so we can’t classify the prisoner as poor or homeless, these things do not make him free. The prisoner may be permitted or even required to work on a productive activity. If fortunate enough, the prisoner may be allowed to read a book or two. In addition, the prisoner always remains free to think, though often not free to express these thoughts. Sometimes, though, prisoners may even be allowed to write a book or two, even though publishing them may remain an impractical proposition.
We observe that the only freedom that a prisoner does not have is the freedom to act wholly by his or her own volition and time, and in a place of his choosing. Doing simple things like getting up in the spur of the moment and driving off to the nearby hills for a quiet walk is not an option.
Freedom is tied to our existence in this most basic and intimate manner. To be free to act boils down to being free to choose, and bearing the consequences of our choices. To be free to choose includes discovering and creating new choices, such as creating new things and ideas. This freedom to create includes the freedom to convert our ideas into products, both tangible and intangible, such as goods or services. If I am not free to produce, or to write something that resonates with me, then how can I be free? If I cannot create my theory of the universe, or my own explanation about the way the world runs; if I am compelled to don the old coat my parents handed down to me, then I’m not free. To be free is to be an entrepreneur of all kinds of ideas, of things. This freedom of choice empowers me, fills me with energy, and allows me to experience the basic wholesomeness of life. If someone were to try to feed me or to clothe me when I can do these things for myself by trading my labour and products, I would feel my existence compromised. I would be humiliated.
I must therefore remain free to discover and become myself. I resist, with all the might at my disposal, charitable intentions towards me. I may have little choice but to hold out my hand for help if I am completely ruined economically and physically, but it is quite possible that at that stage my human soul would have deserted me. A beggar’s soul would have entered in its place. Of course, I do not mean to imply that beggars, including well-fed Indian bureaucrats and politicians who used to sell India’s soul to world organisations in the past, begging for food or for money, are not human; but possibly something human eludes them. Beggary is not a choice I commend for a free nation, particularly human beings who can reasonably put their hands to work and eke out a living, no matter how modest.
Merely having the freedom to create my ideas or build a product, but not the freedom to sell these ideas or products, is not sufficient. Worse, if an external person (such as a bureaucrat) can sit in judgment on making my product available, or if I am forced to accept a lower price than I am willing to settle for, then I am no longer free.
* *
And so on. The idea being that freedom leads to justice. These conditions which include equality of opportunity lead to innovation and wealth.
I’m afraid I should stop here. You need time to think through all this. Please take all the time you need. For 60 years people haven’t thought much in India. It is important to think through things carefully and not stop just because a temporary obstacle stands in one’s way.
Thanks for raising issues which I’ll try to address in my second book.
Regards
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhlok | January 16, 2008
@ Sanjeev, excellent and very well articulated, as always.
***
@ vck: You have thrown up some serious issues - which have also been at the back of my mind. Unfortunately work pressures have severly constrained my time and ability to contribute. Nevertheless, I will try and write a response in the coming days (at least I hope to).
In the meantime, please do continue to share your thoughts - I am sure Sanjeev will do the same.
Thanks.
Comment by B Shantanu | January 18, 2008
Dear Sanjeev,
Thanks for your response, but I am still wanting and wishing to wear my black hat.
I am still not convinced that the 1500 can be motivated to exercise their thinking and courage to come forward in spite of your motivating arguments on freedom.
Let me assure you that I am for the 1500, but the utopian way of approach will never be possible in view of the overwhelming rigid thought processes that exist in our system.
When I say the rigid thought processes I have to impress upon you that it does not deal with religion but on the contrary something totally the opposite. let me expand a bit.
The existing education system is so strictly formulated over the years that a certain rigidity has been built in which has to be destroyed and dismantled before the concept of freedom you are advocating can be envisaged.
The eduction system in vogue currently does not encourage creativity or provides for any sort of flexibility in its approach towards education
The whole process is so structured that a bovine can be made to look creative and more free than a human.
The concept of freedom is not enshrined in the curiculum that is currently in vogue.
Culture and tradition have been given the go by and if discussed are either deemed fundementalist or avoided in the majority of cases as they are ducked.
Why to I bring in culture and tradition? The point I am driving at is that even that cannot be practised with the freedom that it has to be to survive and evolve.
A culture, if it is needlessly treated in such a manner that one has to helplessly see its detirioration over a period of time, is sufficient proof to bring to the fore that TRUE FREEDOM ceases to exist.
If true feedom ceases to exist then where is the question of freedom of anything and where is the question of a free 1500?
Unless the shackles of the domination of this form of imprionment in the form of current education that forms the basis of development of the thinking of this society, is broken, true freedom will never be there and the concept of Freedom Team will die in its infancy.
I will be happy to review my thoughts based on your reply.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | January 21, 2008
@ Ashish: You said “big ideas need an incubation time of 3-5 years, during which most people just give up, since they don’t see their views gaining traction within, say, 2-3 months.”
Absolutely…It is a long and hard road and the job is almost thankless…So one needs tons of patience, but more than that, steadfastness, persistence and strong convictions and resolve….Having said that, I am sure that there are people like these out there…All they need is a platform to bring them together and something that catalyses it…
I see Sanjeev’s effort in that context.
I also agree with you that “the abilty to *not* take credit is the one ability I would single out as the most important one.” – Well said.
***
@ vck: Yes, you are right when you say that “…it will be very difficult for the chosen 1500 to ever take up the cudgels on behalf of the society fearing severe retribution in many cases.”
I am certainly under no illusion about how hard the task is (neither I think is Sanjeev – having personally gone through this process)
This makes it imperative that one enters fully prepared and with no illusions about what might await him/her.
One of the reasons why I write quasi-anonymously on this blog is that I don’t think the time is right for me to get into this with all my energy..
Reforming India is a 24×7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year job – as I often tell my friends – and you can pretty much forget about family life, a source of income and day-to-day comforts if/when you decide to choose this path.
Hence, one must be careful in timing this…otherwise, it will lead to disillusionment and disenchantment
***
@ Indian: Yes, caste is an insidious cancer that is eating away at the fabric of our strength and identity..In many ways, it is probably the single most important problem confronting any reform of the political system (and governance).
Unfortunately there are no easy answers and most people are unwilling to devote the mental energy and time needed to come up with creative approaches to this issue.
***
@ vck: Coming back to your final comment, You have put the finger on one of the core issues here… that of an entire generation (and I count myself in this) being fed on a diet of education that essentially deprives one of self-identity, pride, knowledge and awareness about one’s history, culture and identity…
I am fortunate that I managed to come out of it (thanks partly to my wife and my family) and I was also fortunate that certain events triggered a questioning attitude that led to the starting of this blog and finally to this point.
So yes, reforming the current system of education must also be high on the list of priorities…But should one just wait until then?
I am not so sure.
Look forward to continuing this discussion
Comment by B Shantanu | January 29, 2008
Dear Sir,
Thanks for the feedback. NO,NO,NO!!! One cannot wait for the current system of education to change for our “BHARAT” to grow out of its sleep.
It is neccessary that we take the matters into our own hands, as you have made a beginning.
I think it will be possible if each one of us take pride in whatever we do and give the same motivation to all our peers and children, “when I say “OUR CHILDREN”!! I mean all, types of the youth with whom we come in contact with.
I would like to submit a few quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. to bolster my argument.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a sweeper who did his job well”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and contreversy”.
That should be the spirit with which we direct all with whom we come into contact with.
That is what the British and the “Christian Educated Individuals” have destroyed in ourselves.
Wearing a Dhoti which is dirty due to work on the fields is looked down with distaste and these persons are avoided. The same with dirty jeans and a dirty bandana cloth and smelling of the same cows urine and dung is a “STYLE OF THIS MODERN SOCIETY”.
Why? It is because these individuals have made it a point to destroy our sense of self respect.
A section which says that a birth took place without a “Sc”’W is accepted and tried to be projected as the truth. On the contrary a building of a bridge by a group of domesticated animals or a section of people who looked like monkeys is laughed at and discussed threadbare in all type of forums.
Why? because these individuals have created a sense of inferiority within ourselves.
Let us get back to our roots and get over our inferiority complex in both culture and Tradition and then we can face this destructive education system and throw it into the space into oblivion.
WE CAN GET OUR 1500!!
Please accept my apologies if I have been over enthusiastic in replying.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | January 29, 2008
Dear VCK
I can understand (I think) from where you are coming. But the thing is more complex than that. The world is changing much faster than it appears on the surface. The British leadership has changed dramatically over the past 60 years. Two generations have gone by. It is now India that clearly lags behind. After Gandhi and Vivekananda left, people came up with the mistaken idea in India that there is some kind of a perpetual culture war out there which one group or the other wants to win. But that is an outdated fact no longer relevant today.
