Good News and Bad News - Part 2
First, the good news.
Last week Freedom Team released the first issue of its magazine with the following preface:
“…We all want a Great India. But why is there so much failure around us despite these good intentions? ……bad governance and bad policies have added up to make India a highy corrupt, poor nation…why should our governance be so bad?
We believe it is primarily because our best people do not enter politics. The Freedom Team has chosen to fix this problem. The Team will bring togther 1500 leaders…and provide Indians with high qiuality candidates at elections. We all deserve to get our very best people into parlaiment.”
I would strongly encourage all of you to have a look and share your thoughts/ comments. (Disclosure: I am a member of Freedom Team)
If you have questions about the Team or its plans, you can ask them here. And as always, pl. feel free to leave a comment.
Personally, I find this effort hugely encouraging – especially in the context of resurgence in activities of LokSatta and many other similar outfits (see e.g. this report about Lok Paritran planning to contest elections in Karnataka)
Although this is a big step forward (and in the right direction), my optimism is laced with the reality of current day politics.
And I am not talking of India.
This brings me to the bad news:
A few weeks ago, I came across this article in TIME magazine that talks about the power of lobbyists in Washington and how even John McCain - who has a relatively *clean* and reformist image - is not immune from it.
John McCain has been in the news in past for exposing alleged corrupt practices by his peers in the Senate.. However, this is now proving to be a double-edged sword.
Bear in mind what is being discussed in the TIME article is happening in this day and age in a relatively mature and transparent democracy (i.e. the US of A)…and this is not an isolated, one off incident. Politics everywhere appears to have become enmeshed with big money, lobbyists, scandal and corruption.
I do not even need to mention what goes on in the corridors of power in Delhi…which brings me to the depressing thought that we can try as much as we can but it may be almost impossible to reform - of *fix* - the present system of politics and governance in India…certainly not within the next 10 or even 20 years.
Where does that leave the “Freedom Team” and other similar efforts?
I am not sure I know the answer…but I would like to ask this question of all my readers, of all the members of Freedom Team and anyone and everyone who has ever wondered about the sad state off affairs in India – especially its political system and governance.
Related Posts:
Corruption in Public Life: Are we the only ones?
Good news and bad news.. (Part 1)
Here’s how to “fix the system”
P.S. If you want to get more depressed, read this news-story which analyses in some detail how the BJP “ignored” the “caste equations” in Karnataka and how this has caused “has caused heart burn among the minority groups who had been supporting the party in North Karnataka districts.”