If you read the history of the West (and the history of freedom – a book I’m currently writing will elaborate it clearly), you’ll find the most despicable atrocities committed against ‘heretics’ in Europe as late as in the 1600s, even as enlightened kings like Akbar ruled India. These people were primitive brutes in most parts of Europe even though a semblance of new thinking was emerging in their society. Till the 1700s they practiced slavery. Till 1800s, they practiced racism. Till mid-1900s, they were imperialists.
But now, after many changes in their laws and practices, in 2008, they are rational, tolerant, humans (at least by and large). They have moved from beast in 1600 to man in 2000. This evolution has happened in the West on the foundation of the ideas of people like Bruno, Locke, Spinoza, Burke, Jefferson, Lincoln, Gandhi, Hayek, Luther King, Ayn Rand, and Friedman, among many others. Note: Gandhi was extremely influential in this change. In 13 generations an entire primitive civilization has changed for the better.
I am therefore asking that we get over culture wars. There is nothing left to fight about. There are no cultural issues worth talking about; mere remnants of a distant past that needs to be reviewed, recast, and rebuilt. I am suggesting that we need to imbibe the concepts of freedom and adopt the policies of freedom as the foundation of a new India. Our generation has the task of making these ideas our own. This has nothing to do with inferiority complexes and all that. There is no inferior person any longer in the world — except the person who sees himself as inferior and begs for charity. Cast away all inferiority for in freedom, all are equal and their worth evaluated on merit.
As sovereign individuals, we need to learn more about freedom, discover its policies, and take its message to the people, so that the lives of millions of people can change for the better. This matter of freedom is not a cultural issue, but a matter of bringing prosperity and dignity to millions of people.
The Freedom Team, I have clarified today on its ‘home page’ is open primarily to those will ultimately contest elections in India on a platform of freedom. There is much work before that happens, perhaps 10 years of work – or even more. But in a nation’s history that is not a big time frame.
Regards
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhok | February 4, 2008
A response to a comment on the Freedom Team and the book
(February 2008)
I am responding below to a comment I received recently re: the Freedom Team effort and my book. I am making this response public after having obtained permission from the commentator.
*** The comment I have received *** BEGINS HERE ***
Assuming it is on the lines of “Improving the Indian Scene” in all aspects, these are my frank thoughts:
1. Gurucharandas is a good writer and I read his column on internet - Times News. Shashi Tharoor has also written on this subject-recently one on the “Paradox in India” and done justice (Dec 07).
2. We have many eminent personalities esp. Dr. A.P.J.Kalaam working on this project, all in different ways. I sincerely believe they are doing a great job.
3. Personally I feel an NRIs’ observations and comments and a flood of books really do not help.
Also views get slanted when Indians leave “Bharat-varsha” and the term NRI is usually seen as non-returning Indian.
We have a global net work of batchmates and Community people who are NRIs do ack that NRIs do contribute financially and it is significant & helps in many Projects.
However it still needs a Man on the spot.
I much prefer the simple unseen “helping hand” of so many ordinary people in towns & rural sectors doing their extra-ordinary best and remaining silent and unsung.
Please read “The Third Power”- by Acharya Vinoba Bhave, written nearly 50 years ago; the basic ideas are still valid today.
The Week magazine featured many such cases a few years ago.
Then we have that brilliant film “Swades” & earlier Manthan (forerunner of AMUL) which really tells us what it is all about.
What needs to be done, can be, should be.. etc and DOING IT are two different things… - not just talking about.
Earlier on in our exchange, I did visit the blog /site of the concerned person you have referred to and quite agree on the scholastic merit and wisdom but “turning around conditions” in India and the use of the term “Freeing India Group” raises a question -
Free from what ? -
Economic deprivation or the various social ills; We can start with freeing ourselves of time & energy wasted on the ridiculous controversies on which we waste so much…. which continues being sparked by media. Refer recent flare ups inc. Sethu Samudram,Bhajji & Symonds, now Raj Thackeray, and whatever next—-, which just wastes time.
Change needs the man on the spot. …i.e. All hand on Deck style.
No doubt, the pen was mightier than the sword a century ago, but today with media and internet, this is all changing.
Have a sensible agenda and work on it calls for the local man with zeal and passion for India
Managing Change needs sincere hands-on Workers -the most.
*** My response *** BEGINS HERE ***
I would first like to thank the commentator for taking the time to send me these comments. All perspectives are welcome as they may provoke thought. As the preface of my book covers most of the issues raised in this comment, and the rest of the book cover most other concerns, so I will only make a few comments here.
A) Yes, I am now a ‘non-returning Indian’ having taken Australian citizenship in 2005. Why I decided to move on is also made clear in my book. Please note that as an overseas Indian citizen (OCI) I retain the option of resuming my Indian citizenship in one year. If full dual citizenship is made available in India then that one year is also not needed. But that is entirely secondary to the key issues I raise in my book and for which the Freedom Team is being established. When I was a citizen and tried to implement reform with great vigour I wasn’t heard then. People have to at least consider what I am trying to say! Citizenship is surely no magic bullet. India has 1 billion citizens and things are a mess! If things were that easy, then just put any citizen as a PM of India and things should work. They don’t, because citizenship without clarity of vision and strategy is meaningless.
I am seriously concerned that a new weapon has been found to reject my suggestions outright , namely that I am not a citizen of India. May I suggest that if my suggestions are not worth reading, then India should first throw out and burn all its science books written by foreign authors, all its books on economics (including on the communism and socialism that it avidly follows), all books on medicine, and so on. And empty its brain as well!
Not more than a tiny fraction of the major scientific discoveries in the world and major advances in political thought and economic principles were made in India, so let India be a land of frogs in a well which should not read the suggestions of everybody who is not an Indian citizen. Or is the prejudice against Indians who are no longer Indian citizens greater than the prejudice against Western science and economics? Most Indians fawn on ‘white-skinned’ non-Indian origin foreigners and are thrilled at their attention towards India. Are non-citizens of Indian origin the scheduled castes and pariahs among foreign nationals?
Just a reminder, the political system, the public administration system and the economic ideology that India currently follows were almost entirely designed by non-Indians (by the British, and Marx or the Fabians – who invented the socialism that India so fondly follows).
Let me assure the commentator that the analysis and policy prescriptions in my book are informed by the best that political philosophy, public administration, and economics have to offer in the world today. I suggest that the commentator at least read my book before jumping to conclusions. Even the best of us can make serious errors of judgments by allowing prejudice to rule us.
B) Assuming that the commentator will now read my book with the same interest as he would read a book written by anyone in general, I’d like to add a key point. Jumping into the area of reform without a clear vision is futile in a land of one billion people. Clarity must come first. Then action. There is nothing more futile than a life led in the wrong direction.
India will get its workers in due course. What India needs now is 1500 leaders who share an understanding of what India needs, ie, more freedom. The reason why I stopped political work in India in 2005 is because India doesn’t yet have 1500 people who understand what is wrong in India – and are willing to stand up and lead. My book’s goal is to create these 1500 people first. I would like 1500 top quality leaders to assemble first, and only then can action be commenced through the democratic processes of India.
It may be worthwhile reading my notes at: http://satyameva-jayate.org/2008/01/09/freedom-team-for-india/
C) Why is freedom so important? That is the main theme of my book. Freedom (with accountability) is the policy principle which drives good governance and wealth generation across the modern world. Reading the book will address that question in detail.
I trust the commentator will read the book with an open mind and continue seeking the truth.
If the commentator is convinced (after critical examination) of the suggestions I make, it may be time for him to become a true worker (for a worker and leader are in the end the same thing) and join the Freedom Team to contest elections and lead India to the change it needs. I would most gladly welcome aboard a ‘convert’ to the ideas of freedom; no questions asked.
If India has to move into the future, the process of winning the minds of people must be undertaken first. I must find or create 1500 outstanding leaders first; else I cannot return to India.
Thanks again, for taking the time to send me these comments.
Regards
Sanjeev
8 February 2008
http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/book1/comments-feb-08.html
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhok | February 8, 2008
Sanjeev: You have written an excellent riposte to the comment and covered most of the points.
I would like to add a few thoughts.
1. ALL views are slanted – whether they are indigenous or “from abroad” – so that “criticism” (if it was one), does not hold.
2. A man on the spot is a great idea – both in theory and in practice…and no doubt we have many such “men” - and “women” on the spot – all doing excellent, commendable work – for the most part selfless and unsung.
However, there are two fundamental issues with this:
a] There are limits to what people/individuals/small groups can achieve. These limits are normal – they exist because individuals or small groups will rarely have a cause that needs a million people.
Normally the “cause” would be very specific (for that is what an individual or a small group can do best) and hence something as ambitious as “reforming” the system is inherently difficult – if not impossible – for an individual or a small group to focus on – or to attempt.
Viewed in this context, one can easily understand why it needs 1500 people and not 15 people to make any difference.
b] I have not read Acharya Bhave’s book so I am not able to comment on it. No doubt it has some excellent ideas and no doubt the silent/invisible “helping hand” does do a huge amount of social good.
Unfortunately that does not even get us close to fixing what is wrong with out system at a higher level of abstraction.
At best it finds a “way out” of the system (- as in “build your own canal”) or finds a way to happily “co-exist” with it (- as in let us start a school for children from slums).
No one dares question why is that the State has failed in its duty, in the first place, to provide water for irrigation and adequate schools for every child of school-going age in independent India
While I agree that “What needs to be done, can be, should be.. etc and DOING IT are indeed two different things… “ – it does not mean that there is no place for “talking about it”.
As Sanjeev has said, a earnest (wo)man without a vision can, at best, be a hard-working, well-meaning individual – but he or she will not be able to fundamentally alter things.
For that you need vision, and you need the authority/power to take hard decisions and bold steps – and in a system lime ours that only comes through political power…So you need a cadre of committed people who are willing to take their “fight” one level up…and challenge the “system” through the electoral process, by getting involved in setting the agenda – rather than reacting to it.
Shantanu
P.S. I strongly disagree that the pen is any less mightier than the sword today – if anything, “with media and internet” – it is more powerful than ever before.
Comment by B Shantanu | February 8, 2008
Dear Sir,
I was struck by one sentence in the reply of Shri. Sanjeev “Freedom (with accountability) is the policy principle which drives good governance and wealth generation across the modern world. ”
That is precisely thepoint. To amplify it let us take the case of Shri. Raj Thackeray. Let me make it amply clear that I am not holding a candle for all his opinions, but let us view his recent statements without prejudice and without having a clouded mind.
Mumbai, per se has become a “Shit Pot”. From the Mumbai which I knew in the 1970 to the 1990’s, today I am scared to travel to Mumbai.
At that time we had polite Sikh Taxi drivers and polite Marathi Auto Drivers. No questions were asked as how far our destination was, no extras, nothing!
You get into the vehicle and the driver does not even turn back. I used to give him the address and he used to take me there, “ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT”, and used to give back even a two rupee or .50P change. No begging for that “EXTRA”.
Today, after eight, questions are “Where are you going” how much can you pay extra, “It is not my way, It is out of the way, and with a woman, it is leering!!
Mumbai is breaking at its seams. You have people parked and sleeping on the platforms. People drive cars fast and when they go out of control, platforms are there for the CAR DRIVER, but we have cases filed agains the dreiver for the wrong use of the platform by a “CITIZEN” of India.
Why is that people come to Mumbai??? To make a living. OK! Why not make the state from which you come more prosperous and successful rather than destroying another which is successful.
I do not mean that Indian citizens, should not have the right to go anywhere they want to live, but I would like to go back to wherefrom I started “Freedom (with accountability) is the policy principle which drives good governance and wealth generation across the modern world.”
Let us understand that we need to discuss matters with a lot of “ACCOUNTABILITY” and not emotion.
I think pinching the baby and then rocking it as the “MEDIA DOES” lacks accountability.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | February 8, 2008
Dear VCK
The questions you raise are interesting.
Re: Indisciplined taxi drivers – I don’t know the rules in Mumbai, but their behaviour is likely to be a combination of limited number of taxi licenses, demands for bribes from the police, lack of an appropriate reporting and investigation system for consumer complaints, and of course, lack of driver training before giving them licenses to drive a taxi. Much of this can be reformed through good governance, but unfortunately it will have to be a wholistic reform, not piecemeal reform. You can’t get that wholistic reform with the quality of corrupt leaders you have in Mumbai (and India) today.
Re: Migrants to Mumbai, eg, your question “Why not make the state from which you come more prosperous and successful rather than destroying another which is successful.” Migration to places which are more prosperous and relatively more free is a law of human nature. In Mumbai people face less caste discrimination, they can merge into a big city and become valued for their innate worth, and so there will always be pressures to come to places like Mumbai (relative to other interior parts of India). That many people leave Mumbai and travel to other parts of the world which are even better is part of the same arrangement. All said and done, the average per capita quality of life in Mumbai is absolutely deplorable in comparison to what is ‘normal’ elsewhere in the modern world, and what can be achieved in free India, as outlined in my book.
For the entire country to shift its performance, the quality of political and bureaucratic leadership will have to be raised significantly, and policies changed drastically, particularly in the field of education. My effort is to bring awareness of the changes needed in India, and to then help facilitate that change. I am looking for 1500 outstanding people who fully understand the changes that are needed, and are willing to get elected to make those changes.
If you can devote your time to exploring your questions in greater depth and aiming to become a high quality leader, you would do India great service. You need to move beyond asking questions to finding out the answers and understanding the entire problem and being able to recommend the package of solutions needed.
That will need a careful examination of the incentives and policies that underpin these problems. In particular, India’s poor policies and poor implementation, driven by a totally corrupt set of ‘leaders’, come back to bite it at every level. I’d encourage you to consider the arguments made in my book ‘Breaking Free of Nehru’ at http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html, particularly chapters 4,5, and 6.
Also, there are a large number of other books that can be read. I’ll recommend Milton Friedman’s ‘Capitalism and Freedom’ as a start, then Ayn Rand’s Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal’, then Julian Simon’s ‘The Ultimate Resource’. Also ‘Microeconomics and Behaviour’ by Robert Frank, and of course, reading as widely as possible in history, political philosophy, and philosophy more generally. A 1100 page book is available for free download on the internet as well (15 MB!) called ‘Capitalism’ by George Reisman. I will try to prepare a reading list (I had prepared something of that sort a few years ago – see http://www.liberalpartyofindia.sabhlokcity.com/philosophy/liberalchain.htm).
Regards
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhok | February 9, 2008
Dear VC Krishnan
I’ve prepared a reading list on the weekend for you to consider:
http://www.freedom.sabhlokcity.com/books.html which contains the recommendations I’ve made above. You’ll pardon me if I appear to sound like a teacher - I’m just trying to share useful knowledge with others. You will, of course, critically examine everything I suggest. I may be entirely wrong!
Btw, I recommend Robert Frank’s book (which I used as a textbook while lecturing 2nd/3rd year students in economics in USA in 1999) primarily for its smooth technical presentation of economics. I do not agree with everything that Frank advocates. There may be better books in the market now.
Also, have a look at a draft website for the freedom team at:
http://www.freedom.sabhlokcity.com/ which provides a range of links to earlier (failed!) efforts.
Regards
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhok | February 10, 2008
Dear Sanjeev (& others),
Good discussions! I happened to land up accidentally on this blog page and i dont repent! I have not read your book, but, from the discussions between you people i can well imagine that there could be valuable treasure in it. I have not read the Bhagwat Geeta fully till date, .at 53 since we have plenty of think tanks to do this. (I would like to submit, after due study, that in principle, most of the policies evolved by most of the Govts at the centre and the States are by and large good, though some may be impracticable, irrelevant and some only as poll gimmics).
In effect less than 40% of planned tasks are achieved, that too with un-desired quality
5. Lack of an effective system of Accountability. ( There have been instances of corrupt practices by Judiciary also! The Lok Ayukta is not empowered for punishment and to bring its findings to their logical justice!)
Now, to counter the above deficiencies in Governance, we immediately require non-corrupt, efficient, dedicated, competent, sincere, honest and committed leaders to enter into the political system. And believe me, there are such leaders available all over the country, we need to only identify them and convince them that politics is not dirty by itself, but made to be so by people who are within. With this basic thought in mind, about 2 years ago Lok Paritran poltical party was founded by a few IITians and professionals to get into the political system. They have been having many hurdles along their path but are slowly picking up. I too have joined this party and plan to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka.
Dear Sanjeev, I understand your view that you would wait till you muster the visionary 1500. The wait could take too long and the system may get deteriorated further. It is thus my humble suggestion that you and the like minded potential leaders should come on the field and actively participate, keeping at all times your good thoughts and knowledge close to your hearts, which can be spread more vigorously during the process and attract more good leaders.
I’m an ex-Commander of Indian Navy, B.Sc., Mech/Marine Engr, Aero-Engr and specialised in Aero-quality assurance, voluntarily retd after 27+ years of service. Since both children have settled well, I thought of doing my bit to bring in a change the Governance of our Country although I’m only living with my meagre pension and slightly supplementing it through free-lance civil projects! I solicit support from you good and potential leaders and to join me also in my endeavour.
Regards,
Cdr. (Retd) BB Khilari
Comment by Cdr.(Retd) BB Khilari | February 10, 2008
Dear Sanjeev,
The main point I was trying to look at was the concept of accountability. Acountability is something which most of us are wary of. It is that quality that we are not trained to develop and nourish.
Let us look at a simple example of the concept of “GOD”. Please understand that I am not taking this debate to a different level or digressing from the objective, I am only trying to look into that aspect that we need to develop, which is accountability.
At the young age most of us are not aware of our talents and we develop the herd mentality or we are pushed to act on something because we are forced by our elders to act like that.
For example, how many of us are willing to accept that many of us are not in the proffession for which we have a flair for? Many of us took up our proffession because we were blackmailed into it as , FOR ALL THAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, COULD’nt YOU DO THIS SMALL THING FOR ME?
Father is a lawyer the family makes a person to be a lawyer whether he has the capability or not. So all trhe GOD’s on earth are prayed to for the success of such an individual and everybody is happy. If he is not successful, he is blamed– UH! his father was a great lawyer, and made his life all by himself, look at this guy he is not a pale shadow of that GREAT MAN!
Who is accountable for this mess. The father will blame the “GOD” for the failure of his son, the son for the failure of his career. All because no body is willing to accept the rsponsibility for his action and ACCOUNT for himself. Finally the poor “GOD” is blamed for all this mess.
That was what I trying to place emphasis on — ACCOUNTABILITY.
If Raj is talking about the problems of Mumbai, the accountability rests with the individuals who have wanted such governments at their state level.
The same TERAI LAND in UP has been converted into fertile land by the hard work of the Sikhs who came there.
The same dry Kutch area is waterfed today. (I am not going into the politics of Shri. Modi, or the Narmada Bachao Andolan ane the politics of it), The same dry Gujerat has trebeled its cotton production. The same gujerat has three phase power in its villages.
The same Karnataka has made it to the IT capital of India.
Who is accountable? the corrupt or the persons who were willing to vote for them based on their caste and other factors?
Coming to the other aspects of your mail.
I do understand that where the moolah and life is people move. But as Raj says accept the way of the life of the society and live your life. Learn to obey rules and laws of the land and be accountable for your actions. If you cannot, GET OUT.
Coming to the aspect of corruption, let me assure you nobody is born corrupt, just like nobody is born drunk. I do not think you would have seen a baby born with a beer bottle in his hand or mouth. We make it!!
Let me expand. Let us take the case of a loving father. He has a son who cannot make it to the best engineering school. Poor father is a not a paying job, but the “FATHER” is EMPLOYED as an executive which is a “PAYING JOB”. so the cut begins by the executive to pay for his son’s seat. Who is corrupt, the father or the Executive?
Unless we teach our children the concept of accepting responsibility and we elders stand up to it, where is the question of accountability and lessening of corruption.
Lok Paritran is a great concept, but finance and sustaining the campaigining is tough. I noticed that in Chennai they ended up in a row as a few of the founders were accused of castisism and one of the leaders has quit and left to the US from where he had come.
I shall take up your recommendations and catch up on the reading and keep this dialogue going ahead.
Regards, vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | February 10, 2008
This is turning out to be a interesting discussion. Please continue sharing your thoughts.
***
@ Cdr Khilari: Good to see you here, Sir. I am glad you have chosen to join Lok Paritran. I was quite impressed by them when they started and also managed to speak to Tammay a few years ago.
Since then, I have had less luck in my attempts to get in touch with them. Perhaps you may be able to help.
When you have a chance, do have a read through: http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/03/24/dark-clouds-just-got-darker/ and
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/04/13/bpd-bm-lp-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel/
If you could put me in touch with the Lok Paritran leadership, I would be delighted to profile them in my Interview with young politicians series (see http://satyameva-jayate.org/2008/02/08/interview-with-ujjwal-part1/ and http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/10/12/geeta-gokhale-bpd-interview-part1/ )
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
Comment by B Shantanu | February 11, 2008
to V. C. Krishnan
Sorry, I am not following the discussion on freedom team because I have no great knowledge about it. Personally I liked this idea of Shablok and I respect him but here I have something to say for thoughts delivered by v.c.k
v.c. K, I agree with you on the points that many have wasted their talent and life as not properly motivated by our elders. Elders are to be blamed for all blunder in the society and communities. ” Tare Jamin Per” movie by Amir khan, though personally I am not liking A.K., but the movie he made is really addresses atleast one issue which were tortured by elders. Elders themselves were not trained to use their brain when they were young. So what can we expect from them? Same streotype behaviour and attitudes. I always had in my mind to make such movie were parents, teachers, relatives are showm mirrors, and Amir Khan did it..Still there are many issues which makes kids helpless and on mercy. Parents has to learn to accept the responsibilities of their kids and their misbeahving when they become adults.
We need big change from parents, teacher, relatives and communities.
Comment by Indian | February 11, 2008
Pl visit loksattamovement.org and voteindia.org. I am confident that Loksatta movement is the future of India.
Pl let me know your interest.
regards
Comment by Dnyanesh Sovani | February 11, 2008
Dear Shantanu,
Thanks! I shall try all the URLs posted by you in your comment and then get back. I have myself not met Chandrashekhar and Tanmay Raj Purohit, the presnt and the former Presidents of LP. They are likely to visit Bangalore by this month end. May be there after I should be able to give you their intimate contact addresses, Regards
Comment by Cdr.(Retd) BB Khilari | February 12, 2008
Dear All
I strongly support efforts like Lok Satta and Lok Paritran. So I would encourage all those interested in joining politics at this stage itself to join one of them (or any other group of your choice). The Freedom Team will take some time. It has only just been formed, and I don’t know when 1500 outstanding people will assemble.
By the way, Captain Khilari, I tried to do something in this area a little before these two new efforts came into being. I tried a few things since 2000 but nothing seemed to work. Then, in 2004, JP and a few other invitees attended a 5-day workshop I had organised. But at that stage he did not want Lok Satta to join politics. I then joined Swatantra Bharat Party but left it in 2005. (Some pictures from the 2004 effort are at: http://www.indiapolicy.sabhlokcity.com/workshop/pics/ plus some more details at: http://www.indiapolicy.sabhlokcity.com/ )
I then ‘retired’ from politics after failing to find or create a political group that met my expectations. At the moment, I am trying to facilitate the coming together of at least 1500 good people to kick-start a process to advance freedom and good governance in India. The main thing is that I have tried to offer some concrete suggestions through my book. That is my key message.
Being a member of Lok Paritran or Lok Satta, etc., is not incompatible with being on the Freedom Team. The key thing about the Freedom Team idea is its ‘filtration process’, and guarantee of quality. I want it to represent a seal of quality in India politics in the future. That is why I have created an initial ‘filter’ at:
http://www.freedom.sabhlokcity.com/whoshouldjoin.html
By the way, I don’t think I am asking for much: simply for honest, competent people; and among this group only those who are very clear about the need for greater freedom (with accountability) in India, and are willing to study hard and work towards world best practice policies for India.
==
Dear VCK, you are right about the importance of accountability. I have also identified accountability as a key missing factor in India’s governance in my book. Please consider a 2-page summary of the concept at:
http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/book1/appendix1.pdf
By the way, I don’t agree that “we are forced by our elders to act like that.” I agree that our elders influence us, but after age 18, we are adults and FULLY accountable for ourselves whether we like it or not. We cannot then implicate our elders. As they are our well-wishers, they did the best they could. We may have deferred to their views, but we did so as responsible and accountable adults. In any case, let us go to the next step, now. The future beckons.
My question is: what do you want to DO next? You can either be a spectator or a participant. You are free to choose, but if you choose not to participate, then you also lose the rights to complain. So can I suggest you consider joining an existing effort such as Lok satta or Lok Paritran and gain some valuable experience on how these things work. Second, once you fully understand what the Freedom Team stands for you can also consider joining it.
Regards
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhlok | February 12, 2008
Dear Sanjeev,
I went through your article through the link provided by you regarding “Accountability”. It was well thought out and documented and my heartfelt appreciation for the efforts you have put into it.
You have indicated that either I should join a platform like Lok Satta or Lok Paritran, or quit criticising. Let me assure I not going to do both. While appreciating your thoughts I totally disagree with the recommedd process.
Let me assure you that a political platform is very dificult to succeed as I have personal experience, and even today I have varied spectrum of friends in various political parties. Let me inform you that it is not a “Lark”.
You must understand that the thoughts that we exchange here are very insightful and as an individual fighting for his survival on a daily basis one does not understand it nor is he keen to do so. For him it is a matter of “Roti”, - Forget Kapada or Makan”, - they may never fructify in many years for him!!!
Though I agree with the fond hope of yours and other groups and also wish to wear pink glasses, I am unable to do so, so here is my two bits.
If you look at the many political parties that are in exiastence now, most of them have form the grass roots level. Call them Communal/Secular, or what you want, it does not matter; what matters is their success in the politicl arena.
Walk in the polluted dumps after the rains, where the seawage flows alongside the “Kitchen and diningroom”. Eat on the floor where things have happened during day and night! Eat along as you see a funeral pass by and also celeberate a marriage when there is funeral taking place next door!!
You must be able to bear the mosquitos and either wash your backside or wash your mouth - the choice is yours!! - with the sngle “Lotta” of water you have at your disposal.
I am not apologetic about my criticism nor for wearing the “black hat” even as of now:
I have experienced the fact that one uses leaves or sand were leaves are not available, sometimes, to wash my backside an also wear the same underclothing for days on end.
Oh, no sir I did not go on a space voyage or was an artic explorer, I went round India when i was young.
The significant point I am trying to make is that, one has to go to the grass roots, You may ask are you doing it, YES I AM, walk on the sand without chappals at about noon in summer in Nagpur or Ramagundam - it is not very pleasant - and then I can talk politics with whom so ever who wishes to do so.
Let me assure you that I am for change, a change for the better, but it should come from a total social tranformation, and no amount diatribes on corruption, caste or education is going to make an iota of an impact.
I will take up the other matters in your mail later.
Thanks for your patient reading, in advance, and let us take this positive dialogue further.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | February 14, 2008
I tend to agree with VCK. I think the idea of starting a political party has to start from the grass roots. One has to spend a few years working with locals first and earn trust. Credibility has to be earned. You may criticize the existing parties for their policies and practices, but one thing you cannot deny is their grassroot network. Congress and BJP have extensive grassroot networks in the north but not so in the south. This is the prime reason for them joining hands with regional parties in the south. If one has to contest againt these parties, one has to fight them first at the grassroot level. There is a saying : If you want to clean the city, you should start from your own neighbourhood. I think that is how a political party has to be built to be successful. You contest at local levels (municipality elections etc) first. Then, you go to state levels. It will probably be a steep learning curve initially. Then (hopefully) if one does good work that is recognized, word shall spread. I just feel that the idea of straight away contesting a national election in such a diverse country is impossible. I am not aware of how these new parties are approaching the task but I think the ones that do survive after a few years would be those who were successful in developing a grassroot base. By the way, Sanjeev, this is just my personal opinion and I still encourage and applaud your enthusiasm. Hopefully, you will be successful. The end goal is still the same, we all want a strong and successful India.
Comment by Prakash | February 15, 2008
Dear Sanjeev, VCK, Prakash et al,
This is such a fascinating discussion - I just read through the entire post and comments and have been overwhelmed by the insights and value provided by different commentators.
I would like to respond, in parts, but am laying down the main points here -
Firstly, Sanjeev, this is an amazing effort. After a long time, I have read something on Freedom (of the individual) from an Indian writer that is so incisive. Maybe I am effusive because I can identify with your thought process, but we will keep such matters aside. But, what I would like to discuss with you spans -
1. Freedom of the individual vs Freedom of the collective - how do you actually draw lines? Should you draw lines? And, does the freedom of the individual include the right to secede from the collective?
2. Your citizenship status - I am afraid that it does play a part in whether your thesis is accepted by resident Indians (I think it is more about residency than citizenship, witness Francois Gautier). It is disingenous on your part to equate foreign works of science with your book - your book is on politics and polity, and will be judged as such.
3. Getting over the culture wars - to my mind, this is really the crux of the issue and the key determinant of whether the 1500 has a chance of succeeding or not.
4. Using a filter - this is a problem in my opinion. It becomes too easy to discredit an organisation that uses an “elitist” filter.
RE: VCK -
You are a really perplexing and confusing person, which probably makes you the most interesting person on the blog. In other posts, you go on and on about bharatiya culture and inadequate respect to elders and what not - and, yet here you are busy rubbishing elders and parents. Is not respect for elders and parents an inalienable duty according to bharatiya customs, irrespective of whether the parents/elders are right/wrong/impinge severely on your wishes. Witness Rama and his exile - his father’s wishes over-rode the wishes of millions of his people.
Also, witness Guru Drona and Eklavya - Drona demands a thumb, and Eklavya gives it up to him, without thinking, without applying his mind. Just because his dharma demanded respect for the guru? What kind of a nut was he?
I see this as the big issue - our culture celebrates subjugation to age (which it equates with wisdom) and does not encourage, indeed discourages, questioning. And, this is linked in a big way to our Freedom as individuals.
I will come back on each of the above points in much more detail.
Comment by Patriot | February 15, 2008
*** Please read in full. There are some useful insights ***
All, what follows is a string of comments, extracted from an exchange of emails between an un-named Lead India contestant, an active political worked, myself and Sanjeev.
The names of the Lead India contestant and the active political worker shall remain anonymous as I have no intention of infringing on anyone’s privacy and I do not (yet) have their permission to reveal their identity (it was a private exchange of emails)…Yet I feel the thoughts are important enough to merit public disclosure and debate.
In any case, this is a debate around ideas; while personalities add colour to the discussion, a desire for anonymity should not stop us from having this debate…
*** COMMENTS BEGIN ***
Comment by un-named Lead India contestant (henceforth LIC):
Referring to a statement on Sanjeev’s website:
———–
Finally, about 550 outstanding leaders should contest elections. With the right effort and good luck, a majority of them will hopefully get elected.
———–
This statement by Sanjeev has about the same insight into the Indian political system as an 8th standard kid. Can’t believe he was an IAS officer.
So far nothing I have read makes me feel that he has any substance.
Blogs, e-groups and websites are not the way to make a change in society. Gotta get out there.
.
***
Comment by active political worker:
I think this is a matter of perspective. I too had that opnion that internet and emails are just waste of time and not the way to bring out revolution. but the same has connected me to Sanjeev, Shantanu as well as Lokparitran.
.
***
Comment by B Shantanu
Dear LIC: I find it hard to agree with you on two points though:
1] The insight(s) into political system that Sanjeev has: I believe you are being a bit harsh but I guess everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. Sanjeev has been inside the system, tried to change it and failed. That experience is surely worth something and I believe there are lessons in it for all of us.
2] That blogs, websites etc are not the way to make change happen: We had heard a similar criticism from a readers to which Sanjeev and I had both responded. I wrote that while “…What needs to be done, can be, should be.. etc and DOING IT are indeed two different things… ” – it does not mean that there is no place for “talking about it”.
An earnest (wo)man without a vision can, at best, be a hard-working, well-meaning individual – but he or she will not be able to fundamentally alter things.
For that you need vision, and you need the authority/power to take hard decisions and bold steps – and in a system like ours that only comes through political power…So you need a cadre of committed people who are willing to take their “fight” one level up…and challenge the “system” through the electoral process, by getting involved in setting the agenda – rather than reacting to it.”
Please have a look at this comment when you have a few minutes http://satyameva-jayate.org/2008/01/09/freedom-team-for-india/#comment-11116 and this one http://satyameva-jayate.org/2008/01/09/freedom-team-for-india/#comment-11117
I sincerely feel all of us can find a way to work together - for there is at least one thing that binds us (I believe): the desire to live in a better India.
.
***
Comment by LIC:
if emails and discussions etc are not backed by actual work on the ground then it is a waste of time. armchair theorizing and strategizing can be fun and may even end up influencing someone. after all tolstoy and ruskin influenced gandhi.
but you guys seem to be waiting for mr. gandhi to come along. sabhlok is now an australian citizen and i don’t know what your situation is Shantanu. Are you working full time in the social sector.
i have the luxury of saying these things because people like misra, kaura, ujjwal and i are doing this full time. we are walking the talk. you guys seem to be doing a lot of the latter.
.
***
Comment by Sanjeev:
This is an important and interesting conversation and raises many issues..
LIC, there are two approaches I can take after reading your emails.
I can let myself get angry and write you off equally as you have written me off – and also Shantanu and XYZ! You do know how to spray the
shotgun, I say! But I think I understand your style a little better after I went to the internet and found that you have a reputation for bluntness.
And that’s good, the bluntness. None of us has time for frivolous talk. I also enjoy your youthful arrogance and provocative stance. You are at least be half-way to where I’d like the leaders of India to be. The other half is policy thinking and strategic capability, and the ability to be a team player. It is these aspect that I’d like to discuss.
You were perhaps in USA while I was completing my doctorate there (1994-99). Then I returned to India and tried to form a political party. I tried 3 times till 2005. One of my efforts helped raise resources and momentum to get one MP elected (Sharad Joshi) and one MLA in Maharashtra.
See pics at http://www.indiapolicy.sabhlokcity.com/workshop/pics/
(I wish I had the pics of the large gathering of 26 January where thousands of people assembled from across India, but never mind.) The point being that I DO walk the talk — but in my own way.
Indeed, everyone on the Freedom Team is a person of substance; they are are not a bunch of idlers. They are people with decades of field work in political parties, NGOs, business, and government – even if this is a very small team yet (started end-December last year).
These people must be go-getters. I don’t ‘admit’ people otherwise.And, no, I’m NOT waiting for Gandhi. And I’m not Gandhi myself, so I don’t want anyone to wait for me. Instead, I’m herding all the Gandhis that can be found in India today. People like you. I want them **here**, to come together and to lead India. I want you - and the team - to succeed — to succeed beyond your own wildest imagination.
And to make India the greatest country the world has ever seen.
And so the question I ask you is:
(a) how you will become PM of India, and
(b) what you will do when you get there? I ask this because India doesn’t have a shortage of people who ‘do’ things in India. Millions of NGOs abound. And we have tens of candidates in elections. No shortage of civil society. But we have a real shortage of people who have the right philosophy.
My political actions in the past (and this effort) are entirely a part of that philosophy. I also happen to be a specialist in the area of policy (and to some extent, strategy). My policy suggestions are outlined at http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html
Essentially my argument is that no one can succeed in shifting India’s corruption and mis-governance without shifting its foundational principle from equality to freedom (with accountability), ie, from socialism to capitalism, or classical liberalism. And then, assiduously working to achieve world-best policy.
But do read a bit about my thoughts and then, more importantly, do tell me about yours. I’m interested in knowing what you believe in, not in what you do. That doing bit is ONLY important to me if it is aligned to delivering true freedom and greatness to India. Else I’ve done enough in
my life to last many lifetimes, and I’ve seen enough action in my life as well to keep me engrossed in memories till I die. I’m happy to read your writings to understand you better. Compatibility in philosophy is crucial.
One more question. What could you possibly lose by working with other like-minded people even on a boring thing as an email group? These others may be able to support and publicise your efforts. So if you want to try out the Freedom Team, check out:
http://www.freedom.sabhlokcity.com/whoshouldjoin.html.
You must meet the criteria. If you don’t like it here, you can always leave by the mere act of unsubscribing! You are free to choose in this Team. It is called Freedom Team for a reason.
.
***
Comment by B Shantanu:
LIC,
I have enormous respect for what you, Shri Misra, Sanjiv and Ujjwal are doing and will continue to support alll of you in your endeavours.
To me “walking the talk” is a 24hr/365-days a year job…AND it does not pay. And in that sense, you are right, I am not walking the talk. Why? Two main reasons:
1] I have responsibilities that I cannot forego and I do not have the luxury of not needing to work and 2] Equally importantly, I am still working on an action plan which includes, amongst other things, having clear, coherent and practical view on a range of issues that confront us, as a society and as a nation.
Does that mean my efforts will always be limited to “theorizing” and armchair strategizing? I hope not. In my mind I have a clear view of a few years after which I will be able to devote time to do this. If things go in a certain way, that day may be much nearer.
Until then, I am working hard on developing my awareness about the issues that confront us and thinking of ways to ameliorate them. I personally see this as a 10-year project and I am not even half way there.
It does not - at this stage - match your effort(s) or that of Shri Misra, Sanjiv or Ujjwal or even Sanjeev Sabhlok (and indeed many others).
Yet, I would like to believe that in my own small way, I am making some difference.
And to be clear, I am not “waiting for mr. gandhi to come along” - I believe each one of us has a Gandhi within.
Finally, here is another link for you to have a look at. This is a post in which I had outlined some thoughts for the nascent political parties that have been formed in the past few years: http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/04/13/bpd-bm-lp-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel/
I hope we can continue this dialogue.
I have one question for you. After your Lead India experience, do you believe that individuals can still make a difference or do you feel one must have a group of people and supporters (specifically, a political party) to bring about fundamental change?
.
***
Comment by Sanjeev:
Shantanu, I agree with your approach of thinking and ensuring success before entering into the ‘maidan’. An overall strategy is necessary. I’m not interested in a half-baked effort which is totally guaranteed to fail, or not achieve what needs to be done. Today India is an independent country and democracy.
This is not about one-man mass movements, though leadership will still be important. This is about winning democratic government and getting the mandate to make a change.
Comment by B Shantanu | February 15, 2008
*** COMMENT COMBINED ***
Dear Shantanu,
Great exchange of mails. These are the kind of insightful talk that will get us somewhere. It will provide for a platform for individuals to come together s they will know that they are not alone in making this “Bharat”.
Blogs and e-mail are efforts at communication and they are to speed up mails. They are not an end in themselves.
Using a e-mail does not deny me the opportunity to be less “Bharatiya”, and it is definetely not armchair thinking.
Let us continue the dialogue as it is entering a very interesting phase.
Regards,
vck
***
Dear Patriot,
Welcome back. The usuals in this blog were misssssing you!!!! I was just thinking that I was getting away. I shall write later.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | February 15, 2008
Sanjeev,
I would like to understand the economics of your platform better. This is the key issue I struggle with when I look at these newer parties - whether it is your concept of Lok Paritran.
How do you fund an election campaign? More importantly how do you build a political party? Let us assume, for the moment, that you have got your 1500 committed people - but to succeed in elections, I think you need at least 150 party workers per constituency? That is the bare minimum in my calculation - I think you will need 500 per constituency.
But, let us take the number of 150: 150 x 542 seats = 81,300 party workers. Where will these come from? How do you pay for them pre-elections. I would think that you need at least two years of preparation to contest successfully - let us assume we pay an average stipend of Rs1000 pm (very reasonable in my opinion) - that works out to a pre-election cost of Rs195cr!!!!!
Then take election costs campaigning ……. I am assuming a paltry Rs15lacs per constituency (printing banners, travel costs, food costs, etc). That in turn works out to another Rs81cr.
And, these are minimum costs in my opinion to fight a national level election. Hence, please explain the economics of your plan.
I have been thinking about and discussing a different approach to political reforms for the past 5-6 yrs with my group of “thinkers” - I call it the Trojan Horse approach. At least, the economics are taken care of by my approach.
Cheers
***
Dear VCK,
Thanks!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers
Comment by Patriot | February 16, 2008
BTW, the economics is why the SYSTEM usually wins against a challenger.
Not just in politics, but in most spheres of life …..
Comment by Patriot | February 16, 2008
Shantanu,
1. No where in the discussion it is apparent that you subscribe to this idea of bringing 1500 people together to build a Freedom team. Am waiting to hear that…
2. To some extent, I agree with LIC that this concept is very abstract and it has very limited practical value.
3. I would disagree with the argument that only political parties built with a certain type of individuals can bring a lasting fundamental change and is the only answer to most of the problems.
4. The attributes of the individuals (to qualify for the Freedom team) are highly subjective. There is no way to objectively evaluate them, right (honesty, integrity, commitment…)? Some one with integrity in my opinion may not have integrity in your opinion…and vice versa
5. A person who is a doer is not a great strategist..And strategists don’t need to get their hands dirtied..I don’t buy this.
6. The changes brought about individual contributors are more lasting…
An example: Am not sure if you know how pathetic the public transport system of Indore used to be till about a couple of yrs ago. They now have become the role model for all the big cities to follow. The second best in the world, I suppose. The person who brought that change is Vivek Agrawal, a 1995 batch IAS officer. He studied the best systems in the world and led this change. They have the best in class buses, a GPRS based tracking system and a lot more.. So, the bottom line is this system is not only providing a convenient, cheap and user-friendly (the bus conductor smiles and wishes you, they have low floors for easy boarding/alighting) transport to our dear Indoris, but it is a profitable venture too(the revenue comes fm tickets and advertisements on bus panels)
7. It is more practical to identify one problem in hand and resolve it completely. Rather than picking 100 problems and not arriving at a single solution..There is no panacea not even with the team of 1500 great people.
PS: The discussion is very engaging.
Comment by Pragya | February 16, 2008
Hello Everyone,
My name is Geeta and I am the political worker that Shantanu is referring to along with LIC. I love to be known as political worker. But for past 3-4 months, I have disassociated myself from any actiity.
Recently I joined the freedom team and silently observing this explosion.
I was working with Lokparitran Bangalore chapter and then got shifted to Pune.
Afterwards Lokparitran got split as Bharat Punarnirman Dal{BPD}.
All in all for past two years I am closely associated with most of the groups that Shantanu has described, indulging myself into activities like, spreading awareness, enrolling new members, looking for prospective candidates. arranging meetings, small conventions,email communications (LP), orkut communities(LP), writing articles, monthly reports, maintaining membership database and so on.
here are some observations -
* Freedom team expects level 4 and 5 leaders, but I have observed that such people go ahead and form their own group rather than joining somewhere else
[ being enlightened enough :-)]
* 1500 is a big number and we dont have enough time. I guess.
Out of 543 seats in the parliament, Can we come up with a number which gives us majority and then multiple by 3 ?
* Funding is not a problem [Oh! I love saying this and have heard this at least 100 times] but serioulsy the bigger issue here is to have a homogeneous group of highly motivated, committed people.
* In LP and BPD {I tream them as one} - few problems I have seen are -
1. There is no criteria for admitting the members, hence people influenced by existing political parties, enter and tend to imitate the age old practices.
2. Focus is survival of the party and then growth of the party. instead the focus should be the growth of individuals. this is my personal opinion, but the issue seems to be resolved in freedom team.
* There are already more than 220 registered parties in India and the number is increasing. Today I attended the convention by Professional Party of India[PPI]. and all seem to be saying the same thing.
BTW, PPI put up a really impressive presentaion[truely professional]. please check their website - http://www.professionalspartyofindia.com
Hope that someday all these small groups unite.
Geeta.
Comment by Geeta Gokhale | February 17, 2008
All, my heartfelt thanks for such an engaging, thought-provoking and insightful discussion of various points. I am adding my views below.
***
@ vck: This comment of yours struck a chord:
“Walk in the polluted dumps after the rains, where the seawage flows alongside the “Kitchen and diningroom”. Eat on the floor where things have happened during day and night! Eat along as you see a funeral pass by and also celeberate a marriage when there is funeral taking place next door!!
You must be able to bear the mosquitos and either wash your backside or wash your mouth - the choice is yours!! - with the sngle “Lotta” of water you have at your disposal.”
Like you, I have experienced the “rough” in India, seen grinding poverty and some truly saddening things.
As I mentioned in a previous comment, POLITICS is a FULL-TIME JOB, IT DOES NOT PAY, YOU CAN pretty much FORGET ABOUT YOUR FAMILY LIFE and you will very likely be LIVING UNDER the THREAT of physical harm – if you are upright and stick to your principles, that is…
THIS is what STOPS MOST GOOD, HONEST, UPRIGHT, CAPABLE AND PASSIONATE PEOPLE FROM JOINING POLITICS – and that is why the task of raising 1500 leaders is herculean – and will take time.
The difference between you and me (please correct me here if I am wrong) is that I am an (eternal) optimist and someday I hope to, in your memorable words, “walk on the sand without chappals at about noon in summer in Nagpur or Ramagundam” and I hope you will be alongside me so that we can bring about change.
***
@ Prakash: I agree with you that “the idea of straight away contesting a national election in such a diverse country is impossible”…but can we not make a start – and have strategy, a plan and then work on the tactics?
Is it possible for any of these new political parties to fight national elections on their own, across all seats? NO..
Does that mean that they should just wait until conditions are right and do nothing? Not at all… This is the time to plan…to form support groups, to raise resources, to consider tactics…and as you say, develop a grassroots base…
Unfortunately most of us cannot actually work at the grassroots level either because of physical limitations (e.g. Sanjeev is in Australia) or family responsibilities – or perhaps both.
But that does not mean(in my humble opinion) that we should just shut up and take it as it comes. As long as we agree on the end goal, “a strong and successful India”, we have hope!
***
@ Patriot: You raise a very interesting – and important - point about “Freedom of the individual vs Freedom of the collective - how do you actually draw lines? Should you draw lines? And, does the freedom of the individual include the right to secede from the collective?”
It was actually raised and discussed (briefly) once before. See here for a critique by Subadra and my comment on this.
Finally re the point about “economics of your platform”
That’s the one question that I think we don’t discuss to much on this forum…why? At one level it is much easier to “pretend”/”assume” that money does not matter (it will come somehow) at another level, the challenge is so enormous, that it can be hard to even begin thinking about this problem…
But coming back to your point….
Funds for a campaign: As Geeta has commented later on, she has heard this numerous times before that funds will not be a problem..and yet no one has a clear action plan for raising the kind of resources you need to fight an election…
Could they come from individual donors? Possibly. Will that be enough? Possibly not…Is there another way of approaching this? How about starting a newspaper? Or starting a news channel or starting some other venture/business and then using the profits to fund the campaign…would this be “right”?
I don’t know…but isnt this something similar to Shiv Khera using his network snd skills (and book) to launch his own political effort?
Party workers: Another monumental challenge…and the reason it is a challenge is that while it is easy to find 100s of “party workers” in even the smaller towns in India, most of them are completely unsuitable to the kind of change that we are hoping for. Besides, such people are, in all likelihood, fail several of our “filters” for membership.
Which leaves you with the option of either ignoring the filters (and hire the usual kind of people who join politics) or you have to think of another way of doing this.
What other way could there be? Honestly at this stage, I don’t know
And the same goes for pre-election costs..
So I am very interested to hear about your “Trojan Horse approach” especially if it manages to take care of the “economics”…I think I can guess what you are hinting at but I woud not like to make any assumptions…
So please share it here- with us on this platform…
***
@ Pragya: To make it absolutely clear, I do endorse and subscribe to the idea of bringing 1500 people together”.
In my mind, getting people together has to be the first and critical step – not necessarily physically together, but aligned on thought, strategy and action plan…
Your other points are thought-provoking but I will let Sanjeev respond to them
And while “changes brought about individual contributors” may be more “lasting”, they can rarely create a system-wide impact – which is what we need – not 50 towns with excellent public transport but a country with excellent public transport and an excellent public transport organization that works efficiently and effectively.
And yes, “It is more practical to identify one problem in hand and resolve it completely”…In my mind, that ONE problem is bad, inefficient, ineffective governance and incapable leadership - full stop.
***
@ Geeta: Your views are invaluable – as you have actually run the gauntlet and gone through this mill…
So let me respond as best as I can (from the viewpoint of an interested observer)
“I have observed that such people go ahead and form their own group rather than joining somewhere else….” That is an important point…
What you have observed is very true and our challenge will be to convince them that they will be able to better achieve their objectives and aspirations by being part of the collective group rather than sticking it out as individuals (as in the case of LIC)
The minimum number in my head is 50 elected representatives – without that the group and its ideology is likely to have no impact on policy or discussions.
If there is any way to share the presentation that you attended by Professionals Party of India), that would be great. I am happy to host it on this blog…
***
All: Thanks for such a high-quality exchange of thoughts…Please continue to contribute…and do feel free to invite others who may have different ideas/view points…
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
Comment by B Shantanu | February 17, 2008
@Shantanu: I was only giving my opinion on the strategy that Sanjeev has put forth. Yes, we have to start somewhere. I just thought that one should not aim directly for a grand target and then get disappointed too soon. I agree that the “ultimate” objective should be to contest elections at the national level. But one should also have tangible near-term targets so that we do not disillusion ourselves. I think forming a political party when one has not had much experience is like a business experiment. One should first test the waters on a small scale. It is easier to interpret results and performance in a small sample space. This will also help learn better from the test. There is bound to be a lot of initial learning cycles. I think some of the new parties such as lok satta follow such an approach.
Finally, in my opinion, a new party does not have to form a government at the center to be successful (as in bring about a change). Even if they force existing parties to change for the better, it is a big achievement and that is what I feel will happen eventually.
Comment by Prakash | February 18, 2008
Whew! That’s a lot of comments. Given time limitations I’ll not address the issues individually but discuss the key principles.
In my view the Freedom Team is a platform for the kind of leaders India needs in its government—namely, individuals who believe in individual freedom (subject to accountability), and are willing to contest elections. This is not a ground-up effort for a very deliberate and conscious reason. It is unashamedly a top-down effort.
The reason is that this effort is NOT about political power or merely getting elected and becoming an MP or a Minister. This is PURELY about delivering a certain set of policies that will lead India to greatness. Since the alignment of philosophy and policy is very important, hence it starts at the top, by identifying the right leaders. For example, anyone who believes in socialism in any of its shapes and forms cannot be a part of the Team. Indeed, it is quite likely that some of people who initially join the Team may leave as policy discussions evolve.
And so, the strategy is:
- get the right people onboard who agree on the broad philosophy;
- get agreement on broad policy; and
- then start thinking of next steps.
Without the first two, there is no point in thinking about elections and getting elected. There are already sufficient number of candidates in elections. The question is: why do you want to get elected and what will you do if you became Prime Minster?
I did get excited in 2004 (Swatantra Bharat Party or SBP) and tried to focus straight on the Parliamentary elections by short-circuiting the first two steps, and it led to extremely unsatisfactory results. Significant money was wasted. That money could have done much more good by people printing and writing brochures for wide dissemination, instead. There was no awareness building. There was no leadership team. That was a very poor strategy. I therefore do not any seen any strategic value in jumping straight to the ‘ground’ and building a constituency, until the leadership team is fully assembled.
The other important thing about this effort is its belief that India does not need Lone Rangers, battling alone. That may satisfy a particular individual’s ego, but it doesn’t deliver overarching systemic reforms or help India in the greater sense. I have also done enough ‘small’ things in my life and do not want to waste a single second of my life on such things. I want the entire country to do better than the world’s best, not merely one person, one village, one town, or one state.
The interesting thing about the West is that they always focus on getting their ‘big picture’ right, first. The rest then flows, naturally. In my current role we deliver on the principles of good regulation to the state of Victoria, eg. see the VGR – a 2.2 MB PDF document at http://www.vcec.vic.gov.au/ (go under Regulation Review, and then under What’s new). After that it is a matter of closely monitoring that these principles are observed. Good principles matter more than intensive action on the ground. By setting world-best standards of policy, the best outcomes for the people can be delivered even by ordinarily competent bureaucrats.
Toda, India’s big picture is a total mess. That is why I wrote my book (BFN – see http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html), explaining what is wrong and what should be done to fix the system. While India needs a lot of other leaders doing thousands of ‘small’ things, the Freedom Team is not intended for such ‘small’ things. It is purely focused on creating a platform to deliver the right policy to India.
A key pre-requisite to forming government in a democracy is to have a group of people aligned to your one’s in parliament. Therefore I don’t value any effort which sees less than 500 closely aligned people contesting elections — all at one go. Smaller efforts which do not form government are unlikely to matter. Rajaji’s Swatantra party was the major opposition in India and surely did some good, but could not stop the socialist policies of Nehru.
The other pre-requisite is for such people to be team players, not individuals with massive egos. If the glory of India is not SOLE focus of a person, then he or she is not welcome to the Freedom Team. Such a person should seek individual glory elsewhere. The closely related requirement is humility, a key quality of a level 4 or 5 leader. Geeta, I don’t agree that those who are level 4/5 form their own groups. They are not level 4/5 leaders but lower people who are seeking glory for themselves. The true level 4/5 leaders work as a team and only care for the outcome: in this case to create the greatest country ever in the world - India. You won’t find them being arrogant and boastful, but constantly seeking to learn from others and trying to contribute to the group effort.
Another thing. My past efforts such as SBP failed because I invited too many armchair intellectuals to the group, people who had no intention ever of contesting elections or of shouldering organisational responsibilities. That doesn’t work. Hence the Freedom Team does not want any adviser. Its leaders can hire advisers if needed.
The Freedom Team will physically assemble only when a critical mass is assembled – in my view 1500 leaders. Smaller groups of the Team can meet before that if they wish. The Team may decide to become a political party one day, or its members may decide to contest elections individually or as small groups allied to each other.
At the moment, it is only looking to assemble the right kind of leaders. Once the right people are on board and fully aligned, I believe that funds will come. Just as we buy shares in an IPO from Tatas or Ambanis, based on the quality of people running these companies, people will subscribe to this group (or any other group) of 1500 leaders working in a focused direction. The group will need not less than Rs.150 crores (Rs. 30 lakhs per constituency, being Rs. 5 lakhs for awareness building prior to elections, and Rs.25 lakhs at the time of elections). If that kind of money cannot be raised, then this effort should NOT proceed at that stage to elections, but do other things instead, to build a presence.
Will this whole thing be difficult? Of course! No advance in freedom has been easy. Liberty does not come cheaply. And greatness as a country is not going to be simple.
At the same time, the choice for Indians is clear: you can continue doing the same thing and hope that ‘implementation’ will magically improve by voting one corrupt politician or other into power. Or you can provide a mandate to best leaders of India to radically shift the incentives and governance frameworks: changes which are guaranteed to deliver outstanding results. The choice is stark: between failure (today’s policies) and success (the policies of the Freedom Team/ similar allied group/s).
I’d like to focus my very limited spare time entirely on completing my second book (on the history of freedom) for a few months, so can I request other members of the Freedom Team to respond to questions on this forum? I’ll try to chip in when I find a spare moment.
Each member of the Freedom Team is an independent leader in his or her own right, and can respond as an independent and full member. Indeed, it is crucial that members of the Freedom Team write extensively, publish articles, write brochures and generally reach out to the people. This team effort, by definition, is NOT a one-man show, nor should it EVER be dependent on any one person.
India is a country of one billion people. It should be able to generate sufficient number of high calibre leaders in each generation who are committed to working respectfully and democratically as a team with other like-minded people to lead India to freedom and greatness.
Thanks, once again, to the vibrant discussion. I want good people to continue to ‘apply’ to join, and take leadership roles in their own country’s future.
Regards,
Sanjeev
Comment by Sanjeev Sabhlok | February 19, 2008
Sanjeev,
I am beginning to agree with the LIC candidate - your recipe is indeed very naive. And, completely disconnected from reality and the environment in which his solution has to work.
“Once the right people are on board and fully aligned, I believe that funds will come. Just as we buy shares in an IPO from Tatas or Ambanis, based on the quality of people running these companies, people will subscribe to this group (or any other group)”
The money will come? Really??? From whom? And why? Economics 101: When money comes, it usually demands a return. And, this is proven by Sanjeev’s example - we subscribe to an IPO from Tatas, etc because we expect our money will grow.
What is going to be the return from the money given to the Freedom Team? Liberty, equality and fraternity? - Try selling that to the corporate Titans! Better governance? How do you “prove” to individuals that you will indeed provide a better government and that they should “pay” for it …. especially in the context of rural voters, many of whom have been paid for THEIR votes in the past?
HOW? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RAISE THE MONEY? Because if you can not answer this question today, then you should not be forming a team, with the ultimate aim of contesting elections. And, if you are not going to contest elections (like you mention) if the money can not be raised then you have formed the wrong sort of team.
I can not believe that you have not thought this through on the money aspect - because to me that has always been the crux of the matter. Money does not just come, it has to be sought, it has to be wooed, it has to be promised ……. that is the reality of our world. And, if money comes, it comes with expectations, with strings, with demands and with the power to corrupt.
And, the other thing that really bothers me is your screening process …… why should anyone submit their applications or justifications to you? What makes you such a great arbiter? The Freedom Team should accept anyone who thinks that they meet the criteria, and such a member should be ejected only if he/she exhibits characteristics incompatible with the objectives of the team. Wouldn’t that be a more real Freedom ?
Comment by Patriot | February 22, 2008
Dear Patriot
I am quite clear that my model is the best model going ‘in the market’ today, and I’ll outline the reasons for that claim below. You are entitled to your opinion about this model being ‘naïve’, but many times you’ll find, simplicity, and going straight for the jugular is the best approach to a complex problem.
1) Funds: This is hard, but not the big a deal you make it out to be. I have already raised funds in the past, and know the key limitations to raising funds, which this model will overcome. The last effort I organized (2004) raised a few lakh rupees virtually overnight. Funds flow in fast and thick if there is CREDIBILITY in the approach. You’ll be taken aback at how fast funds flow in.
The reason why the effort of 2004 could not raise more money was because it did not have a leadership team of 1500 outstanding leaders wanting to contest elections. Only 2 persons were willing to contest elections - and these two had already been in politics for a while. Even JP, who later started his Lok Satta party in late 2006, and was part of my 2004 effort, thought that his group Lok Satta didn’t intend to contest elections. Without leaders you can’t lead! Politics 101. But show high quality leaders and everyone will fund the effort.
I know of a big industrialist who has committed to crores of rupees if a credible effort comes up. I have ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT about the ability to raise a measly Rs. 150 crores once the right people assemble. In fact, what is Rs. 150 crores - a trivial amount. For a massive size of India’s population, Rs. 150 crores is merely Rs.1.50 per Indian.
Funds can be raised from the 300 million strong India middle classes who can contribute Rs.10 each and that should be sufficient to run the show, as well. Using the internet to collect small donations will be the preferred strategy of the future. Would you not be willing to put in Rs. 10 to get good governance?
In other words, funds can be in weeks or a few months at most, once a full fledged team assembles. That is therefore the least of the problems of the Freedom Team.
2) Awareness building: The Freedom Team effort recognises the need to build awareness for at least 3 years in a focused manner (say, with the approval of the policy blueprint, and brochures in all languages, by the national conference of the Team of 1500 people, marking time 0). That period will not only help to raise funds but most importantly, will spread awareness of the policy changes advocated among the people.
The previous effort failed because none of the armchair intellectual participants was willing to go out and build awareness of the effort. They wouldn’t even push their pen to write a brochure. They had more pressing things to do such as write their usual articles in newspapers/ magazines. Such people are no longer welcome. Anyone who is not willing to pull his or her weight is not wanted. The 1500 people who join MUST be determined to succeed. If not, they can’t call themselves level 4 or 5 leaders, and they don’t qualify for this effort.
3) Policy. Please do not mock the policy platform of the Team. It is rock solid and powerful. This group is not about equality and fraternity, by the way. It is ONLY about freedom. From that flows equality of opportunity. Capitalism. And from these two flow a range of policies which have transformed the world wherever these have been implemented. And many more, that have not yet been implemented anywhere, and which India can implement and benefit from.
India really has one choice only: continue with the failed policies of the past 60 years, or give the policies of this group a chance.
4) Selection process: I am looking for leaders, not participants for an internet chit-chat ‘group’. If a leader can’t demonstrate in 3-4 paragraphs his or her claim to leadership, then that person is not a leader. I do not undertake any ‘big brother’ filtering process; merely insist that peop